Do you network? It’s very helpful and not hard to do. Find out why you should network and get tips on how to succeed at it here.

Has anyone asked you for your LinkedIn profile? Or Twitter? Or perhaps even Facebook?

That’s because all three are top examples of international networking opportunities. Yet, international networking for students is more than uploading your profile information onto social media sites.

We’ll get into that in just a moment, but before, let’s make sure you understand the importance of networking in the first place.

Quiz time

Question 1

What percentage of jobs are filled via networking?

Answer

Estimates vary, but the range is from 70—85 %. That’s A LOT of jobs which aren’t posted anywhere! Candidates are chosen from people these employers already know.

Question 2

What percentage of recruiters use networking sites?

Answer

LinkedIn is one of the primary networking sites. Data shows that 90 percent of recruiters use it. In other words, people with a LinkedIn profile are going to have a big advantage.

But networking is more than just for future jobs

As an international student, you are away from your usual “network” of family and friends. Expanding your contacts can help you feel more at home in your new surroundings. It’s also a good idea to have people nearby on whom you can count for advice and help, if needed.

How to build a strong network

As an international student, you have natural opportunities to network, even before you think about an online presence or not.

1. Get to know people

The main idea of networking is that people know people. As an international student, you are going to meet a lot of them. It’s time to next level your “sociability” and be more outgoing. Take advantage of opportunities to get to know a wide variety of people.

First category: fellow students. Roommates, dorm mates, people in your classes—all have potential. Want to narrow it down? Join a student organisation such as the newspaper to meet more “like-minded” people.

Take the contact details of anyone who you “connect” with. These are most likely the people who you are going to stay in touch with.

Second category: professors. Any professors are good but especially useful are those in your field. They will have contacts inside and outside academia. You probably already have their phone numbers from the university website. Keep them. Who knows where that could lead?

Third category: anyone, really.

Do you go to the same restaurant and have the same server? Strike up a conversation. Perhaps they have a partner/family member/friend who could be helpful. Just because a person works somewhere doesn’t mean they don’t know people who work in other places…places you might want to work in.

What about the people you sit next to on busses, trains, and airplanes or stand near in long, slow lines?

If you have at least 15-20 minutes, find out who they are. Worst case scenario is that you weren’t bored while you were traveling or waiting. Best case scenario is that you add a valuable contact.

Also consider hobbies and volunteering.

Besides improving the soft skills  employers are looking for (and enriching your c.v. [resume]), you are going to get to know a lot of great (and future useful) people.

You say you are not outgoing? That it is difficult for you to talk to people , especially to be the one who starts the conversation?

You are not alone. The good news is that being social is a skill which you can develop. Try these 3 tips to help you.

Tip 1: Whatever happens is ok. It is, really. It may seem horrible at the moment, highly embarrassing even, but quite soon, it will not make any difference to your life as a whole. Someone didn’t want to speak with you or the conversation was a bit lame. So what?
Tip 2: Be yourself. To the right people, the ones you want to network with, you will be interesting. Those are the people you are looking for. So, if you are not enough for this person, that means they are not enough for you.
Tip 3: Keep at it. Like most things, the more you practice, the more skilled you get. Consider that being sociable is something which many future employers are looking for since lots of jobs require teamwork. Keep this in mind to motivate yourself to stick with it. Eventually, at your own pace, it will get easier…and even more enjoyable.

2. Have an online presence

We mention LinkedIn because at the moment, it is the preferred business networking site. The current numbers show that

• 20 million companies and 14 million open jobs are listed on this site;
• LinkedIn connected 122 million people with interviews;
• 5 million hires happened via a LinkedIn connection.

And even though LinkedIn doesn’t have as many users as Instagram (1 billion) or Facebook (2.5 billion), it is a professional, business networking niche site for its 675 million monthly users. This makes it the preferred choice for international students interested in networking.

Last thing…

As you begin building your network, keep in mind these words by businessperson, Christine Comaford-Lynch: “Networking is marketing. Marketing yourself, your uniqueness, what you stand for.” The rewards (both personally and professionally) will be worth your effort.

