Besides travelling to a new country in Europe every weekend, how has studying abroad in an entirely new continent helped me grow my professional skills and network?
As soon as I heard about the possibility of doing an exchange semester, I applied right away, with the intention of travelling to as many places as possible. I travelled to a couple countries with my family, but have never left my home country on my own. I thought my exchange semester would just be a vacation for me, but I have realized that it is much more than just crossing countries off my bucket list.
Here are some ways that living and studying abroad have grown my professional skills and network that will definitely come in handy in the future.
- Forcing myself to constantly meet new people
- Chances are you are placed in a building with other international students, or are staying in hostels when travelling, so everyone is in the same boat and looking for friends. I arrived late and had to miss my orientation but got lucky that my roommates in my unit have similar interests as me and have become really good friends over time. There is no doubt at all that we would help each other for any professional matter in the future.
- I made friends with people from different home universities as me that are in a similar field (business, IT, computer science, etc.), so naturally I was able to grow my LinkedIn connections.
2. Getting used to customs and ways of life
- Each country has different policies and norms in the corporate world, so depending on your lifestyle (or tax laws), working as an expat may be something that peaks your interest. By experiencing this different culture it gives a hint as to what life as a full timer in one of these countries might look like.
- In Europe its definitely a lot more laid back, and is not uncommon to spend more time doing social activities after work and taking extended breaks. A lot of my friends are prioritizing this lifestyle over higher pay in North America, and are exploring more options on how to work full time overseas.
3. Navigating the local economy
- I signed up for a local tech career fair in Amsterdam (where I’m doing my study abroad) with another friend from my building, and met some employers that showed interest in hiring in the future, so the possibility of returning to the Netherlands is not out of the question.
- It was difficult at first to figure out how to open a bank account, get a local phone number, and what the norms are when going shopping (thanks AH for not letting me use my credit card with a basket full of groceries on my first day). Now that all these small things are figured out, I am a lot more confident in my ability to be self sufficient in a foreign country, where using Apple Pay for everything isn’t the solution.
Side note: As I’m writing this, I’m currently on a solo trip in Portugal, staying at hostels, and meeting freelancers and digital nomads from all around the world!
