Coming Back

This topic is designed to help you unpack your international experience in the context of future employment or professional opportunities. The Coming Back module helps you reflect on your experiences and re-define them in a way that will enhance your academic or career prospects.

In order to gain professional benefits from your international experience, you may have to shift your perspective. Instead of focusing on the memories, or what you hoped to achieve in terms of travelling and seeing the world, you need to ask yourself, ‘what are employers looking for?’ (Or graduate schools or research labs or any number of other things you might be applying to.)

The odds are that job advertisements will NOT say, ‘Looking for a former exchange student.’ So, how does your study abroad experience fit into what employers want? For example, how might playing ice hockey in Canada have developed someone’s team skills? Work through this module to find out.

The main skills I picked from studying abroad up were adaptability and flexibility … to help me find the right cultural fit … to find other people’s strengths and to use my own strengths.

Nina, returned student.