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There’s a lot of competition for internships…now more than ever. Preparation is key to being the intern chosen. Do your homework now.

Study after study, case after case, data after data all show that internships increase your chances of being hired by an employer. By how much? One recent study of graduates who had done internships showed that:

• 98 percent were either employed, studying onwards or in the military.
• 90 percent said that they were working in their field of study.
• 53 percent credited their internships with their current employment.

Makes sense to do an internship, even a virtual one, right?

Having the right answers to these 5 questions will give you the edge you need.

What’s your skill set?

What are you bringing to the internship? How well do your skills fit the position you are interviewing for?

No matter what you know and how good you are at it, if your skill set does not match your internship position, you are not going to give much value to your employer. Employers are ready to spend some time training you, but they are not looking to start at square one.

Make sure that your skill set matches the one needed for the internship position you are interested in.

Are you a team player?

Chances are, you are going to be joining a team.

How well will you be able to fit in and get along with these people?

Ask yourself how able you are to cope with team members who…

• criticize, rather than support;
• are quick to take credit for your work;
• have a different communication style than yours;
• belong to a different cultural community than you do.

During the interview, ask questions about your internship team to increase the chances of a good fit.

What are your future plans?

Since many employers hire their interns after the internship, they are going to be interested in interns that have more future potential. They want to feel that there is going to be long-term ROI on their internship efforts.

Are you thinking of changing careers after this internship?

Is this internship a springboard towards becoming an independent entrepreneur?

Consider the future value you are offering your employer. Is your internship with them a “one and done” or would you seriously consider working there full- or part-time?

Choose internship positions at organizations which have some future interest for you.

How do you spend your non-school time?

Your academic grades are important, sure, but they do not tell the whole story of who you are.

Employers are going to want to know about your commitment, self-motivation, and who you are socially. They may ask you questions such as:

What other activities/hobbies/responsibilities do you have (or did you have)?

Do/did you volunteer?

Are/were you fully or partly responsible for caring for a person or a pet?

Have you been employed anywhere before?

Be ready for these questions with a list of names and dates.

What’s your “grit factor?”

If you do not know what we mean by “grit” in this context, invest a worthwhile six minutes watching this TED talk. Then, take a few minutes to complete her questionnaire: online (no need to give any personal information) or download the PDF.

How gritty are you?

If your score was not that high, look at the Grit Scale items which were challenging for you. Take steps to change your behavior to be more gritty.

Have some of these shaken you up slightly?

That’s good. It means you can better prepare yourself to ace that internship interview.

Don’t think you have much to work on?

That’s good, too. Now that you have checked your readiness, go out there, and get it!

Corona or not, business continues and will pick up. Working on your soft skills now means more marketability during job interviews.

Hard skills are generally seen as those which can be taught and/or measured. In other words, they can be quantified and evaluated.

Soft skills, on the other hand, are usually defined as your toolkit of people, social, and communication skills. As such, they have traditionally been seen as unmeasurable.

Yet, the divisions may be becoming blurred.

In January 2020, Forbes online magazine suggested that soft skills may be the new hard skills. For this to happen, soft skills must be quantifiable, and it seems that they are.

Already, many companies have created and implemented measures of soft skills. This makes sense given the serious impact these skills make on profitability. For example, research reported that soft skills enriched the UK economy by £88 billion in 2015 and was predicted to rise to £109 billion by this year, 2020.

Soft skills vary somewhat by industry

Studies show that there is variation in which skills are most valued. This makes sense. Although the goal of most businesses is to be profitable, the ways in which they achieve this can be different. Thus, an industrial electronics company will most likely rate English communication as the highest soft skill while teachers at a vocational school will be expected to have honesty and a good attitude towards learning as their top competence.

And yet, are there 7 top soft skills of the future?

Here’s what our research found.

