Traditionally speaking, there’s been no better way for young people to travel over the last half-century than through Studying Abroad. University-sponsored programs, where students can gain credit, live amongst their classmates, and experience a completely new culture for a semester was the gateway to the world for a generation of American college students.
Yet, as we continue to move into an ever-more interconnected and globalized world, one question must be asked: is Study Abroad is still the best, and most critical way for a college student to travel? With employers craving real skills and experience for entry-level positions, and millennials comprising 40% of the total unemployment rate in the US, is there a better way to travel internationally and leverage your experience at the same time?
The clear alternative to Studying Abroad is an International Internship. Structured in many ways like a Study Abroad program, students who Intern Abroad are eligible for credit, live amongst other students, and will be thrust into a totally new culture for an 8-12 week program. The biggest difference between the two however, is the hands-on work experience one gains in an internship. This not only provides students with a deeper insight into their new city, but also the essential boost to their resume upon graduation from college.
All of this is not to say that there’s no reason why one wouldn’t want to – nor shouldn’t – Study Abroad while in college. I Studied Abroad in college, and it’s still one of the best experiences of my entire life. It has its clear merits and values. However, with such a limited window to set your career path, and seeing as most students only have the opportunity to live and study/work overseas once during college, it’s important to understand the differences between the two before making a decision on which is right for you.
Take a look at our Study Abroad v Intern Abroad Matrix below to gain a true understanding of what’s offered by each, and what differentiates the two.
INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL EXPERIENCES
Ability to travel to some of the world’s greatest cities & live for a number of weeks/months. Read more
No longer are you just a tourist in a foreign city. By shopping at markets, frequenting the same pubs, and participating in the seasonal traditions of a foreign culture, you become something of a local. Understanding the ebbs and tides of a place separates you from those who only ever experience the periphery of a culture.
Freedom to travel throughout region. Perhaps the greatest benefit of Studying Abroad is the freedom you have with time.Read more
Most programs take a lax approach to class scheduling, allowing students the chance to take frequent long weekends in nearby countries and cities. If you’re in Western Europe, like more than half of all US students, you’ll find that distances are often like those found in the US Northeast.
For many, the only chance to ever travel/live overseas.
Separate yourself from tourists. By working in a foreign city, you have the opportunity to pick up on the nuances of the culture & its people. Read more
Take cultural immersion one step further by working with, and among, locals. See and feel the day-to-day reality of making a living in a foreign city. Understand the importance of class, race, and education in another government & economic system. This will not only widen your overall perspective on the globalized economy, but will highlight the benefits and flaws of your home country’s workforce & economic structure. Now, when you watch sporting events, have a few pints at the pub, eat local food, and travel throughout the country & region, you’ll have added context to why these “fun events” hold such meaning in a foreign culture.
Ride the metro/bus each day and meet people as they commute to work, thus diluting cultural differences. Read more
Perhaps the best way to meet people while abroad is while commuting with them. There are so many behaviors one can pick up on in seeing how people get to work each day. Is this the most fun thing you can do while traveling? No. But it offers an insight into people and their habits that few other activities overseas can.
STUDY ABROAD
INTERN ABROAD
PERSONAL GROWTH & GROUNDED CONFIDENCE
Live the furthest away from home for perhaps the first time.
Gain a deeper understanding of your place in the world & develop independence. 95% of Study Abroad alum believe their experience Read more
helped them understand their place in the world better as well as develop greater confidence and sense of independence.
Overcome a multitude of challenges, and develop a clear understanding of what you’re capable of. Read more
Ever negotiated for a bunch of bananas in a foreign language? Ever missed your stop on the last train of the night in a foreign city? Have you ever been starving but come across a single restaurant with no English menu, and totally foreign food? All of these things and more will happen while you’re overseas. All of which lead to a newfound confidence in what you can overcome each day.
With options in rural communities, 3-world countries, and world-class cities, there are a range of experiences Read more
you can have to develop confidence in regards to what you can handle outside of your comfort zone.
On the same page with the first three. 92% of Global Experiences Alumni said their internship helped them gain a higher sense of maturity Read more
and 78% felt it made them more culturally aware.
