Tone/Voice:

Informative

Keywords:

• Use provided keywords at least once. If used more than once, make sure the keyword sounds natural.

Information Sources:

• Please make sure that any products or services you talk about are ones that the client offers and that anything you say about the client is accurate.
• Please stick to locations that IBS travels to. All the locations can be found here: https://ibstours.com/programs/
• IBS only offers short-term programs (3 weeks and shorter), so stay away from mentioning homestays unless it’s an article related to longterm vs short-term programs.
• Don’t rely on third party sites for information, such as review sites or other internet sites that mention the client.
• Please refer to the website URL (column C), the company profile, or any additional information given in the special instructions column.   Peruse the client website for other blogs to get a feel for tone and voice.
• Use the topic or subject given in the special instructions column and keywords, if given, otherwise, choose a blog topic that fits within the context of the keyword phrases.

Format:

• Put the URL (if a rewrite) at the top of the article, then the primary keyword phrase, then the title, and then the text.
• Use headers, bullet points, and lists to break up the content and make it more readable.
• Use 2-3 links in the article – If you can link to an internal page on the client’s own website, that is good, but not required.
• Please include a CTA at the end of these articles linking to the client’s home page.

• Save the blogs as Hawksem – Title of article
• Email article or block of articles to [email protected] with International Business Seminars in subject line.

How An International Experience Can Impact Your Career,  benefits of gaining international experience

6 Ways an International Experience Can Impact Your Career

Being exposed to many cultures, businesses and experiences is said to be one of the ways today’s students can aim for top jobs in their future careers. No longer is it enough to understand college-level materials and have a degree. Even an engaging personality will not surpass the growing need most companies feel for hiring those with an eye toward the global marketplace. Many top universities advise students to take full advantage of traditional study abroad programs or newer multi-country study abroad opportunities in order to gain some of the following benefits:

Cultural Familiarity and Acceptance

Exposure to another culture in traditional study abroad programs is beneficial for many students seeking a future career in a world that seems to be losing all borders with regards to business. Complete immersion into another culture for a single semester or for multiple semesters gives students the ability to live as those in the area do, learning about their values, politics and work ethics. Foreign language skills tend to be greatly enhanced as well.  However, some students opt for shorter-term study abroad experiences that offer the ability to study in multiple countries. Some benefits, such as enhanced language skills may not be so prevalent with the multi-country study abroad options, but their chance to experience many cultures instead of just one may help students to realize just how many unique and wonderful parts of the world exist.  Hopefully, students will appreciate that there are amazing parts to each culture.

Beneficial Experiences

A new report titled World of Experience has been compiled by the British Council.  In this report, it was revealed that almost 50% of students who spent time in a study abroad program were able to go on to careers built on innovation such as product improvement, development and research. Only ¼ of students who did not undertake a study abroad program were able to attain the same level of career.

This might be due to the multitude of unique experiences by the study abroad group. These include the chance to live full-time in a foreign land, the challenge of figuring out everyday life without the convenience of home and the ability to extend well past personal comfort zones in achieving goals set by their study abroad program.

Upgraded People Network

It is almost impossible for students to spend such large amounts of time in a different country without making lifelong friends and business associates. This international network can be called upon in future years as students transition into careers. While students are learning about cultural differences, they are most likely learning to appreciate the fact that each culture has many valuable parts, making the people they meet and interact in each location valued associates. And the association typically goes both ways as individuals from other countries also benefit from friendships they form with students.

Flexibility

Not many jobs today are done by individuals who do not know how to adapt and change. Students who have participated in study abroad programs have typically spent months learning to adapt. From learning to communicate in an entirely new language to daily survival skills – flexibility is key. This skill, learned in a sink-or-swim environment, is one that is carried through the rest of an individual’s life. This skill is one that may lead future employers to one resume out of hundreds. Once hired, the valuable ability to bend, change and adapt can make the difference in an incomplete job and a job well done.

Leadership Skills

Leadership skills look different depending on what part of the world individuals are in. Learning about these differences can help students to know that good leadership does not always mean the type they are most familiar with. Instead, gaining more understanding about acceptable styles of leadership and team management often helps students to attain leadership positions in future careers due to the understanding gained in a study abroad program.

