Going the extra mile with your work experience

Going the extra mile with your work experience

There are always things you can do to make yourself stand out from the crowd and thus more likely to land the job of your dreams. And if like us, your dream or passion is to work and travel, you can use this to your advantage by gaining international experience that will not only look impressive on your CV but will give you a lifetime of memories to cherish.

 

Pack your bags!

Of course, everyone knows that it’s fun and healthy to travel. You gain new life experience, learn about new cultures, taste a new cuisine, and perhaps even learn a new language along the way. In fact, many companies, including ESL Education, now offer courses whereby you travel to the country you’re learning the language of! 

However, there’s often that bittersweet feeling that soon an experience abroad will have to end, reality will come crashing down again, and dare it to be said, you might even have to think about “settling down”!

 But why should it necessarily have to be this way? We prefer to believe that relocating to other countries is a great way of satisfying the travel bug within, as well as gaining quality professional experience and connections that can prove useful for the future. All in all, working and traveling is a lifestyle, and not just a habit to give up.

 

Don’t work to travel. Travel to work.

 

It is also interesting to note that recent research has proven that studying or working abroad actually gives you the ability to think in a more creative and complex way. This comes as a result of learning and adapting to foreign cultures and new ideas that we had previously never experienced:

People who have international experience or identify with more than one nationality are better problem solvers and display more creativity, our research suggests. What’s more, we found that people with this international experience are more likely to create new businesses and products and to be promoted[i]Maddux, 2010

However, the study also showed that these advantages come mostly to those who are most willing and open to adapt to their host country. Openness is a very important attribute since it will not only help you to develop as a person but also increase the number of opportunities that come your way. As with the butterfly effect, one thing always leads to another.

 

Citizen of the world

For employers, hiring someone who has international experience, including an Erasmus or similar programs, is almost certainly an advantage, since you will have knowledge of how businesses from other countries work, and it will also demonstrate that you are not afraid of taking risks and taking on new challenges. Furthermore, if the company you are applying for is of international standing, having experience abroad may be a requirement or at least desirable, if you are going to be working with people from different countries and cultures.

So if you find yourself inclined to travel, don’t give it up! There are many job opportunities out there waiting for you, and many employers seeking candidates who are prepared to go the extra mile.

 

 

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