Arcadia Ireland

From a career perspective, participating in study abroad will help with the most challenging part of entering the job market – something to talk about in interviews! No matter how fantastic you do in College, when it comes down to a job interview you will still have to answer the same annoying questions totally unrelated to your degree. Questions like; ‘Tell me about a time you overcame a challenge’ or ‘Tell me about a mistake you made and how you fixed it?’. Questions equally annoying include ‘Have you ever had a conflict with a co-worker and how did you deal with it?’ or ‘What’s you greatest achievement’ and of course the dreaded strengths and weakness question.

The study abroad experience can be used to answer so many of these questions in your first job interview. Think about all you have achieved through study abroad; the challenges of moving to another country, adjusting to the culture, dealing with homesickness, making new friends, making decisions, dealing with new grade systems, budgeting, adjusting to different kinds of housing etc. Create a narrative of your experience that will show future employers what a hard-working, adaptable, friendly and globalized person you are! Consider all those important transferable abilities you honed during study abroad, such as interpersonal, organisational and communications skills.

University education is not just about learning a topic; it’s about learning how to use that knowledge and apply it along with all your other skills to a career role. So when you get a call for that first proper job interview, look up all the common interview questions, and think back to your time in Ireland – and you will be well prepared.