What Employers Really Think About Internships and International Experience

The international job market is more competitive than ever. Students jostle for limited spaces, packing their CVs with as much experience as possible.

Whether it’s volunteering, extra-curricular activities, internships, or juggling part-time work alongside their studies.

Many students turn to internships abroad in an attempt to polish their CV and help them to stand out.

And they’re right to!

International experience is an incredible way to help you get noticed in a crowded field. It gives you that little bit of extra life experience – be it certain skills, a language, or just a more rounded world-view – that gives you the advantage over your peers.

On top of that professional experience, you’re almost certain to develop personally too.

But some students worry about how their international work experience is perceived by prospective employers.

It’s a justified concern. With the job market being so competitive, you want to do everything you can to catch prospective employers’ eyes – but in the right way. You certainly don’t want any of your experience to count against you.

So the key question is: what do employers really think about international work experience?

Let’s find out.

Statistics are always a good place to start and, fortunately, plenty of research has already been done on the topic.

In 2011, the QS Global Employer Survey Report conducted a wide survey, asking over 10,000 employers across 116 countries their views on international experience.

The results were fairly conclusive: the survey reported that 60% of employers would give extra credit if an applicant possessed international experience. The industries that were among the most interested in international experience were:

– Energy
– Travel and hospitality
– Consultancy

In particular, the report highlights studies undertaken in the US that suggest that it’s not just the international travel itself that employers favour; it’s the skills learned from that international experience that they’re searching for.

Sometimes that’s proficiency in a foreign language; other times it’s independence, adaptability, and cultural awareness.

We’ve established that, on the whole, employers are favourable towards study or work in a foreign country.

But still the stigma can remain. Some employers view studying abroad as ‘academic tourism’; fun, but not worthwhile or professional.

The QS report highlights the industries that are least interested in international experience; these include transport and distribution, as well as metals and mining. It’s important to keep this in mind. 

And this is particularly the case depending on where you’ve chosen for study. 

For example, a student interested in a political or consultancy career is more likely to have chosen a world political hub; London, Washington D.C, Paris. 

Similarly, a finance or business student is likely to have headed to a financial capital like Tokyo or New York. 

Choosing the right city makes you look professional and serious about your career. Experience in a city that doesn’t match your career goals will look frivolous – academic tourism.

But even with the right experience in the right city, employers can still sometimes look down on international experience.

Research has suggested that a large reason for this is that prospective employees struggle to articulate their experiences.

To employers, it’s not about how much you enjoyed soaking up the sun in Sydney; or your amazing time diving off the coast of Barcelona. 

Employers want to know how you can benefit them. What do you offer that nobody else can offer?

An exciting adventure abroad – while interesting – does not benefit them.

Ultimately, employers want to hear about your core competencies. 

How did your time abroad boost your communication skills? Your adaptability? Your commercial awareness, your analytical skills?

This is where many students fall down – they’re unable to weave their international experience into a convincing story of professional development.

Fortunately, there are ways to improve your chances when it comes to making your employer see the bright side of your experience.

The first port of call is matching up your experience to the job you’re applying for.

If you undertook an architectural internship abroad, talk about the opportunity you had to learn new methodology or styles; and how you were able to study a range of architecture up close.

Or if you were studying journalism in a foreign country, relate the new journalistic or stylistic techniques you discovered. 

But if you do have that experience, it doesn’t actually matter whether you’re applying for a job in architecture or journalism.

Because that’s the second and most important point. You need to be prepared to boil down what you learned into transferable skills. 

Your experience won’t always – or even often – match the job description exactly. 

So by reducing your time abroad into core competencies, you can demonstrate that you’ve got a range of skills that can be applied to any firm.

Let’s take going abroad as a general example.

You could portray it as an exciting adventure in which you met new and interesting people. That won’t get you very far.

Instead, focus on the independence and tenacity you demonstrated in organising your experience. From visas to flights and accommodation, you’ll have exercised your organisational and self-starting skills. 

And by throwing yourself into your internship or study program, you’ve shown yourself to be adaptable and ready for anything. If you’ve thrived in a foreign country, what more could a firm throw at you?

This transforms a generalistic experience into specific, demonstrable, professional qualities. 

And that’s exactly what employers want to hear. If you get it right, you’ll certainly stand out from your peers.

It’s clear that, used correctly, experience abroad is a good thing.

Employers value any experience you’ve gained; be that hands-on experience in the industry, or the more general core competencies that you’ll have exercised and improved.

The only danger is that some employers are inclined to view travel abroad as some sort of holiday.

This isn’t helped by the debates raging about ‘voluntourism’. Or by students’ inability to articulate what they learned, and how they benefited professionally, from their time abroad.

But the problem is easily solvable. 

Don’t just view your international experience as an amazing adventure – even if it was or you plan it to be! 

Condense it into transferable skills, easily applicable to any interview or role.

That means that you’ll leave your time abroad with an impressive set of skills, cultural awareness, and concrete examples of industry experience. All of which will help you start your career.

At Beyond Academy, we offer a range of professional foreign internships covering 18 industries and 14 countries. 

From Tokyo and New York to Amsterdam – we can take you wherever you want to go. And we offer internships in a wide range of industries including finance, law, fashion and more! We’ll craft your personalized internship program based on your experience, skill-set, and goals.

You’ll leave your internship with an unmatched experience, kickstarting your career in your chosen sector.

So if you’re eager to stand out in a competitive and crowded field, consider undertaking an internship abroad with Beyond Academy.