title slide 1
Welcomehome
Re-entry
workshop
title slide 2
Professional
& future
benefits
re-entry workshop
significance 1
What’s in it for
significanc
significance 2
What do employers
want from
significanc
?
you
significance 3
What do employers
want from
Placement-specific
expertise.
‘Soft skills’ & personal
traits.
Developing ‘career stories.’
Cross-cultural skills.
Building your portfolio.
significanc
Study
abroad-stand
significance
to stand
out
out
Less than 5% of students study
abroad.
Employers may not realise how
important study abroad is.
significanc
Sell the effect, not just the fact.
Placement specific
expertise
Courses (unavailable in Australia?).
Professional experience (internship).
Language skills.
Destination-specific expertise.
Cohort-specific expertise (peers).
expertise
worksheet
‘Soft skills’ &
personal traits
Employer-ranked top 5 skills in applicants
verbal communication skills
strong work ethic
teamwork skills
analytic skills
soft skills
initiative
Source: Job Outlook 2011, National Association of Colleges and Employers.
‘Soft skills’ &
personal traits
Employer-ranked skills in applicants (#6-10)
problem-solving skills
written communication skills
interpersonal skills
(computer skills)
soft skills
flexibility/adaptability
Source: Job Outlook 2011, National Association of Colleges and Employers.
‘Soft skills’ &
personal traits
‘Adaptable’ - ‘resourceful’ - ‘versatile’ - ‘problem
solver’ - ‘respectful’ - ‘handle stress’ ‘courageous’ - ‘self-starter’ - ‘tenacious’ ‘observant’ - ‘adventurous’ - ‘sense of humour’ ‘goal oriented’ - ‘self-reliant’ - ‘enthusiastic’ ‘appreciate differences in people’ - ‘resilient’
soft skills
worksheet
Developing
career stories
Prepare in advance.
Focus on success & learning.
De-emphasise frustrations, failures or
bizarre.
Concrete examples!
story-telling
Cross-cultural
Cross-cultural
skills
1
skills
‘accustomed to navigating cultural difference’ ‘able to accommodate local norms’ - ‘aware of
my own culture’ - ‘savvy’ - ‘tolerate ambiguity’ ‘negotiate well’ - ‘versatile communication skills’
- ‘tolerant’ - ‘open-minded’ - ‘can establish
rapport’ - ‘cosmopolitan’
cross-
worksheet
Cross-cultural skills
Cross-cultural
skills
descriptors
•
•
•
•
•
Deal creatively with ambiguity & change.
Interacting comfortably with different values &
perspectives.
Better at learning from experiences.
Applying information in new or broader contexts.
Identifying new problems & alternatives.
Take moderate risks & confront unfamiliar situations.
Act diplomatically & build relations—in real & virtual
worlds.
cross-
Adapted from Gardner, Gross & Steglitz (2008) Unpacking Your Study Abroad Experience:Critical Reflection for
Workplace Competencies, and Marie-Louise Hansson, 'The Global Business Person: What is the Secret for
Success'
How to talk about
your experience...
portfolio building
How to talk about
Portfolio
- résumé
your experience...
Education
Bachelor of Communication & Media Studies, Murdoch University (Expected completion Nov 2011)
Concentrations in Journalism and Screen Production
INTERNATIONAL and CROSS-CULTURAL EXPERIENCE
Danish School of Media and Journalism, Denmark
Photojournalism
• Conducted research into visual story telling using new media technologies.
• Compiled a report for presentation to industry picture agency “Scanpix.”
• Presented a seminar on “Women in the Media” events conducted in Western Australia to Danish
academics and students.
• Additional skills acquired : Digital magazine production
Designed a PowerPoint presentation in Danish
Industry liaison and business development
Cross-cultural communication skills
your
worksheet
Example by Alexandra Haaxman, Murdoch University
How to talk about
Portfolio
- cover letter
your experience...
Provide an opening
statement that introduces
your experience.
Mention the name of the
program where you studied.
Clearly articulate what you
learned from the experience and
how this will help you in the
position you are applying for.
cover letter
Example by Alexandra Haaxman, Murdoch University
How to talk about
Portfolio
- overview
yourself...
1 paragraph, 1 sentence, 1 word
Show, don’t tell (or avoiding
adjectives)...
Differentiate...
Get ‘testimonials’...
‘Easy to read is hard to write.’
portfolio
HowPortfolio
to talk -talking
about
yourself...
about self
Reflect on the “why” questions.
Why did you choose to study abroad?
Why & how did you choose your study location?
What do you think you got out of your study abroad experience?
Illustrate competencies employers seek with examples:
•Creatively
solve problems, apply familiar concepts in unfamiliar
situations.
•Contribute to an ethnically diverse team.
•Take personal risks & act independently.
•Be flexible & adapt to rapidly changing situations.
the
worksheet
Text by Alexandra Haaxman, Murdoch University
How to talk about
Elevator
speech 1
yourself...
Who you are?
What do you want to do?
What’s your motivation?
Your interest in the other person.
Differentiation.
Your hook, passion or mission.
worksheet
‘elevator
speech’
How to talk about
Elevator
speech 2
yourself...
Refining your talk
Cut out long words, jargon...
Strip out unnecessary parts.
90-100 words.
Practise!
worksheet
‘elevator
speech’
Developing
career stories
Prepare in advance - talk these out.
Don’t accentuate your own foreignness!
Don’t make your whole interview about
study abroad.
Story-
Closing slide
Thank you!
Re-entry
workshop
Professionalisation
re-entry workshop
The Bringing the Learning Home Team: Greg
Downey (Macquarie), Tonia Gray
(Wollongong) & Jan Gothard (Murdoch).
The BLTH Students at all three institutions.
Thanks also to Alexandra Haaxman, Linda
Butcher, Astrid Baumgardner, Innes Ireland &
Joanna Rosenzweig.
Credits
Bringing the Learning Home: Professionalisation
Workshop Slideshow by Greg Downey, Tonia Gray
& Jan Gothard is licensed under a Creative
Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License.
Based on a work at ozstudentsabroad.com.
Permissions beyond the scope of this license may
be available at
http://ozstudentsabroad.com/teachers/.
license