Appointments & Walk-ins

Workshops & Events

Career Exploration/Discovery

Internships

Jobs

Graduate School, Law School & Health Professions Schools

Resumes/Cover Letters & Other Documents

Interviewing

Networking & Mentoring

Career Survey Reports

Search Our Site:

Study Abroad and Your Career

Studying abroad is beneficial to you and valued by employers whether you pursue an "international" career or not. Students who study abroad frequently develop career-specific/technical and transferable skills that can benefit their career development and candidacy as a job applicant. (If you are still deciding if or where you will be studying abroad contact Penn Abroad.)

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Typical Skills Gained from Study Abroad

Self-Development and Transferable Skills

• Confidence
• Independence - ability to depend on self
• Better understanding of self (self-awareness)
• Creativity in handling problems that come up
• Flexibility in adapting to unfamiliar circumstances
• Tact when discussing issues that may be viewed differently by others
• Networking with people in country and other internationalists
• Willingness to take risks

International or Cross-Cultural Skills

• Language skills/general intercultural communication skills
• Knowledge of other  cultures/customs
• General "world travel" skills - airports, passports, public transportation, etc.

Wider Perspective on Issues

• Ability to look at things more objectively
• Broader understanding of issues (analyze from different perspectives)

Before You Go

Make an Appointment with a Career Services Counselor Before You Leave

Career Services can provide guidance and information about preparing for graduate school and/or looking for internships, summer or post-graduate positions, and for tips on things you can do while abroad to enhance your profile for future employment and study.  We can help ensure that you do not miss any important deadlines, and that you are aware of all the opportunities and services available to you while you are abroad and when you return.

Some of the resources available to you include:

• Career and Graduate School Advising
• Resume/Cover Letter Critiques
• Career Exploration Tools
• Internship and job listings via PennLink & iNet
• Connections to Penn alumni abroad via PACNet and Penn alumni clubs

 Looking for a Summer Internship or Job in the U.S. while you are abroad

The key here is preparation. You can do several things before you leave which will make your job search easier.  Have your resume critiqued and sample cover letters reviewed.  Assemble a list of potential employers by reviewing resources online: PennLink, iNet, Career Services Resources by Field Page, CS Library Online subscriptions and Lippincott online research guides.

For those seeking full-time jobs after senior year, Career Services offers a great many services specifically to seniors to help with job hunting.  Several of these services require action on your part during the fall semester of your senior year. Career Services hosts hundreds of employer presentations, in which employers discuss their organizations and the specific positions which they have available.  Many of these take place during the fall semester.

We've interviewed former study abroad students who successfully landed internships during their time away. See what they have to say in the video below!

 

 

On-Campus Recruiting (OCR)

OCR brings hundreds of organizations to Penn to recruit both for post-graduate and summer positions.  Internship recruiting traditionally starts in January. 

TO PARTICIPATE IN ON-CAMPUS RECRUITING FOR SUMMER INTERNSHIPS OR FULL-TIME POSITIONS, YOU MUST BE ON CAMPUS AT PENN DURING INTERVIEWS
 
*Juniors studying abroad in the Fall: The bulk of OCR for summer internships typically begins in mid-January so be prepared to participate in the process as soon as you return to campus.

*Juniors studying abroad in the Spring (internship search): Although you will not be able to participate in on campus interviews for internships, with careful planning, motivated students can certainly connect with employers either before they leave campus or while they are abroad (by arranging interviews via Skype or with regional county offices for international firms) to secure summer internships.

* Each Fall Career Services prepares a list of OCR recruiting contacts for students who will be off-campus in the Spring so that you may contact employers and apply for internship positions before or while you are abroad. Contact Career Services for this list in late October. PLEASE DO NOT SHARE the list with other students who will be on campus, so that recruiters will not be inundated with applications from students who will be able to use the standard recruiting process.

Some employers have set up special procedures (i.e.: applications on their websites or specialized drops on PennLink) for students who will be abroad during internship recruiting.  If you are seeking a summer job or internship, the timing of your study abroad can have a significant impact on your job hunt.  Although most summer job hunting takes place during the spring semester, be aware that some types of opportunities have very early fall deadlines.  If you plan to be away during the spring semester, you will have to contact employers during the fall.

