Parent & Family Resources
How often have you heard “Studying Abroad is a Once in a Lifetime Opportunity”? Though true, we argue it's not for the reasons one often assumes. If your student has yet to develop a passion for global citizenship, then participating in education abroad is sure to leave a lasting impact on their desire to see the world. Once exposed to locations and communities beyond the reaches of one’s home, or region, continued exploration and experience often become a priority for the rest of their lives. The desire to engage with an array of cultures, environments, and people will not end after their time away because that engagement is not the aspect of education abroad that is a “once in a lifetime” opportunity. It is the act of engaging in an educational experience abroad or away.
a significant impact on your student personally, professionally, and academically. After graduation, employers will not ask about the two week vacation they took to New Zealand, Japan, or Argentina. Students will never have to prepare for an interview question about how many countries they stepped foot in during their semester abroad. Recruiters will most likely not be impressed by the backpacking adventure they took with their college roommates throughout Europe.
What employers will care about is how this opportunity to learn, lead and serve abroad helped craft them into the best candidate for a job in their chosen field. Employers will want to know how their study abroad experiences make them a unique candidate who is interculturally competent and ready to work in a diverse and fast-paced environment. Recruiters will focus on how their time overseas built critical thinking skills, independence, resilience, team work, problem-solving skills, adaptability, maturity and cultural awareness. These are the once in a lifetime outcomes of an education abroad experience - not the plane tickets, passport stamps or Instagram photos. Therefore, you will never hear us speak about the “trips” we provide; instead we talk about the opportunities we provide to study, serve, or craft an experience that is unique to those travels they have had prior to, or will have after, their time on a UD education abroad program. Together, we strive to provide quality opportunities that foster unique and sustainable goals for their future through the lens of international and intercultural education and travel.
Additional Resources
Career Services
BWISE
NACE Career Readiness
According to Jason Eckert, Executive Director of Career Services "Employers who hire University of Dayton students give preference to applicants with international experience and intercultural competence, including those who have studied abroad."