What’s More Beneficial: Studying Abroad or Interning Abroad?

Naturally, as an international internship provider, we’re a little biased when it comes to answering the question of which is best. Of course, both have their distinct merits and each provide young people with the life-changing experience of living abroad. 

An international internship adds to this with practical, hands-on work experience in a professional setting. Whereas studying abroad affords students the opportunity to further themselves personally. 

Yet, despite being quite different, they are often viewed as relatively similar.

However, how employers view the two couldn’t be further apart. We even wrote about it in a previous blog; ‘What Employers Really Think about International Internships’. 

On the whole, the experience of living and studying abroad is advantageous to your career. But work experience in another country holds considerably more weight. Many employers value practical work experience highly and will often lean on it to break ties in their employment process. 

Even the biggest man in tech, Elon Musk has stated that he doesn’t care about your degree or whether you graduated from high school. He, like many employers, believes that school and university experience isn’t everything.

While that’s easy for a billionaire university graduate to say, Elon’s words reflect an unspoken truth about education and work experience. 

The feud between academic and professional experience has raged since academia began. In modern society, higher education, media, and university ranking systems dictate the course of the job market daily. And so far it looks like they’re doing one hell of a job. Because the number of four year college students in the US has risen by 704.3% since 1940.

However, this is just the data from the US. And ultimately, it comes down to your chosen profession. Some careers require a degree. For instance, if you want to be a doctor or lawyer, an internship or apprenticeship isn’t sufficient on its own. 

But if you’re preparing to land a spot in journalism, marketing, design, or programming, you might think twice before you send your uni admission documents. Routes into these industries can vary. This means you can consider your options. You may opt to jump straight into the world of work and gain experience that way. Or enroll in a suitable apprenticeship or international internship instead as a way to learn as you work. 

Of course, if you want to keep your options open, get the best of both worlds. Apply to university but make sure you get some real-world work experience too. 

An internship is the best way to do this as you’ll have plenty of feedback and career development guidance along the way. You can opt to fit it around your university studies; summer internships are incredibly popular for this reason.

One main difference between academia and the job market is that the workload of the former never truly ends. 

Lectures and seminars are a core part of your degree, but barely scratch the surface. Once you leave the lecture hall there’s library time, seminar prep work, nights of writing and proof-reading. Only to produce a 3000-word essay of dubious quality that lacks any real-life value outside of academia. 

At a real workplace, the work you do in your office hours is the workload set for the day. And nothing else. Sure, if you’re going straight into the job market with something in mind, you’ll probably love your job. And you may even stay overtime. 

Work experience has been the brick-and-mortar of job markets since the dawn of professionalism. It teaches you not only the skills you want, but the skills you need. No additives, no fluff, just the meat of things. It’s where theory is put into practice.

Many graduates who have searched for a job after graduation find they encounter the same three words over and over from prospective employers… Not enough experience. After 3 or 4 years of hard work and perseverance, researching and writing essays, group discussions and lectures, it can be extremely demoralizing. 

It can come as a shock to many graduates too. As many enter university with an expectation that a job will be waiting for them the moment they throw their cap in the air. Even graduates who have studied or completed part of their studies abroad face the same challenge.

Learn from them and consider acquiring some experience via an internship. If you’re currently at university, plan to embark on one in the summer or after you graduate. Use your time productively and you’ll never have to hear those dreaded words again.

While many university students love to socialize, mingling with others isn’t obligatory. You’re free to keep to yourself or maybe spend some time with a small group of familiar faces. You might shut yourself in the library for hours on end. If you’re studying abroad, you may feel homesick leading you to seek out other expats. 

In the long run, however, this doesn’t bring much to your personal development. As a result you may start a job after you graduate without the necessary communication and interpersonal skills expected of you. 

Whereas an internship places you out of your comfort zone, forcing you to engage with professional colleagues and learn the cultural and social nuances that come with working life. Both in general and in the country you are working in.  

It might be unnerving and awkward at first, but once you leave your comfort zone, it will get easier. 

Many employers seek good cross-cultural skills that can help their company bridge the gaps with specific clients. An international internship proves your ability to learn the business etiquette and cultural differences of another place. It gives you a well-rounded skill set, which includes the boosted communication and interpersonal skills that come from working with international colleagues.

Even a shiny Ivy League diploma means very little if it’s not transferable to another country. You may want to eventually settle abroad, so why would you limit yourself?

A university diploma might limit your opportunities in spite of promising to do the exact opposite. Another common utterance heard by job-seeking graduates is… Overqualified. Unlike higher education, work experience is and always will be accepted everywhere. 

An internship at a law firm in England or accounting agency in Spain will equip you to succeed. Working internationally showcases your adaptability, adeptness in problem-solving and communication skills.

Not to mention that the more cross-professional experience you get, the more likely you are to land a higher position from the get-go. 

Business leaders are natural learners. And most of them graduate from the school of life before any other official establishment. For that reason alone, it’s key to bear in mind that university wisdom isn’t everything.

As stated earlier, no one wants a self-made doctor. There’s no alternative in that scenario. But for many other subjects and industries, keep in mind there are more options available to you. 

A good assistant to help you navigate successfully on your career path is an internship provider, like Beyond Academy (Oh, hi)! 

We cater your international internship program to you – your current skills, your desired industry, your needs. The result is the most suitable international internship experience for you. To us, you’re not just another intern. We want to help you boost your employability and stand out on applications. 

Our pricing includes life-changing career advice, 1-to-1 career coaching sessions, a skills workshop, online resources and so much more. We’ll even guide you through the visa process and pick you up from the airport! 

So find out how we can help you to climb the ladder of career success and go Beyond!