The top soft skill: Communication

Communication is, perhaps, the life energy of an organization. To get the job done, employees must communicate with their colleagues at every level from top management on down. Also, the organization must successfully communicate its product/service to its buyers/users in order to achieve any sales at all. So, it is not surprising that, again and again, studies identify communication as the top, common soft skill in business and industry.

Effective communication requires a set of sub-skills. Good English (reading, writing, listening, speaking) is often a critical communicative sub-skill in our global economy. So, too, is a high level of interpersonal intelligence in order to know how to say things to people of different mindsets and cultures…especially when the situation is difficult or challenging. The sub-skill of persuasion is helpful when motivating employees AND convincing customers.

Thus, if there was ONE soft skill to develop in yourself, it would be communication.

The relative importance of soft skills 2-7 differ depending on sector, so we will present them in alphabetical order.

Creativity

In many companies, the financial bottom line has replaced brainstorming. Ideas are measured in terms of their contribution to efficiency and profitability. “Off the wall” ideas are not even brought to the table. This trend is despite data which shows that creativity contributes to above average, organic revenue growth AND is more effective by a large margin in increasing sales (creativity 47%) as compared to reach (22%), brand (15%) and targeting (9%).

To develop your creativity, give yourself permission to think anything about anything. They are only thoughts, after all. If you get a good idea, write it down somewhere (phone, journal, sticky note on wall, etc.) Come back to your ideas every once in a while. Any worth developing further? If you find one worth passing on to your workplace, do so. Don’t worry about the possible feedback. Keep practicing.

Critical thinking

Can you gather information, evaluate it with a minimum of bias, envision a variety of perspectives, and formulate logical plans? Congratulations, you are a critical thinker!

A recent report by the Organisation for Economic Co-operationInternational Labour Organization and Development (OECD) found that employees give more of themselves in workplaces which are places of trust and mutual gain. Critical thinking can help build this atmosphere since it focuses on objective information, rather than gossip, cultural bias, or other unhelpful criteria.

To improve your critical thinking, begin by taking a self-inventory. Which biases do you have which might affect how you view things? Recognizing our “world view filters” is the most important step in working on them.

Discipline and ethics

When you think of discipline, think of boundaries such as…

• the manner in which you dress
• whether you wash out your coffee cup or leave it in the lunchroom sink
• the cleanliness (or not) of your workspace
• how you speak to others and what you choose to talk about
• whether you follow workplace rules even if you don’t agree with them

With regards to ethics, consider values such as honesty, integrity, compassion and empathy, and respect for others’ wellbeing. For example:

• Do you throw team members under the bus when the project report is late or do you share in the responsibility…even if your part was ready on time?
• Your co-worker needs to leave early to take his child to the doctor. Do you help out by picking up his slack or gossip about his irresponsibility?
• At break time, do you smoke in the designated area or do you sneak one wherever because it’s closer and more convenient?

Much of future business will continue to be “people-oriented.” Valued workers will be those who contribute to their workplaces in positive ways, including being reliable representatives. Whether in person or virtual, you will be the face of the company, and it wants the best face possible.

Management and organization

Even if you are not a manager, you still need this soft skill. Doing your job in an effective, efficient, orderly way not only means your work gets done well, it helps others to succeed in theirs. A good tool for improving your management and organization is a to-do list. If you are interested in a digital method, there are many apps which offer online tracking. This list will get you started.

To take it to the next level, combine your to-do list with a flowchart. Flowcharts can get as step-by-step as possible, breaking down your main goals into more manageable pieces. You can also go old school by using either of these methods with old-fashioned pencil and paper. For many, the physical act of writing makes a beneficial difference.

Teamwork and collaboration

No doubt you’re very familiar with the term “team player”…perhaps a little too familiar? Be that as it may, the teamwork and collaboration trend is strong and increasing. Although it may take on a more virtual rather than physical characteristic, organizations will continue to need people who can work well with others.

Time management

This is a far-reaching area. It begins from the basics such as arriving on time (to work, to meetings). It moves on to your work process and ends up with meeting deadlines. Have you delayed the members of your project team because your part isn’t done on time? This is going to have an effect on the quality of your teamwork, another of the top 7 soft skills for the future. Effective time management is a combination of mindset and priorities. You can set a list of priorities and map out a timetable, but if your mindset is not on board, you can forget success.

