How Studying Abroad Prepares You for the Working World

How a study placement at a university abroad prepares you for the working world

It’s almost fifteen years to the day since I started my Erasmus Year Abroad placement at the Universidad de Alcalá. I flew into Madrid Barajas Airport and took a taxi to the city which I would call home for the next five months, Alcalá de Henares. It took me a while to settle in due to having to adapt to change, the heat, general disorganisation and cultural differences. Studying abroad threw me right into the deep end and I often found myself way out of my comfort zone. These experiences allowed me to strengthen my character by learning how to overcome obstacles, build grit and fend for myself.

It goes without saying that studying abroad improves your language skills and intercultural communication skills, but there are numerous other skills one gains that often get swept under the carpet.

Here are some ways how a study placement abroad prepares you for the working world.

Get used to making the first move

When you move to a new country you don’t know anybody. The classes I found myself in were mainly second year history classes, where I was the newcomer. Everybody knew each other already. For me to have any chance of making new friends I had to speak to my classmates first as they had no reason to speak to me. If I’d not made the first move I wouldn’t have made new friends. A week later my new friends from the history class invited me out to a beer festival at the local bullring and always invited me out for botellón. People appreciate it and remember you when you make the first move and show an interest in them.

The same can be said in the working world. Whether you make the first move when talking to new colleagues or make the first move when seeking work you’re more likely to stand out from the crowd, which will allow for more opportunities to come your way. When you wait for others to make the first move you will miss out on important connections and potential opportunities.

Doing things alone

During my time abroad I quickly realised that I had to do things alone. I had a smaller circle of friends and I couldn’t always do things with other people, which resulted in doing things alone or not at all. This ranged from taking flights, visiting Lake Garda, exploring Madrid or attending fitness classes in Italian. Doing things alone helped me build character and taught me how to be happy in my own company. During my second placement in Verona I went even further out of my comfort zone including going on a university trip joint with Trento University to Tuscany, despite not knowing anybody going on that trip. It actually turned out to be a wonderful experience. There were probably students from over 20 different countries on the coach including Colombia, Germany, Italy, France, Russia and many others. We all got on so well, I often forgot we’d just met. My new friends I’d made from Trento invited me to their beautiful city and showed me around a few weeks after the trip.

Doing things alone can really benefit us in the working world. Whether that’s meeting up with LinkedIn contacts in person, attending networking events, writing our own content, developing a stronger sense of self or building self-belief. All of these can benefit us and take us that bit further. Knowing our unique selling points combined with self-belief can make us more employable. Sometimes relying on others can hold us back. When we do things alone we are in complete control and don’t have to wait for others.

Having your wits about you

When you’re young you’re often quite oblivious to bad people and to the bad things going on around you and try to see the good in everything. You then quickly realise that not everything is as perfect as it may seem. Whether that’s being followed by shady characters on the Paris metro or just sussing people out. Some people seem nice on the surface, but when you get to know them they’re not.

The same can be said for companies. Not all companies are good. Some companies are ruthless and show little respect towards their staff. Sometimes companies lie about different aspects of a role such as salaries to encourage you to work for them. Living abroad teaches you to not dive in straight away and to keep things at arms length before you jump in and make a decision. You learn how to see something as a whole, then make an overall judgement based on your observations.

Stick at things even when the going gets tough

I found studying in Spain tough at the beginning. In both Spain and Italy we had to do everything ourselves which was a shock to the system, whereas back in England everything was provided to us by the university including course materials and books. In Spain and Italy trying to sort a timetable where modules clashed, trying to find print shops to print off course materials or going around numerous bookshops trying to find my course books that were no longer printed was stressful. The Erasmus office where I could seek help for any issues was open for just one hour a day and often had a long queue outside. Early on I wanted to come home mainly due to things working differently, disorganisation and the heat. I stuck it out. University got better when things were sorted out, I enjoyed the courses, made lots of new friends and visited new cities.

The same can be said in the working world. There have been times where I have started new jobs and knew straight away that it really wasn’t for me. Sometimes you just have to stick at things, build up your experience and connections then move on. You may have five interviews lined up and can be turned down for all of them, but you have to stick at it. You may stop enjoying your job role, but you know you have to stay strong and stick at it until you find something better.

Become receptive to change

Change became normal during the time I spent abroad. When you move abroad everything changes. A change of home, a change of university, a change of friendship circles and a complete change of culture. After five months in Spain I moved onto Italy where I would complete my second placement in Verona. I was very happy in Spain as I’d built up strong friendships and had to change and start from scratch again when I moved to Italy. It was daunting having to start from scratch again and settle in again. Bit by bit you adapt to the changes and then start to settle. To be able to settle and start enjoying life abroad you have to change as a person by changing your own habits, your way of being, your way of thinking and the time you normally do things.

Being receptive to change also helps in the workplace. You could be asked to change tasks or change job role. Sometimes you may have to change career path or company to ensure you continue to enjoy what you do. Whatever the change is you’ll never find that the change is anywhere near as daunting as moving to a new country. Sometimes we are forced to change and other times we need to change things for ourselves. Becoming receptive to change allows you to voluntarily seek new opportunities, rather than being stuck in a role that you don’t enjoy as the thought of change seems too daunting.

Conclusion

Studying abroad helps prepare you for the working world by building key professional skills, boosting employability, and expanding your global network. Living in a new country forces you to handle change and solve unexpected problems on your own. Managing your daily life abroad builds self-reliance, confidence, and self-belief. There is no doubt that studying abroad put me in good stead for when it was time to enter the working world.

Studying abroad made some things seem easy thanks to having to change my ways in unfamiliar environments. These five points mentioned obtained from studying abroad have given me the confidence to promote my skillset, reach out to employers, build strong connections and have brought about interesting and varied opportunities, allowing me to put my language skills to good use. With the return of Erasmus study placements in 2027 for UK students I can’t reiterate the importance of completing one enough.