The popular saying, “to get a good job, one first needs a good education” once defined what was necessary to secure a good job out of college, but now represents the bare minimum of what is required.
A bachelors degree and even a masters degree sometimes isn’t enough to qualify an individual for a position any more. Why is that? Because what employers look for is not just educational experience, but relevant work experience and the proven ability to contribute to a professional work environment. According to a study done by the Pew Research Center in 2014, “about two-thirds of all Millennials (65%) say they should have gotten more work experience while in college.”
During a student’s undergraduate degree, they will find themselves in the predicament that many students find themselves. With graduation fast approaching they will ask the questions, “am I ready to start my career, am I qualified for a position, what do I even really want to be doing?” With over two million college graduates each year looking to enter the workforce, most with very similar qualifications, an international internship is a substantive and meaningful point of differentiation that better prepares students for the workforce.
Hart Research Associates surveyed employers and recent grads to gauge levels of preparedness in 17 key areas that employers look for abilities in. Research showed that employers see recent grads as significantly less prepared than they believe themselves to be. Global Experiences’ program works to make sure that our interns are adept in each of these areas prior to their program starting through our strengths based programming and personalized career coaching. We also help to capitalize on our interns skills during and after their program through networking events, alumni resources and teaching them real world implementation of everything they gained on their program.
There are a number of important questions that need to be asked:
1. Is Global Experiences a real and reliable company?
Don't just take our word for it! It's important to research and make an informed decision to help your child towards an internship abroad. Check out reviews from outside sources, read about us in the news, look over our awards from reputable national and international organizations and our partnerships with universities. Also, go ahead and review real pictures, videos, and other media from our programs on our various social media platforms.
2. Will my child be safe?
Traveling internationally can be filled with many unknowns and be daunting, especially for first timers. The best thing to remember is that Global Experiences has local staff on-location for 24/7 support who have all been trained in emergency safety procedures. All housing is centrally located and, with over 14 years of experience, our safety and on-location management protocols have been developed in conjunction with major US universities.
3. Why complete an international internship instead of a local internship?
A local internship can be a good learning experience, but it is also something that nearly all recent graduates will have on their resume - whether they are required to have one through their university or not. An international work experience not only shows employers that a student is open-minded, flexible, and has experienced diversity, but that they made the choice to leave their comfort zone, were able to overcome challenges, and grow as an individual personally and professionally at the same time successfully.
Travel can be a catalyst for personal discovery, and framing the experience in a professional context enhances the knowledge, skills and abilities that today's employers are looking for. Ready to talk with someone about how to better prepare your child for life after college? Inquire now to connect with a Program Consultant and start the conversation.
