why you should be a global graduate

Viv Thom & Change Initiative.SHU 2013

Why you should be a Global Graduate


the world is changing fast

many jobs of the future will involve work with other countries

opportunities for career development may require working outside the UK, some jobs may be located there

large UK companies expect employees in top jobs to possess global awareness and some language skills


• As more people use and speak English, being a monolingual English speaker is a disadvantage


Employers are looking for : • 'commercial awareness'• communication skills • an ability to work with people from

a range of backgrounds and countries

• an ability to embrace multiple perspectives

• excellent communication skills in speaking and listening

• resilience, drive and independence• a capacity to face challenges • a high degree of self awareness


'the candidates who end up with job offers also demonstrate determination and resilience, and are able to work hard and thrive in difficult situations......able to cope if they are sent half way across the world to work on a client project.'graduates should 'build resilience and get out of their comfort zones.'

Stephen Isherwood, head of graduate recruitment at Ernst & Young, (international consultancy), Personnel Today, 2012

Viv Thom & Change Initiative. SHU 2013

Aspiring leaders must “spend time living in different countries early in life, so they can appreciate cultural differences, incorporate what they learn into their work

lives, and build networks of global relationships”

John Coleman and Bill George Harvard Business Review

http://blogs.hbr.org/cs/2012/03/enhance_your_overseas_experience.html


A survey of nearly 600 graduatesundertaken by ThirdYearAbroad.com (designed by and for university students across the world)

found that 66% estimated that their residence abroad was a significant factor in getting their first and subsequent jobs 86% considered the year abroad to be the most valuable part of their degree.


core graduate competencies

• teamwork and collaboration

• communication presentation skills

• time and self-management

• professionalism

Global Graduates into Global Leaders ( in December 2011 for the Association of Graduate Recruiters (AGR) and Council for Industry and Higher Education (CIHE)

additional critical competencies

• a global mindset• global knowledge• cultural agility• advanced communication

skills• management of complex

interpersonal relationships • learning agility• adaptability, flexibility• resilience, drive and self-

awareness

more from employers


50% of employers

• would recognise the benefits of transferable skills gained through a short-term study abroad experience,

• 92% thought that graduates who study abroad had

a better chance of employment

Developing Scotland’s Global Citizens Developing Scotland's Graduates for the Global Economy: From here to Where?

http://www.scotlandgoesglobal.co.uk/

http://www.scotlandgoesglobal.co.uk/


Cross-cultural communication

• '72% of businesses say they value foreign language skills among their employees'

• 'Staff who can communicate at least conversationally - combined with an understanding of the local culture - can make all the difference in the conduct of business, consolidating relationships with existing suppliers and customers and opening the way to new overseas contacts.' CBI Education & Skills survey, 2012


working studying or volunteering overseas. .....

what better way to develop these skills


don't take our word for it

" The value of international experience goes beyond purely the acquisition of language- it lies in the ability to see business and personal issues from other than your own cultural perspective."

Charles Macleod, Head of UK Resourcing, PriceWaterhouse Cooper.

Students studying abroad and the European Higher Education Area Briefing for students' unions 2010)


International Business students talk about going on placement

Learning : the

advantages and

other aspects of

the experience

Employment

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C09RusPyn-M

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a93RlFznGd8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a93RlFznGd8


Kym not only landed a top job on graduation but made many friends through study and work abroad:05/03/2011- 11/06/2011 Erasmus study in Santander.

Work in Madrid: Oxford University Press 9/09/11-18/09/12

Current friends (26/02/13): still in contact will all the friends I made, and enjoy visiting them

"I couldn't have enjoyed Erasmus more, learnt lots about other cultures, habits, languages and changed as a person, I really feel its a shame that there are so few English participants as they are really missing out."


How long should I go for?• 5 months work

placement• 6 months study

abroad "It has given me

something else to speak about to employers. Having been on a foreign experience means I can adapt to different cultures-with a large company, it's a good highlight to have."

"It does give

you an edge in the midst of a very

tough employment environment."


Student who studied abroad for a semester

"Yes! I think it’s made me more employable. When I went in for interviews a lot of employers asked about times when you’ve had challenges or when you’ve had to accommodate to new situations and talking about when I arrived in Canada covered those questions. It gave me a lot to talk about there and they always seem to build on the answers that I gave."


and one year….

" I actually got a job because of my year abroad. I’m working in an NGO in Hong Kong next year. They said the reason they hired me is because I can prove that I can work in an environment that was very different and because I was willing to throw myself into something that

wasn’t comfortable… It puts another language on your CV, which is invaluable at this point in time."


Siyanfunda - we will learn

• 18 second year students from Primary and Early Years Teaching Degree spent 6 weeks in South Africa and worked on a

• four week placement in schools and communities in Port Elizabeth

• Organised by the Calabash Trust

• cost around £2k. • 20 credit point elective module

http://www.calabashtrust.co.za/


Preliminary target setting• Personal:• To overcome challenges

outside my everyday life• To develop my independence

• Professional:• To develop my teaching of

English • To develop behaviour

management strategies

• Academic:• To understand how the political

climate of SA has affected education


what we learned about….

• Lasting effects of apartheid

• Awareness of the impact of discrimination on attainment in SA and UK

• Learning a foreign language

• Creative teaching • Thinking on my feet

• Resilience of selves, SA teachers and children

• Importance of singing, dancing and music

• All educational systems are different and none are perfect

• Importance of planning and differentiation within teaching

• Workbooks limit learning


Review of learning

• The hardest part of the placement was accepting that your best was not good enough – that no matter how hard you tried to make a difference to these kids’ lives in the 4 weeks, it was never going to be enough.

• You notice so many problems within the school that you’d love to change You have to accept the limits of what you can contribute.

• Mr Hope, the Head told us how invaluable we were to the school, how us giving them our time was the greatest gift we could give the children.

• All you can do is concentrate on making learning enjoyable.


South Africa has changed me in ways I couldn’t have imagined

I met children who live in the most horrid conditions, many facing unthinkable dangers within their own homes.

The children smiled, they sang, danced and embraced the day.

Before I came here I could moan about anything and everything thinking that life was not fair.

These children completely changed my way of thinking. I am healthy and surrounded by people who love and care for me. South Africa made me realise that is all I need.

why you should be a global graduate

Education

employers viv thom change

disadvantage viv thom

global awareness

global leaders

global economy

foreign language skills

work lives

scotlands global citizens