The year abroad as a platform for the future - 5 things employers will love

You've struck gold

I’ve already mentioned numerous times how beneficial working or studying abroad can be. I’ve thrown around all the clichés, I’m pretty sure you know by now how just how many doors the year abroad can open, but as of yet, I have not given you any examples how.

There is so much pressure on getting a job and we are constantly reminded of how difficult this can be. Extra-curricular programmes that can help improve our CV,

The year abroad however is the answer to all your problems. It’s a gift wrapped hamper of CV goldust. It gives you everything your careers officer talks to you about, helping you improve your employability ten-fold. What’s more, it gives you all of this in the space of a year which, as the name so subtly suggests, you get to spend abroad, much better than subjecting yourself to mind numbingly boring or soul sappingly tedious seminars.

Studying or working in a foreign country is far from an easy thing to do. It requires a certain mentality and skill set, things you’ll either have before you get there, or if not, you’ll definitely pick up along the way.

This article will outline 5 qualities your year abroad will help develop and highlight the reasons why they will benefit you in the future. The year abroad is a way to transform yourself into the dream job candidate, and perhaps, a better person in general.

1. Bi/Multilingual

   It might be obvious, perhaps painstakingly so, but many people forget how valuable languages can be in aiding you in your perpetual quest for employment. The more languages you can speak, the greater the asset you will be to a company. Lucky for you, being abroad and all, you're pretty likely to pick one up.

   Speaking different languages also opens up completely different job markets, giving you more avenues to explore rather than being confined to the limited offers at home. Working abroad is an option, even a privilege, that very few have access to.

   

2. Work / International Experience

   This is yet another of the more blatant advantages of spending a year abroad, but nevertheless an essential thing to mention on your CV.

   Employers are always looking to hire someone that has at least some experience to speak of. And although you might think this will only apply to those that work abroad, studying too is a valued experience, mainly due to the many obstacles you have to overcome.

   Mentioning any experience abroad, be it work or study, will do nothing but help your CV become that bit more interesting. It will attract employers to you, giving you a leg-up over any potential competition should you find yourself in any Apprentice-like struggle for the job.

   

3. Organisation

   Your university does help you with some things, but the further away you go, the less of it you receive. Even so, no sooner have you got your place (your university may or may not have helped you get) you find yourself alone in the world, very much left to your own devices. Despite the helping hand from your mum, you’ll bear the brunt of the responsibility: booking flights, hotels, accommodation and a ton of other things… that’s just before you leave.

   When you arrive, you'll have even more things to sort out. If you’re studying you’ll have to organise all of your modules and timetables (in your second language) and everything else that comes with registering as an international student. If you are going to work, then there will be paper work to complete and more importantly the job itself will require you to manage your time well and organise your social life around it.

   Doing all of this shows a competency and heightened level of organisation that is a necessity for many employers. Doing it all in your second language however… well that’s just showing off, no?

   

4. Confidence

   People want to employ those that are confident in themselves and what they’re doing. Going abroad and realising you can survive without daily phone calls sobbing to your parents about how you weren't able to buy any lunch because you'd forgotten the word for sandwich will make you feel good about yourself.

   Knowing that you can do things you may have been scared about at first will only help improve your self-confidence. Being more confident, by default, will make you even better and more efficient at what you’re doing. The year abroad helps you develop this quality, a quality that is both appealing in the real world as much as it is valued in the work place.

   

5. Independence / Self-sufficiency

   Going abroad and fending for yourself will help you become much more independent. On the face of it, it might only seem like you’ve been cooking yourself dinner and washing your own clothes, but being plunged in to the unknown and managing to make it out the other side shows you’ll be more than able to cope with anything a mere job will throw at you.

   Being able to do things yourself, and confident in your ability to do so, means you are less of a liability than you may have thought. If your potential employer knows you can handle yourself in a difficult environment, not only will it impress them but it will also make them more likely to trust you.

   

The perfect candidate

All these things may seem obvious, some perhaps the opposite, but each and every one of them is vital to being deemed employable. It may not feel like what you are doing is transferable to your CV, but everything related to the year abroad will do nothing but improve your future prospects.

Even by mentioning a year abroad you already move above most people in the pecking order, leaving them in your internationally-travelled-bilingual wake. However, it is knowing why it is so beneficial, harnessing and taking advantage of this experience, that will make the difference.

Drawing on this article and expanding on each of these skills is a sure fire way to make your CV an impressive one, giving you a greater chance of finding work in the future.

You’ve hit the CV jackpot, all that’s left to do now is cash in your winnings.

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