How prepared are you?

Successful employees and entrepreneurs see their soft skills as an ongoing project. There is always more that can be done. So, it’s never too early (or late) to begin.

Chinese and Asian students: you may be missing some marketable soft skills of the future. A European student exchange program or bootcamp can help.   

Generalisations can be problematic since there are many exceptions to any rule. Having said that, there appear to be some significant differences between the educational systems in China and Europe. To get the best of both worlds and develop the soft skills needed for their future careers , Chinese and Asian students often find it highly beneficial to attend European student exchange programs or educational bootcamps.

Here’s why…

The right answers vs. Unpredictable answers

Some questions have only one answer—the right one. Others have no predictable answer whatsoever, requiring you to “think on your feet.”

An article in Young Post (a unit of the South China Morning Post) examined this issue. The author pointed out that Chinese students tend to do better on standardised testing while Western students tend to do better on open-ended questions with a variety of “correct” answers.

This may be a result of the different aims of each educational system. In China, the focus appears to be on the correct answers. In other words, Chinese students are expected to accumulate knowledge and show that accumulation. In Europe, the aim is more towards the production of original work. For example, European students are expected to use their knowledge to solve problems in society or design new systems.

Creativity and critical thinking are two of the top soft skills employers are looking for now and will continue to want in the future. To develop those skills, students need to study in environments which practice them. European student exchange programs or educational bootcamps are great places to boost those skills.

Individual worker vs. Team player

Putting the emphasis on the correct answer, as discussed above, means that the more right answers a student has, the more successful he or she is. This creates a highly competitive atmosphere in which it is basically, every man/woman for himself/herself. It is logical, then, that Chinese students study individually and, in general, work alone. Collaboration would mean that you are helping someone who could end up beating you academically.

In Europe, much of education is project-based learning. Students work in groups to prepare presentations, investigate problems and design solutions, and construct alternative ways of doing things. A significant part of the assessment grade is teamwork—how well did the students work together to get their job done? In this model, collaboration is not only valued but essential. Usually, projects are too large for one student to complete it on his or her own, even if they wanted to.

Two more of the top soft skills employers are looking for are teamwork and collaboration. Both are complex. Working with others is often very challenging, especially in global companies with multicultural workforces. Taking part in a European educational bootcamp or student exchange program gives Chinese and Asian students the opportunity to widen their cultural circles and practice working with teammates who are different from themselves in significant ways.

Study time vs. “Play” time

Although they may be working hard, students in European educational organisations have time for extracurricular activities. They may be on the college basketball team, the university newspaper, or volunteering at a local hospital. It is usual for each student to be involved in at least ONE thing besides school.

Chinese students appear to live and breathe their studies. These round the clock students are called “Xué bà.” (We would say “bookworm” in English.) Their intense, almost tyrannical studying leaves them little time for much else. While this may be admirable in China, it isn’t in Europe. Global companies are not going to see it as a plus either. The simple reason is that global workers are the faces of their organisations, and these organisations are looking for people who are more than just their job titles.

Extracurricular activities broaden our perspectives. We learn life skills that are usually not available while studying in a classroom. In addition, we learn to be comfortable in situations which challenge their comfort zones. Student exchange programs and educational bootcamps in Europe give Chinese and Asian students a break from their intense studying, so they can benefit from some extracurricular “play” time.

Is it all going to be enjoyable?

There may be some challenges, yet it is exactly these bumps in the road which are going to give you opportunities to really find out who you are. As mixed martial artist, Josh Barnett said: “Open yourself to new ideas and new things even if you find you don’t like them in the end – but at least knowing them has taken you that much further along into being a more experienced, more well-rounded person in this world.”

Experiencing another culture is an excellent investment in your future career. Here’s why.   

Up until now, increasing globalization has been the trend of most businesses.

