110405 curran international career consortium
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Transcript of 110405 curran international career consortium
Curran Consulting, April, 2011: www.curranoncareers.com
Enhancing the Career Value of Study AbroadSheila J Curran, Curran Consulting, April 5, 2011
The International Careers Consortium Annual Conference, 2011
Sheila J Curran
Career and organizational strategy consultant to colleges and universities
Former executive director, Duke Career Center, and director, Brown Career Services
Coauthor, Smart Moves for Liberal Arts Grads: Finding a Path to Your Perfect Career, Ten Speed Press, 2006
Website: curranoncareers.com
Curran Consulting, April, 2011: www.curranoncareers.com
Why a career advantage is necessary
Curran Consulting, April, 2011: www.curranoncareers.com
This is the worst year in recent memory for college grads to find work
College students need every advantage they can get to set themselves apart from their peers
Curran Consulting, April, 2011: www.curranoncareers.com
Why students go abroad: what they say
Broaden horizons
Understand different culture
Explore
Gain language skills
Curran Consulting, April, 2011: www.curranoncareers.com
Why students go abroad: what they think
Get away from college
Figure out who they are
Career boost
Curran Consulting, April, 2011: www.curranoncareers.com
Parent Perspective
See a different part of the world—preferably somewhere they would like to visit
Build new friendships
Explore…in safe environment
AND….
Have something to put on the resume
Curran Consulting, April, 2011: www.curranoncareers.com
Why a career advantage is necessary
Parents want a return on their tuition investment and they won’t get that if their kids are unemployed or underemployed!
Their worry: College is expensive College grad salaries haven’t kept up with inflation Even the best colleges don’t guarantee top jobs Unemployment rates continue to rise
Curran Consulting, April, 2011: www.curranoncareers.com
The Real Deal for Young Graduates
Unemployment Rate for Bachelor’s graduates 20-24:
March, 2011: 8.5% March, 2010: 7.2% 150% increase over 3 years
March, 2009: 7.6% March, 2008: 3.4%
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, March, 2011: Unpublished Table 10 data
Curran Consulting, April, 2011: www.curranoncareers.com
The truth about careers and study abroad
Career impact of study abroad can be:
Negative
Neutral
Positive
Curran Consulting, April, 2011: www.curranoncareers.com
What employers need
Global perspective
Greater maturity
Cultural understanding
Linguistic proficiency
And maybe even…understanding of global business issues
Curran Consulting, April, 2011: www.curranoncareers.com
Sad facts…
Those hiring for entry-level positions rarely check for these attributes
and if they did, they’d find…
Few of those who study abroad are able to demonstrate these attributes any more than students who remain on campus
Curran Consulting, April, 2011: www.curranoncareers.com
The “Engaged” Experience
Live with local families; participate in local customs
Drink mint tea; go to the local hammam
Make efforts to communicate in language of country
Work, volunteer or intern as well as study and travel
Operate out of “comfort zone”
DON’T HAVE AN AMERICAN EXPERIENCE ABROAD
Curran Consulting, April, 2011: www.curranoncareers.com
Study abroad isn’t what it used to be
Number of students going abroad increased every year until FY10
More students have “American” experience abroad Parents don’t want students to take risks Few students go abroad for a whole year
Curran Consulting, April, 2011: www.curranoncareers.com
Skills Required for Employment1. Verbal communication skills
2. Strong work ethic
3. Teamwork
4. Analytical skills
5. Initiative
6. Problem-solving skills
7. Written communication skills
8. Interpersonal skills
9. Computer skills
10. Flexibility/adaptability
Curran Consulting, April, 2011: www.curranoncareers.com
5 key skills from study abroad
Verbal communication skills
Initiative
Problem-solving skills
Interpersonal skills
Adaptability
Curran Consulting, April, 2011: www.curranoncareers.com
Recent trends
Numbers of students going to Europe are down 4%, while numbers going to South America and Africa are up 13% and 16% respectively
Big increases in number of students going to South Korea and Peru
Curran Consulting, April, 2011: www.curranoncareers.com
Importance of languages
Languages can provide a competitive advantage in the job search
Few students go to countries where difficult languages are spoken (Chinese, Russian, Arabic)
Curran Consulting, April, 2011: www.curranoncareers.com
Keys to making study abroad a career advantage
Understand what employers value
Plan in advance, meeting with career advisor
Have an “engaged” experience
De-brief transferable skills upon return
Curran Consulting, April, 2011: www.curranoncareers.com
Before leaving
Take advanced classes in the language of the host country
Take courses in history, political science, sociology, or other disciplines with a focus on the region of the world the student wants to study
Read newspapers from the foreign country
Identify an intellectual interest that can be developed in a particular program
Curran Consulting, April, 2011: www.curranoncareers.com
While abroad
Get out of your comfort zone
Practice your language skills
Get to know the people; make local friends
Write a blog
Find opportunities to do internships or volunteer work
Curran Consulting, April, 2011: www.curranoncareers.com
When you come back
De-brief your experience with a career advisor
Tell stories
Identify transferable skills
Find your hook!
Curran Consulting, April, 2011: www.curranoncareers.com
Finding your hook
Did your study abroad experience help you develop a special skill or attribute?
Can you tell employers a relevant story that sets you apart from the competition?
Curran Consulting, April, 2011: www.curranoncareers.com
Career/ Study Abroad collaboration
Identify common goals
Share information about employer and study abroad realities with students AND parents
Include career information in study abroad materials and orientations, and study abroad information in career orientations
Curran Consulting, April, 2011: www.curranoncareers.com
The international career program
Educate all out-going students about the potential career value of study abroad
Enroll interested students in an “International Career Program” contract, with rights and responsibilities and a dedicated career advisor
The career advisor helps students identify foreign internship and volunteer opportunities, involving faculty where possible. He/she also helps student identify transferable skills
Study abroad and careers staff work together to sign up local alumni mentors for students
Curran Consulting, April, 2011: www.curranoncareers.com
Challenge for study abroad offices
Students and their families demand interesting and enjoyable programs in safe locations and frequent contact
Faculty may favor formal education over experiential education
Only a small percentage may be prepared to do what it takes to get a career advantage
Curran Consulting, April, 2011: www.curranoncareers.com
Challenge for careers offices
Students want to return to their Study Abroad location
Employers often required specialized skills before offering international assignments
Few careers offices have staff with specialized knowledge of international opportunities, or are familiar with strategies for success in the international job search
Curran Consulting, April, 2011: www.curranoncareers.com
Resources
Going Global: http://www.goinglobal.com/en/college-services/
Transitions Abroad: http://www.transitionsabroad.com
Languages Work: http://www.languageswork.org.uk/careers_advisers1.aspx
Sheila Curran’s website: http://www.curranoncareers.com/advantages-of-study-abroad/
Curran Consulting, April, 2011: www.curranoncareers.com
What next?
Write strategic plan for both career services and study abroad that discusses student outcomes relating to global education and experience
Identify, gather and analyze success metrics
Consider an International Career Program
GOOD NEWS: The student who has the best educational experience is the one most likely to also find a career benefit from study abroad
Curran Consulting, April, 2011: www.curranoncareers.com
Discussion
Continue the conversation:
Sheila J. Curran401 861 [email protected]