1. Study Abroad and Employability
Dr Rachel Walls
Careers Adviser, University of Oxford
Good morning everyone and welcome

2. Studying New Experiences Friends
Here is me at Lake Louise Canada in 2003, on my study abroad year to Calgary in Western Canada. I have to admit I wasn’t thinking about my future career at all…instead I was focusing on making new friends, having new experiences and on studying new subjects and getting good grades.

3. Nonetheless, study abroad has shaped and helped my career
Nonetheless, study abroad has shaped and helped my career. I talked about my year abroad as ‘my greatest challenge’ in my first successful job interview after graduating (as a learning support assistant). The brilliant teachers I had in Canada and my interactions with Native Canadian culture fuelled my academic enthusiasm for Canadian Studies and eventually led me to do postgraduate studies. I had a very enjoyable four and half year period getting my Masters by Research and PhD in this field, taking further research trips to Canada where I presented at conferences, met with community groups and carried out research in Vancouver; getting a teaching scholarship where my year abroad helped me to identify with my American Studies students; giving me the expertise in film theory to teach Canadian Cinema at the local independent cinema. In turn, these experiences helped me get my current job as a Careers Adviser, and some of my study abroad contacts and friends have been useful in a recent project editing a book on Vancouver Film Locations.

4. A recent survey by i-Graduate, an independent research organisation, showed ‘around 60% of the country’s top employers indicate that experience of international study enhances employability’.
I found this on the University of Hertfordshire’s website (and I believe we have a representative here – so thanks!)
Also, “Study Abroad Boosts Employability Say Global HR Execs in New Study” By The Scholar Ship, Apr 9, 2007
“Three in Four Cite Study Abroad Experience as Important When Evaluating Candidates for Junior-Level Positions”

5. Plan work for year abroad
Get a job on return
Plan work for year abroad
Get advice while abroad
Today I’m a Careers Adviser at the University of Oxford. Not based in Harry Potter-famed Christchurch unfortunately! At Oxford the Careers Service offers over 200 1:1 appointments per week. During my share of these appointments I often end up helping students plan for their year abroad, giving students advice while they’re abroad (by phone or skype) and helping them get a job on their return. We don’t yet participate in any regular events study abroad and employability, but this is something I’m exploring.

6. How can we help students prepare to make the most of their study abroad?
How can we help them to apply for internships and work while they’re out there and when they return?
Essentially, what I’m interested in and what I’ll be exploring today is: [read slide]
So expanding on the ad hoc work we do with students who visit Careers before or after the year abroad, and provide some resources targeted at this group.

7. What can you do to help students make the most of study abroad, before they go and after they return?
What could you do?
What do you already do?
Who could you work with?
DISCUSS

8. Preparing for the year abroad
Why are you doing this?
What do you hope to gain from it?
I’ve recently stuck this post it note on my computer to try and help me make better, informed and targeted choices about how to spend my energies, and it occurred to me that these questions are equally relevant to a student about to go on their year abroad.

9. S.M.A.R.T objectives Specific Measurable Achievable Realistic
Time Related
In a workshop I run called Career Pathfinder, we ask participants to set three SMART objectives related to their career management, which they can achieve in the next six weeks. They make a note of them for themselves, before copying them on to a postcard which we send them six weeks later. If they haven’t met these goals by the time they get the postcard, we encourage them to reset their goals and reflect on why they didn’t meet the original objectives – were they SMART? If not, why not?