*Juniors studying abroad in the Spring (post-graduate full-time search): With respect to your post-graduate planning, OCR for full-time jobs begins in early September so be prepared to participate in the process as soon as you return to campus in the Fall.

Going Abroad: Before You Go and OCR Information from Penn Career Services on Vimeo.

 

Preparing for Graduate or Professional School

If you plan to apply to graduate school during your senior year, you will need to visit school websites & review application criteria and timelines no later than the summer after junior year, and will need to arrange when and where to take the required graduate or professional exams.  A pre-graduate study advisor in Career Services can help you with graduate and professional school applications.

Letters of Recommendation (Credentials File)

Career Services enables you to keep letters of recommendation on file through Interfolio to be sent wherever and whenever you need - for admission to graduate school, jobs, etc.  It is important that you establish relationships with faculty at Penn, so that you can have strong letters written on your behalf, and you may also want references from professors with whom you study overseas.  Check out our information on credentials for complete information about how the file works.

Frequently, conventions surrounding letters of recommendations from non-U.S. faculty are different from those accepted here.  It is common for European references to be more reserved than American ones, so a sentence like, “Her work was entirely adequate” from a British faculty member may be high praise, but by our standards, seems quite guarded.  Career Services offers suggestions for faculty on writing letters of recommendation to which you can refer a potential recommender. If you anticipate using letters gathered from faculty overseas for institutions primarily in the U.S. or other English-speaking countries, try to have them written in English, if possible.

Understand How Your Grades and Programs Will Appear on Your Transcript
              
Penn averages grades from courses taken on Penn-recognized programs into your GPA, though it can often take months after your semester abroad is over for these grades to be reflected on your transcript. Graduate and professional schools, as well as some employers, will ask for a complete set of transcripts, and will see all your grades.

*Note: There is no hard-and-fast rule on how graduate and professional schools evaluate courses taken overseas.  If you have concerns or questions about how graduate schools might react to particular courses or curricula, speak to pre-grad advisors in Career Services.

 

While You're There

Get involved in extra-curricular activities, volunteer, or participate in an internship. Connect with alumni in your host country through the Penn alumni network (PACNet), Penn alumni clubs, and Penn LinkedIn groups.  Gather contact information for everyone you meet who could expand your network and/or serve as a reference when looking for internships or jobs later.  Career Services is available to you while you’re abroad, including appointments by phone or Skype and email advising. Note, students are NOT eligible to sign up for OCR positions when they are not on campus.

Making Contacts While Abroad from Penn Career Services on Vimeo.

 

When You Return

• Take time to reflect on the experience, what you learned, and how the experience may impact your career plans and benefit your professional qualifications.
• Talk with a career counselor about how to best market your international experience in your resume and cover letter and during interviews. Also view our online Resume and Interview guides.
• Update your resume.

  If your study abroad grades are not yet incorporated into your Penn-in-Touch transcript but you are are 100% certain of the grades you earned from abroad and have formal documentation to verify it, you can include them as follows. However, make sure the calculated GPA is correct AND that you indicate that the grades are not yet officially recorded.

University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
Candidate for Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, May 2012
Cumulative GPA 3.32 (including confirmed study abroad grades not yet recorded).

Study Abroad, University College of London, Spring 2011
GPA 4.00/4.00

Or

If you are not sure of your study abroad grades or don't have proof of them, you could include your current Penn-in-Touch GPA and add an asterisk with the anticipated GPA, similar to the following.

University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
Candidate for Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, May 2012
Current Overall GPA 3.32/4.00*
*Awaiting approval of spring study abroad grades

Study Abroad, University College of London, Spring 2011

Additional Resources

Penn Abroad International Opportunities page International Internships guide Penn & Beyond Blogs related to international opportunities Study Abroad & International Employment Videos: several videos specific to Study Abroad. Martin Tillman, American Institute for Foreign Study (AIFS) Student Guide to Study Abroad & Career Development

Making the Most of Your Time Abroad from Penn Career Services on Vimeo.