Marketing Your Experience
As companies and organizations become more globally oriented, the skills that you have gained while abroad can make you more marketable to employers.
It is important to clearly list your study abroad program in your résumé.
Careers in International Education
If you find that you want to work in international education after you return from an experience abroad, accurate information is essential as you determine whether International Education would be a good match for your skills and interests.
Gathering Information
Talk to those working in the field. Generally, international educators are willing to take 30 minutes or so to talk about what they do if you are considering making a career in their field. Some questions you may want to ask are:
- What is a typical day like for you?
- What are the rewards of your job?
- What are the frustrations you find in the field?
- Why do people leave International Education?
Another valuable resource for information is NAFSA-Association of International Educators website. NAFSA is the primary professional organization in international education. They hold regional and national conferences, provide training, and are a valuable source for information for individuals who want to start a career in this field. Typical requirements for jobs in international education include:
- Master's degree
- Significant international experience
- Foreign language ability, preferred
There are master's programs specifically designed for International Education. These include:
In addition to these very specific programs, you might consider a degree in Higher Education Administration, College Student Personnel, or Student Affairs. This type of degree prepares students to enter a wide range of careers on college campuses such as academic advisor, residence hall coordinator, as well as international educator. There are several such programs available within Indiana:
Job Postings
As you begin searching for a position in international education, you may consider:
Websites for International Jobs
- Alertnet: www.alertnet.org/thepeople/jobs/
Maintained by Reuters and a large resource of news and jobs in international relief work - Communication Initiative: www.comminit.com/vacancies.html
News, articles, and international and domestic jobs in the field of communication and behavior change - Dev Jobs: http://www.devjobsmail.com/main/homepage.php
Job listings in international development - Idealist.org: www.idealist.org
Information and job listings in all fields of the non-profit sector; can sign up to have jobs sent to you daily based on your preferences. - InterAction: www.interaction.org
Alliance of almost 200 NGOs involved in international development — website links to all and allows you to look up those most interesting to you. - Internationaljobs.org: www.internationaljobs.org
Weekly listing of US and International jobs in a variety of fields (including international education); pay service, but offers a free, but limited, listing of jobs. - Oneworld: www.oneworld.net
Network of development and civil society organizations with job listings. - IIENetwork: www.iienetwork.org?p=JobBoard
A service for international education professionals in the US and around the world. - Reliefweb: www.reliefweb.int/jobs
A large resource of news and jobs in international relief work — similar to Alertnet; also an excellent source for maps. - United Nations:
- United States Government:
Good luck as you explore this truly rewarding career!