Attention to Detail

Even preparing to attend a study abroad program requires students to develop the ability to pay attention to even the finest details. This detail-oriented mentality is yet another of the benefits of gaining international experience. From filling out paperwork properly to ensuring that visa or passport document deadlines are met, there is a very real challenge for some students to meet each deadline or requirement. Once the traditional or multi-country study abroad program begins, there is still a great need for focus and attention. Students learn that every part of the experience has value, not only the time spent in a classroom environment.

Students around the world have already benefitted from study abroad programs, and many students will continue to grow, learn and gain experiences that are sure to benefit a future career. Though students may end up surprised by some of the benefits, future employers may well be looking for just such experiences.

Benefits of Multi-Country Study Abroad Programs, multi country study abroad, multi location study abroad,

5 Benefits of Multi-Country Study Abroad Programs

Study abroad programs have been around for many years and as such, the benefits are undisputed. In today’s global economy, it is simply not enough to get 100% of a college education in a home country. Study abroad programs present students with access to cultures, societies and political leanings that simply cannot be learned from a textbook.  Add to this the fact that immersion in a different language helps students to learn the language more quickly and many would argue that enrolling in a study abroad program is essential to today’s college education as well as tomorrow’s career possibilities.

Multi-Country Programs

Study abroad has been well-defined until recently when a few new types of multi-country programs became available. In this type of program, students do travel to a different location to study, but do not stay in one place. Instead, the experience is a study abroad that moves with its enrollees. These flexible multi-country study abroad programs have many benefits that simply cannot be experienced in a typical semester-long course. Some of the benefits include:

1. Life Skills – It has often been said that stress, if responded to correctly, can make students grow stronger. And moving from country to country can be very stressful, even in a guided multi-country study abroad program. Students who have successfully completed such experiences report that they have gained self-confidence in their abilities including talking to people they do not know and managing to communicate in a language they are not fluent in. Add in the every day life experiences that become difficult in different countries, such as connecting for a foreign phone network, ordering a dinner or even taking a taxi to a venue and this type of program can be greatly stressful and just as greatly beneficial.
2. Many Cultures – Even in the same country, there can be vast cultural differences. Being able to experience these and learn from them can help many students to qualify for jobs in the international marketplace. Also, many students find that they have a deep affinity for one culture above all others and look to focus their learning in that direction in order to qualify for a future career that will involve businesses and interactions from that location. Students who do not find that they enjoy one culture over others still attain the benefit of learning about different cultures. The network of friends and associates that are frequently built in this type of study abroad program is typically one that can enhance a student’s career and overall life. Not only will students gain a network of other students who are also enrolled in the program, they will benefit from interaction from business professionals, children in the area, even retired seniors who appreciate interaction with students from other countries.
3. Diverse Experiences – Stepping out of the culture that a student has experienced over a lifetime and into multiple cultures in quick secession provides a look at how each location is similar and dissimilar. Students who experience a traditional study abroad program may be able to gain an in-depth look at how two cultures compare, but the ability to add in 5 or 6 different locations, countries or cultures is vastly different. One result of such a program is that students may be better equipped to relate to others that initially seem to be very different, as students tend to relate more readily and easily the more they understand about the many unique cultures in the world.
4. Unforgettable Adventure – Don’t leave out the fact that this type of multiple destination study abroad can be an unforgettable adventure. There are simply not many times in life when students are able to safely travel from country to country, from one unique city to another and learn as they go. Some of the best and most beneficial study abroad programs are staffed by well-known professors and business entities. Both help to provide real-life learning as they ensure the comfort, travel and safety of each student are of utmost importance.
5. Unique Planned Experiences – Students who enroll in a multi-country study abroad typically benefit from a more intense opportunity-filled experience. Some of these opportunities include interacting with business executives involved in multi-national companies, visiting and learning from well-known companies like Coca-Cola, BMW and AT&T, and staying in 4-star hotels that are similar to those that a company may book for its own employees.

