Study Abroad Benefits

The Benefits are Many

The workplace in the U.S. is changing. We’re becoming more diverse in every way as new countries join global economic, business and financial communities. U.S. students cannot afford to be passive in their education. We need to actively pursue study abroad programs, experiential learning, and cultural immersion for the needed experience to land jobs in this changing employment sector.

Global Competence

According to a recent survey of CEOs, respondents said the importance of a study abroad experience is "not merely the act of studying in a foreign country. Rather, the significance of international education often resides in the opportunity to partake in an intensive language program coupled with the prospect of developing skills that result from complete immersion in a foreign country" (Gutierrez, Robert; Bhandari, Rajika; Auerbach, Jennifer; Satterwhite, Erika. "The Value of International Education to U.S. Business and Industry Leaders: Key Findings from a Survey of CEOs," IIE, October 2009). At CEA, we’ll prepare you for Global Competence with a comprehensive educational benefit that study abroad student acquire, including such skills as:

• Increased independence and self confidence
• Increased adaptability to unfamiliar or changing environments
• Increased intercultural skills, especially negotiating a foreign culture and language
• Increased critical thinking and problem-solving skills gleaned from experiential learning activities incorporating the host culture with curriculum objectives
• Increased knowledge of global relationships and policy perspectives

Career Advancement

Those skills aren't lost on CEOs, as indicated in their career advancement opportunities. The same IIE survey found that:

• 60 percent of hiring managers surveyed reported that the hiring and promotion strategy of their companies acknowledged the importance of a study abroad experience
• 90 percent of those hiring managers who studied abroad themselves reported a hiring or promotion strategy that actively sought out and rewarded study abroad experience

Growing Demand

More and more college applicants are recognizing the need for cultural awareness and intercultural skills in a borderless world. A survey of high school students taking the SAT exam found that 50 percent of the students believed barriers in the world are disappearing and successful people will have to be able to work with people from other countries and cultures ("College-Bound Students’ Interests in Study Abroad and Other International Learning Activities," studentPOLL™, 2008). Another 43 percent said they believe international experience and education will help advance their career ajavascript:void(0)nd give them a competitive advantage. - Lindsey Messmer, Sr. Admissions Counselor at CEA Global Education.

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