At the moment, given the current COVID-19 situation, there is some discussion that this might change in the future. Most likely, globalization will continue, though perhaps in a different form.

Even prior to today’s events, we were seeing a huge increase in live, virtual communication. Chatbots on websites with real-time humans behind them were becoming more frequent. Videoconferencing was on the rise. An interview with Zoom in 2018 reported that “51% of the Fortune 1000 and 58% of the Fortune 500” were using Zoom…and that was several years ago.

So, one way or another, businesses are going to continue to look for employees with skills which suit the international arena. Candidates will need to work well in multicultural teams and preferably be multilingual. They should have the mindsets of global citizens, able to fit in anywhere in the world.

Studies show that an exchange semester (aka a study abroad program) is one of the most effective ways of developing international readiness.

An exchange semester drops you into a new culture. Living and studying in a new environment increases your intercultural competencies. Data shows that students who study abroad become more tolerant of and adaptable to cultural differences. Chances are, you will make lasting friendships which will help create a more peaceful world. You might even pick up a few words in a new language—or end up speaking it like a pro.

Academically, an exchange semester may offer courses not available at your main university or graduate school. In addition, undergraduates who take an exchange semester at an educational institution tend to have priority when applying for graduate studies at that same institution.

There are, of course, challenges.

One is finances. Working is usually not permitted in the host country. As a result, students need sufficient financial support during their exchange semester. Some host academic institutions will offer full or part financial assistance. The Erasmus program offers significant monetary support for those who study at an academic institution in a European community member country.

Another hurdle is bureaucracy. University applications, course equivalency, and arranging a visa are all processes which can be very frustrating and time-consuming. Before choosing your exchange semester institution, get in touch with them. Ask some direct questions about how much help they are willing to give you with the paperwork.

Once in place, students may experience “culture shock.” A big part of that is differences in food. Another is contrasts in lifestyle, climate, and the unwritten “rules of the game.” Feeling like a fish out of water is normal at the beginning. Consider these aspects when choosing your exchange semester. How much out of your “comfort zone” will still be comfortable for you?

Overall, it’s more than worth it.

Besides the rewards of personal growth and development, analyses show that those who had done an exchange semester benefitted in their career as well. First, they were more likely to opt for graduate programs, giving them the academic edge when entering the job market. Second, those who took part in an exchange semester had higher starting salaries.

Tired of studying? Worried about loan repayment? Maybe it’s time to get a job? NO! Here are 5 strong reasons to invest in your education.

Have you found yourself thinking, “Why am I investing so much time and energy into my education? Is it really worth it?”

The answer is “yes”, and we’re going to give you the top 5 reasons why.

Your income

Let’s begin with perhaps the main reason people get an education: to increase their incomes. UNICEF reports that your income will increase 10 percent for each year of education. The Harvard Business Review states that those with graduate degrees are usually paid 25 percent more. Those are pretty impressive ROIs, right?

Your country’s “income”

Did you know that your education can benefit the country in which you live? The GDP of your country can increase by 18 percent per year of your education. In fact, education is one of the main ways in which we can reduce world poverty.

Your career options

Back in the day, people worked for the same company all their lives and got a gold watch as a retirement present. Today, people spend up to 5 years at a job, changing about 12 times during their working lives.

In addition, the AI wave means that human jobs are undergoing significant changes and will continue to do so. Some jobs will only be done by robots, eliminating the need for “live people.” Other positions are going to get revised job descriptions as increasing automation changes the way in which things are done. New jobs will be created due to needs which never before existed.

To keep yourself competitive in such a fluctuating job market, your skills and qualifications need to be future forward. Education is the key. In addition, the greater the variety of tools you have in your professional portfolio, the more options you have—including making a total career change if you’ve reached the end of the line in your current one.

Your quality of life

Would you be surprised to learn that the average person spends ⅓ of their life at work? The only thing you spend more time doing is sleeping. That means the majority of your waking hours are spent at your job. Not only that, but they are the best part of your waking hours. In other words, the hours during which you feel the most awake and alert.

