IIE Study Shows That Studying Abroad Has a Direct Impact on Skills Needed for Career Success

Title: IIE Study Shows That Studying Abroad Has a Direct Impact on Skills Needed for Career Success

Authors: Christine Farrugia, Jodi Sanger

Source: Institute of International Education

Date: Oct. 5, 2017

In October 2017, Institute of International Education (IIE) released a report of a new study on the associations between education abroad and the employment competencies needed for today’s labor market. The study was based on the data collected from over 4,500 U.S. college and university alumni, who are now at different phases of their careers. IIE’s study indicates that education abroad is beneficial to the cultivation of significant vocational skills and leads to positive career improvement.

One key finding of the study illustrates that students believe their experience abroad contributed to future job offers, career promotion, and foreign language abilities, especially for longer-term study abroad experiences. Meanwhile, as alumni who had participated in shorter-term programs stated, study abroad equipped them with better teamwork skills. This might reflect on the fact that shorter-term programs tend to be organized in a way that require more teamwork, while longer-term programs require more independence.

To read the full article on the IIE website and download the report, please click here.