By working in your field, you will truly know what you’re capable of accomplishing and doing within your field. Read more
This is the key. Not only will you be gaining a deeper sense of your place in the world. Not only will you have the day-to-day, inherent challenges of travel to grow from. But, you will be experiencing all of this while working in your field, for perhaps the first time. The accomplishments you make professionally will fast-track your experience and ultimately make you a more viable candidate once you begin looking for jobs in your field.
Understanding your place in the world not just in a theoretical sense, but in a truly grounded way, since you’ve lived and worked Read more
so far from your comfort zone. Like school, Studying Abroad is a great way to gain further theoretical knowledge. Taking it one-step further, an International Internship is the best way to gain practical, hands-on knowledge that’s applicable for the rest of your life.
STUDY ABROAD
INTERN ABROAD
LEARN A NEW LANGUAGE
Take language courses and immerse yourself in the language of your host country. 42% of all Study Abroad alum claim they use a language besides English on a regular basis following their Study Abroad experience.
Make friends with locals and develop language skills while socializing.
Travel throughout host country to understand the different dialects spoken & gain a broader sense of what the language feels like.
By working within a company that speaks a foreign language you gain a more practical understanding of a new language.
Develop the Business Language skills that make you attractive to International Business. Many people who pursue Read more
an International Internship do so to prepare them for an eventual career in International Business. What better way to prove that your capable of working internationally, than through an internship with a potential reference overseas?
By befriending co-workers you have the opportunity to learn the language both from a business sense, and a personal one. Read more
Through these professional relationships, you’re able to combine the social benefits of Studying Abroad with those in a professional setting that not only shows you a more personalized view of you host country, but also develops the kinds of differential skills that will make your resume a truly viable one.
STUDY ABROAD
INTERN ABROAD
MAKE FRIENDS FROM AROUND THE WORLD
Perhaps no better place to meet long-lasting friends than while traveling overseas. The experiences you share, Read more
and memories you make are unlike anything you’ll ever replicate.
With limited class time, and people from around the world living in world class cities, you have more time than ever to make friends Read more
from a multitude of cultural backgrounds. Both of these points really speak to the magic of traveling, particularly in a Study Abroad. Time seems to fade away, responsibilities lessen, and the main focus becomes personal growth, experimentation, and building relationships with people you might not otherwise have the chance to befriend.
With a group of like-minded people joining you on your Intern Abroad Program, you have the opportunity to meet Read more
equally-motivated people who are experiencing their fields for perhaps the first time ever as well. Not only will you be living & traveling with peers much like you would in a Study Abroad, but everyone around you will be pursuing an internship that speaks to their passions. No longer is the goal simply to travel and experience a foreign culture. Here, the goal is to accelerate independence, gain valuable hands-on experience, and learn if this field you’re so passionate about, is what you want to pursue as a career. Imagine the kinds of ideas and creative collaboration can come from those thriving in their fields, in a foreign place, away from the confines of school and home for perhaps the first time?
Befriend co-workers and locals within your field. Taking the above point one-step further, your co-workers Read more
will not only be your guide to the city, but also to your career. By learning from them, forming professional relationships, and understanding how they’ve been able to craft a career in the field you desperately want entrance to, you’re building a network that can be tapped into throughout your life and career.
STUDY ABROAD
INTERN ABROAD
DEVELOP A GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE
By traveling and living overseas for perhaps the first time, gain a true understanding of what globalization means, Read more
and how similar the mosaic of humanity is.
By seeing cultural differences up close, understanding how these shape and color our world, and develop empathy for “the other.”
Understand where the food and culture and art and habits that we think are “normal” in America/Canada came fromRead more
and why people may do things that are considered “different.” Each of the above points speaks to the unmatched benefit of travel. In a world full of conflicts based on cultural misnomers, the value of understanding the world in a truly global manner is invaluable. This experience builds compassion, empathy, and an understanding for humanity that is essential. If peace is ever to prosper, travel is a critical way to overcome the roadblocks that stand in its way.