While there are certainly benefits to both long-term and shorter-term multi-country study abroad programs, students should take time to carefully weigh the benefits of each before making a selection. By looking at how each type might benefit future career goals and evaluating what type of learning can be experienced through each program, the choice becomes one step easier. After a study abroad program, students may find it easier to envision themselves in a future career and interacting as an important part of a global economy.

5 Career Benefits of Studying Abroad, impact of study abroad on career, study abroad and career development

5 Future Career Benefits from Studying Abroad

While many graduate and undergraduate students think frequently about enrolling in a study abroad program, uncertainty about the experience keeps some from actually enrolling in a program. For some, it is the fear of being so far from everything they consider normal that keeps them from this unique experience. For others, it is parents who may not understand how beneficial this type of program might be.

Looking into and understanding just how valuable a study abroad program can be and the positive impact of study abroad on career choices is one of the best ways for students to stop simply thinking about a program and begin actually searching for the right one.

Career Benefits

There are many benefits to be considered when considering study abroad and career development. Such study programs help students develop an understanding of international business, culture and social networking that employers are searching for. Some benefits include:

1. Project Management

A study abroad program requires more attention to detail than a normal college or post-graduate semester of classes. Not only are students expected to do well in their coursework, they are also required to quickly learn about a new lifestyle, culture and language. Having to focus on making all parts of this new life work together from international phone capabilities to a new type of currency helps students develop lifelong skills that will shine through in future project management situations.

2. Enhanced Communication

Many studies have shown that complete immersion into another language is the fastest way for individuals to learn that language. This does not mean that it will be an easy process as many new study abroad students find that native language speakers sound nothing like the professors in their language study classes at home. Despite the difficulties of learning this new language, the this is a skill that many future employers find very valuable. Students who manage to become proficient in a 2^nd or 3^rd language frequently sit at the top of the list when employers are deciding on new hires.

3. World View

Gaining exposure to different cultures is another benefit to students who choose to enroll in a study abroad program. Such exposure helps to change thought processes about many things. The ability to see things from a world perspective is important to many worldwide businesses today making study abroad students even more attractive during the hiring process. Cultural knowledge is a valuable skill due to the global economy in which most companies are now involved. Exposure to a wide variety of cultures, opinions and beliefs are just what international businesses are looking for.

4. Connections

It is almost impossible to undertake a study abroad program and not make new connections.  And many of these connections will last for a lifetime. Some will be other students who are also enrolled in the same program while others will be those in businesses related to your field of study. Fellow students participating in the study abroad program will most likely have come from different countries and have vastly different life experiences. This worldwide contact base is sure to be beneficial to a future career. Exposure to a multitude of nationalities helps most students to challenge beliefs and participate in many cultures and customs.  Long-term career goals can be greatly enhanced for those who have managed to make and maintain connections with people around the world.

5. Personal Development

As study abroad students are exposed to different cultures, ideas and diverse ways of thinking, many are able to lean more about who they are as an individual. This new self-awareness can be seen by other students, professors and future employers as well. In essence, a study abroad program is one that helps students find who they really are, then build on those findings. Instead of maintaining beliefs and concepts only from the country in which one was raised, such students are able to take the best parts of each culture and the favorite parts from each society as they work to shape themselves for the future.

Multi-Location Programs

If many of the benefits relating to study abroad programs are gained by exposure to varied cultures, societies and political environments, perhaps a multi-destination program is ideal for many students. One such opportunity, led by International Business Seminars provides students with the opportunity to enroll in programs that range anywhere from 10 – 23 days. Students from accredited universities and business professionals benefit from this type of program as they are able to benefit from more than one culture.  For instance, students who participate in a 23-day seminar will benefit from learning in London, Paris, Lausanne, Verona, Innsbruck and Munich.  Many would agree that learning in and from 6 different countries will help most students to gain knowledge and experience that they might not be otherwise able to. Another shorter, 13-day seminar includes learning in Bangkok, Thailand and Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Each of these short-term programs is built so that students will learn as much as possible about culture, customs, international business, history and politics. Each of these facets of learning is certain to benefit almost any future career.