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Introduction

Setting career goals can help you develop relevant soft skills, which connects to your future career. Research finds that 73% of employers highly value soft skills in new employees. Soft skills have become the currency and study abroad is a key practice that leads to soft skill development.

Tasks

List 5 soft skills (non-technical skills) that you would like to strengthen or gain while abroad

Explain how you intend to develop each skill listed above (think of SMART goals):

• Specific (be specific about what you want to accomplish)
• Measurable (what metrics are you going to use to determine if you meet the goal)?
• Achievable (what you can do to make it attainable)
• Relevant (focus on something that makes sense with the broader career goals)
• Time-Bound (providing a target date for deliverables is imperative)
  

Introduction

Expanding your professional network is useful to learn about a career field and hear about job openings. One way to do that is requesting an informational interview. This is a networking tool in which you informally interview someone about his or her profession.

Tasks

1. Interview a VT study abroad alum about how study abroad is relevant to his/her career aspirations (The Global Education Office can help connect you with a study abroad alum).
2. Prepare for the interview with questions and topics to discuss.
3. Record the interview or take detailed notes.
4. Write a brief summary of the interview. Here are some suggestions on what to include:
   • The main take-away
   • The best advice you received
   • Something that surprised you
   • A concrete goal relating to careers you want to accomplish abroad
   • How your interviewee incorporated study abroad into his/her career path

Introduction

Did you know that 1 in 5 American jobs are tied to the international market? Have you ever thought about having a job that requires you to live abroad, travel to other countries, or have a domestic job with opportunities to work with people from other cultures? Now is a good time to explore career opportunities with international aspects.

Tasks

Answer the following  (500 words minimum):

1. What sounds interesting about international careers?
2. What are some challenges about international careers?
3. What sort of international career would be a good fit for you (for example: work for which I am based in the U.S. but travel internationally would be best for me because…)?
4.  List some internationally focused jobs that sound interesting to you. Why did you choose these?

Resources:

• VT Career and Professional Development
• TransitionsAbroad.com: Work Abroad
• Idealist
• GoinGlobal

Introduction

Workplace culture is different from a country’s culture. The culture of a workplace refers to the “personality” specific to a company and relates to the working environment, expectations, values, and rules.

However, the country’s culture can in turn influence the workplace culture. For example, in a country where the concept of time is viewed loosely, people may arrive late to meetings without consequence. This article gives some examples.

Tasks

Research the general work culture norms in your host country. Answer the following questions:

1. What surprises you about work culture in your host country?
2. Name something you like and dislike about the work culture in your host country. Why?
3. How do some of the country’s cultural aspects influence the local work culture?
4. Visit Hofstede Insights and explain how the work culture in your host country is similar to that in the US. How is it different?

Introduction:

Two key documents when applying for a job: a resume and cover letter. Both can reflect all that you have learned abroad and how your study abroad experience makes you a competitive candidate. (Resource: the Career Planning Guide pages 46-64.)

Tasks

1. Résumé: Visit VT Career and Professional Development. Discuss how you can create a resume that will highlight what you have learned during your study abroad program. Then update your resume to reflect your study abroad experience. Submit both your original as well as your revised resume.
2. Cover Letter: Find a job posting that interests you. Create a cover letter connecting your skills gained during study abroad to the job qualifications.
3. Employers will often ask candidates, "Tell us about a time when..." or "Your résumé says you have strong leadership skills; can you give us an example?" Draw on your study abroad experiences for one story that you could use as a concrete example of a skill you developed.
   

Introduction

The most common type of job interview is the behavioral interview. Luckily, many behavioral interview questions are common or easy to anticipate, so you can prepare responses in advance. The STAR method is an effective way to answer those kind of questions:

• Situation: Describe the situation
• Task: Describe the task you needed to accomplish
• Action: Describe your actions
• Result: Describe the outcome

Tasks

Choose three of the behavioral interview questions below. Respond using examples from your study abroad experience using the STAR method (for an example, click here).

1. Give me an example of how you manage your time. What factors do you consider?
2. Give me an example of an important goal you set for yourself and how you accomplished it.
3. Tell me about a time when someone challenged your opinion. How did you handle it?
4. Tell me about a situation in which you experienced conflict and how you resolved it.
5. Describe a situation in which you led a group of people.
6. Convince me that you can adapt to a wide variety of people, situations, or environments.
7. Give me an example of a time when you took initiative.
8. Describe a stressful situation you experienced. How did you handle it?