Vacation with Benefits

Vacation with benefits

Lack of experience making it tough to find a job? Investing in an internship abroad has proven to be the game-changer when it comes to getting your career off to an incredible start.

I’ve got some horrible news. You know all those hours you spent studying, not partying and not traveling? Of course, you do. After deciding on a career path you believe will interest you the most, you then choose which school to go to and then promise to commit yourself for the next 3-4 years thinking if I get through this, I’ll have a job. After all of your hard work, they have a ceremony in your honor where you receive a piece of paper, which every educational institution made you believe that if you show said paper to your dream job, they would immediately smile and say you’re hired because you have worked so hard! Unfortunately, this only exists in movies and tv shows that don’t reflect the real world at all.

No matter how many extracurricular activities, projects or classes you took relating to your career, employers will just shrug their shoulders and inquire if you have ever done anything related to the job of your dreams. If you haven’t, I can promise you that you will be in for months of ghosting from every sort of company out there. You might be one of the clever ones who did a local internship with the exact set of skills you need for your dream job. Turns out, you’re not the only one. Sure, there’s a chance that you will be one of the lucky ones who land a great job after completing an internship. Sadly, often, employers will most likely pass on your resume, even if you have done a great internship.

“No matter how many extracurricular activities, projects or classes you took relating to
your career, employers will just shrug their shoulders and inquire if you have ever done anything related to the job of your dreams.”

However, say you were to complete an international internship, this would make your resume stand out like a sore thumb. The reason for that is many have studied abroad, but only a select few have worked abroad. Working abroad gives you the soft skills no local internship would ever give you;

1- Demonstrate character

You are demonstrating to future employees that you are adaptable to every environment and situation that you are put in. Nothing functions the same in a foreign country. So, putting yourself in a situation where you must learn and adapt will show future employers that they can trust you in any situation, no matter how crazy.

2- Independence

Becoming independent is more than just moving out of the house you grew up in. Independence is earned when you put your future directly in your own hands. Moving across the world and putting yourself in a situation that makes you uncomfortable for personal and professional gain, shows your true independence.

3- Confidence

Whenever you hope to achieve anything, confidence is key! Not believing in yourself will result in a disaster in personal growth. Having too much isn’t good either because it makes you prone to fail and even come off as cocky. Taking risks and seizing opportunities from across the world, in this case, will demonstrate to future employers that you have confidence.

4- Cultural Awareness

Embracing cultures outside of the one you’ve known your whole life is a wonderful way to expand your mind and teach it to think outside the box, and unconventionally. When future employers see that you have immersed yourself in a whole new culture, they will want to see what they do differently and see if they should adopt these practices to make the workplace more harmonious.

5- Innovation

Travelling abroad to see how other cultures work will not only benefit your work habits, it will become something you can share with future employers who are willing to give you a shot because chances are they haven’t had the chance to work in another country. Your risk/privilege of working in another country gives you the chance to impact the company culture positively, ensuring your chance to innovate and make sure the company you work for always stays progressive.

Therefore

Doing an internship abroad is the best way to earn these soft skills and prove to future employers why you are a force to be reckoned with. You will never gain any of these skills from a local internship and those who are willing to take risks and reach for something impossible are the ones that succeed.