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An employers point of view
Improve your job marketability.
Recent surveys of Australian organisations have found that an overseas study experience makes you highly desirable in the eyes of potential employers. Many employers said that undertaking an international study experience shows an individual has drive, initiative and the ability to adapt to change and uncertainty, attributes that make a candidate stand out.
Gain valuable skills and experience.
While the technical skills you gain at an international institution are appealing to Australian businesses, it is the ‘soft’ skills you acquire that are most sought after. Being an effective communicator, demonstrating cross-cultural understanding and leadership skills are important in many industries. Company executives said that, in their experience young people who have been exposed to different cultures and ways of thinking have a greater capacity to innovate and deal with change.
Australian enterprises, large and small, who are active in the international market or whose business depends on innovation are keen to attract people who think outside the square and who understand different cultures and points of view. This is why many businesses see great benefit in graduates who have had an international study experience.
What employers think.
Employers believe that an international study experience has the potential to:
- open doors, for the individual and for their business
- develop international networks, which industry values highly
- shape a globally minded, well-rounded, mature individual, all qualities in demand from business
- contribute to productivity gains
- provide exposure to other cultures, laying the building blocks for understanding of business protocols in other cultures and for developing the empathy and patience needed when working with the challenges these pose.