Employer Attitudes toward Study Abroad

Trooboff, Stevan K.; Berg, Michael Vande; Rayman, Jack R.

doi:10.36366/frontiers.v15i1.214

Cited by 77 publications

(53 citation statements)

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“…If we agree with Tillman (2014, p. 29) that 'international experience by itself is not enough', as echoed by Gardner, Steglitz, and Gross (2009) that employers indeed value the skills gained or enhanced through the international learning experience, instead of experience per se, the seeming disagreements over the effects of overseas study on labour market outcomes could be reconciled, with emphasis placed on the term employable skills. Trooboff, Vande Berg, and Rayman (2008) in the United States elucidated the same trend that employers may not connect valued skills to international learning experience. Even for employers who recruited graduates studying overseas, only 32 per cent of this kind of employee could display skills more frequently than their local counterparts (Blahnik et al, 2011).…”

Section: Major Research Focus Of the Present Researchmentioning

confidence: 99%

International and transnational education for whose interests? A study on the career development of Chinese students

Mok¹,

Han²,

Jiang³

et al. 2018

Higher Education Quarterly

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A significant increase in internationally mobile students has been observed in the past decades. With the strong intention of enhancing their competitiveness in the global labour market, a growing number of students have embarked on their learning journeys through studying abroad or enrolling in transnational Higher Education programmes. These students expect the international learning experience will enhance their future job prospects and career advancement. However, whether or not this learning experience enables students to secure promising positions in the global labour market and make their investments in Higher Education worthwhile remains debatable. Drawing on both student surveys and in‐depth interviews, this study explores how international or transnational Higher Education affects job prospects and career development, with particular reference to the perspective of employable skills and contextual influences. The respondents of the present research rate their learning experiences highly for hard knowledge, soft skills and cross‐cultural understanding. The majority of respondents suggest that the international and transnational learning experience will positively contribute to their career development. Such findings are supported by similar studies related to the job prospects of returning Chinese students after studying overseas. This article contributes to a better understanding of how students assess their studying abroad affected their personal development, job prospects and career development.

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Section: Major Research Focus Of the Present Researchmentioning

confidence: 99%

International and transnational education for whose interests? A study on the career development of Chinese students

Mok¹,

Han²,

Jiang³

et al. 2018

Higher Education Quarterly

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Others point out that employers consider ISM experience to be rather unimportant compared to work experience, which reflects more general cognitive and social skills and occupation-specific knowledge (e.g. Trooboff et al 2007;Archer and Davison 2008;Diamond et al 2011). Accordingly, employers often prefer ISM that includes work experience such as internships abroad (e.g.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…It has also been frequently reported that ISM experience is especially rewarded when employers need graduates with international competences and language skills, as is the case in international companies who are deeply involved in international trade relations (e.g. Trooboff et al 2007;DAAD and IW 2016;Petzold 2017a, b).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Heterogeneous effects of graduates’ international mobility on employers’ hiring intentions—experimental evidence from Germany

Petzold

2020

High Educ

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International student mobility (ISM) is considered increasingly important for professional careers. Referring to theories of human capital and job market signalling, we assume that different forms of ISM experience can serve as signals for general, specific and transnational human capital. To test this idea, we use a factorial survey experiment to investigate the weights HR managers of German employers allocate to ISM experience in hiring decisions, both generally and conditionally to other characteristics of the application. A screening situation was simulated by randomly presenting hypothetical applicants, thereby systematically varying ISM experience (no experience, private sojourn, studying abroad, internship abroad) and other graduates' characteristics ascribed and achieved. In contrast to the usual graduate and employer surveys, the experimental approach allows us to investigate employers' evaluations directly while capturing problems of endogeneity. Results show that while an internship abroad is more rewarded by employers than studying abroad or a private sojourn, good grades and occupation-specific professional experience are still the most important. Though the effects of ISM experience are partly independent of those of other characteristics, graduates with migration background and those with a master's degree benefit less from ISM experience. Moreover, ISM experience is more rewarded by employers who operate in international contexts. Overall, the analysis uncovers a heterogeneous signalling power of ISM experience, conditional to different types of human capital and to characteristics of applicants and employers.

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“…These statistics are concerning, considering the increasing research indicating that global educational opportunities improve student academic outcomes and career opportunities (NAFSA: Association of International Educators, 2018). Several studies suggest that employers value study abroad experiences and the intercultural skills that students can develop (Trooboff, Vande Berg, & Rayman, 2008). Given that international experiences may improve professional competence and expand career opportunities, it seems imperative that these opportunities are accessible to a more diverse student population.…”

Section: Diversifying Global Educationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Transformative Learning and Inclusion in a Global Social Work Course

Pittman

Gioia

2020

ASW

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As there are many types of global learning experiences for students, understanding best practices is critical in resource allocation and developing competencies. Additionally, diversifying global education is essential in addressing unequal student access and improving cross-cultural competence. This paper describes a short-term international course with graduate students from social work, public health, and nursing. Nine students participated in semi-structured interviews about the impact of the course on their lives. Transformative learning theory emerged as an important pedagogical guide as students described transformations in lifestyle and perspectives that developed through experiential learning. Recommendations for improving learning and increasing cultural and interprofessional learning include having guided group discussions on critical incidents, using a critical reflection process focused on cultural assumptions, and focusing on the psychological, convictional, and behavioral dimensions of learning. Traditionally underrepresented students described barriers related to international study, further emphasizing the importance of encouraging underrepresented students to pursue global opportunities through mentoring, targeted marketing, and making international experiences affordable and logistically feasible. Inclusion of students from different backgrounds in international courses is not only important in promoting social justice, but also enhances cross-cultural skill development and learning.

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Employer Attitudes toward Study Abroad

Cited by 77 publications

References 0 publications

International and transnational education for whose interests? A study on the career development of Chinese students

International and transnational education for whose interests? A study on the career development of Chinese students

Heterogeneous effects of graduates’ international mobility on employers’ hiring intentions—experimental evidence from Germany

Transformative Learning and Inclusion in a Global Social Work Course

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