By working in a foreign country, you get a sense for to the cultural differences that impact international business on a daily basis. Read more
Living and working overseas proves the need to understand the nuances of the larger world and all of the cultures within it in a practical way that simply traveling/studying cannot. This is where you see how the world really works, how you react to the day-to-day stresses of work, all within the experience of traveling. You’ll come away with a greater sense of understanding for the larger world. Not only will you understand the cultural differences & similarities of the world, but you’ll get a practical perspective on how these differences impact work and the ongoing global economy. With the world becoming ever-more-integrated, the odds on you working with people from a multitude of cultural backgrounds is high. With this in mind, isn’t there an inherent value in experiencing what it’s like working as the “other” in a completely foreign place?
STUDY ABROAD
INTERN ABROAD
ACCELERATE INDEPENDENCE
Living overseas for 2-3 months will definitely teach you a lot about the independence required in adulthood. Read more
Separate yourself from the norms of your family/home and see yourself as an individual, an adult with your own opinions who’s capable of leaving everyone behind to explore and understand the world. This is a critical step in figuring out who you are and how you really want to live your life. Beyond this, there’s so much to learn about world culture, much of which can color your entire life, and experiencing this in an independent travel experience opens you up to all the world truly has to offer.
Traveling on your own, and overcoming the mundane, day-to-day, obstacles that come with navigating a foreign culture, Read more
as well as transportation, currency exchange, booking hostels, safety, etc. Simply put, there is nothing like trying to buy bus tickets in a foreign language, in a foreign city, on an empty stomach, in an unfamiliar currency, without your parents there to help.
Not only are you traveling and living overseas, but you’re gaining work experience & responsibility within your field. Read more
What could accelerate independence faster than gaining the essential skills needed to be hired immediately upon graduation? Not only are you experiencing the world in a personal sense, but you’re giving yourself a critical leg-up on your peers, thus guaranteeing you the opportunity to move out of your parents’ house, and begin your career as soon as possible. Developing the core skills required to succeed within your field gives you a leg-up in applying for work, which allows you the opportunity to live more independently as you pursue your first job.
STUDY ABROAD
INTERN ABROAD
DEVELOP NEW SKILLS
The kinds of soft skills one can develop while trying to communicate in a foreign language, experiencing a new culture,and meeting people from all over the world can make you a more open, and understanding person.
Learn how to calculate currency exchange in your head on the fly.
Travel by nature opens you to trying new things, which in turn allows you learn new skills in often a subconscious way. Read more
This cannot be emphasized enough. Every day you’re traveling, regardless what you’re doing, your brain is processing information in ways it simply doesn’t while in the comforts of home. It’s alive and aware of new smells, sights, sounds, and the inherent changes you’re going through. For perhaps this reason alone, EVERYONE should travel.
Develop hard skills within your field along with the above stated soft skills that come from travel.
Understand how to navigate a foreign city while commuting to work day-to-day.
Develop networking skills as well as professional communication skills through hands-on experience.
STUDY ABROAD
INTERN ABROAD
This is where the similar benefits of Studying Abroad & Interning Abroad end. As you can see, for as valuable as the experience of living and traveling overseas in a Study Abroad program is, in terms of long-term, tangible benefits, it continuously falls short of an International Internship. With how little time today’s young professionals have to truly make an impact in the job market, wouldn’t it be worthwhile to take the extra step to not only gain the personal benefits of travel, but also those that are professional in nature?
Read on to see the further added benefits of an International Internship.
GAIN REAL-WORLD WORK EXPERIENCE
Work a full-time job in your field and see how you adapt to a professional environment, and what your strengths are in your field. Read more
Answer the age-old question: How will you ever know what you’re good at without trying it first?
Bulk up your resume through legitimate experience that can be used to help you find full-time work in the future. Read more
It’s no secret that the majority of employers are seeking people with entry-level experience for entry-level jobs. Yet this leads to a constant questioning over how one gains entry-level experience, without an entry-level job. Rather than a confounding Chicken or the egg scenario, an 8-12 week long internship is enough to prove to employers that you DO have the initial experience required to cut-it in their organization.
75% of employers believe recent grads lack the experience and creativity necessary to function in the workplace. Read more
Compare this with the 57% of recent grads who are convinced they do? But, which of these are doing the hiring, and which is doing the applying?