Wouldn’t it be better spending this time doing something that gives you satisfaction, perhaps even joy?

Education means that you can qualify yourself for the things that you like doing. As a result, your work is not only supporting you financially but also helping you to live your best life.

Your contribution to world peace

If you think it is an exaggeration, think again. Education empowers. According to the International Federation of Medical Students’ Associations, it is “central to human well-being and sustainable development.”

How do you play a part?

Education has a knock on effect. At the lowest level, your education benefits you. One step up, your education benefits your family via the higher income you can bring and the knowledge you can pass on about living a better life. Let’s keep widening the circles.

Children of educated parents tend to be educated. The more educated people there are in a community, the more prosperous the community usually is. The more prosperous communities in a country, the better off and more peaceful the country as a whole is.

Once every citizen of every country has a good life, many of the reasons for violence disappear. The overall result will be shared prosperity, a cared-for planet, and a more peaceful world.

All these 5 important reasons mean that education is one of the best investments you could ever make.

Real-world projects have real-world impact in your story

And your real story begins as soon as you start working in a corporate environment.

Before you even start your career, being a part of real-world projects in companies, widely known as internships, can have an enormous impact.

And this is not only in finding the right jobs, but also shaping your skills and career for years to come.

1. Internships can help you avoiding the dreaded ‘underemployment trap’ 

What’s worse than being unemployed, you ask? It is being ‘underemployed.’

The top reason students and parents value university education is to get a good job.

Yet, according to a Gallup survey, among bachelor degree graduates from 2002-2016, only 27% had a good job waiting for them upon graduation.

This issue is called the underemployment trap.

That means it is not just important to get any job, but the right job.

A key strategy to minimise the risk of underemployment, also recommended by researchers, is to “accrue meaningful and relevant work experiences before graduation”.

Internships and other work experience programs before you graduate can provide an opportunity to build skills. Get in the game before you start playing.

You can acquire endless amounts of education in your life, however, that knowledge may not always translate into real world experience.

An internship exposes you to new people in a more controlled and stable environment.

College graduates who intern can reduce their risk of underemployment if they have experience in Strategy, Operations or Marketing, for example.

Plus, a successful internships can prepare you to learn the skills that employers value before you start working

According to a Gallup survey, 42% of graduates with relevant internship as an undergraduate had a good job waiting for them upon graduation, compared with just 20% of those who did not have any internship experience on their CV.

That one internship you do over summer could be the difference between winning a job opportunity and losing it.

2. Internships provide you an opportunity to learn more about yourself

The experiences we go through is what shapes us.

Your internship will not only encourage personal development, but also give you a greater understanding of your personality

Finding this level of clarity is difficult, but sometimes this is all it takes to try something new, out of your comfort zone.

Besides, “getting into the workplace helps students figure out what they do and don’t like, and how it relates to what they are studying,” says C. Bryan Kempton, the director of career services at Maryland’s School of Public Policy.

3. Internships prevent your CV from going to the trash

If you are asking yourself how to get the first interview call, the answer lies in the experience section of your resume.

Most hiring managers look at that section closely when sifting through dozens of profiles.

Internships are the perfect way to enhance your resume through relevant experience before you get out there.

When an employer sees that you’ve completed an internship over the summer, or even abroad, it will go a long way in convincing them that you are an asset to their company.

And yes, don’t just mention the experience, make it count!

It is not enough to simply show you’ve spent some time as an intern. List the tasks you’ve done and projects you’ve participated in to demonstrate your value. During your internship, you can acquire new skills and abilities which can improve yourself as a young professional, and furthermore enhance your resume.

The High Bridge Answer

A lot of companies might offer you an internship, but few let you do the real work while you are there.

The problem is that most students get discouraged when they don’t get proper attention, mentoring and exciting tasks when they go to their first internship program.

And that’s where we come in.

We too, have been in the frustrated intern shoes, so we decided to do what is needed to fix this.

Our internship program is highly focused on your development. With us by your side, you ca be assured of finding a place where your work will be always meaningful, and contribute to the end results of the company.