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The Benefits of Studying Abroad

The Benefits of Studying Abroad for a Semester:

How studying abroad for a full semester helped me land an internship and job offer from GM Financial

Taylor Watson poses by GM Financial sign

While looking for internships summer 2019 last spring, I found myself in an interesting position, since I would have to interview while abroad. I was nervous this would deter potential employees but, instead, I had an interview almost every week because employers were eager to hear about it.
 

The very first thing they would ask me about was my study abroad experience and what it is like to completely immerse myself into another culture. I was able to tell them stories, relate it to the job I was interviewing for, and stand out against my competition. Then one week, I was looking through LinkedIn and I saw a post for an internship with GM Financial in the Sales/Credit department. This particular internship required travel, which immediately put me at the top of the list. I was used to constant travel and learning/understanding new cultures all the time. They loved the fact that I was able to adapt and I had international experience to back it up. They especially loved that while I was in Italy, I had an internship.
 

Most students don't have long-term experience abroad, much less work experience, so I was able to use those experiences to really sell myself. I was recently offered a full-time position with amazing benefits, like a new car every 6 months, paid housing and phone bill, and a nice padded salary on top. I truly believe my study abroad experience for the full semester is one of the major reasons I was offered the internship and eventually the job. I recommend it to anyone who is on the fence. It will give you a lifetime of memories and experiences to talk about to anyone who may ask

 

During the spring 2019 semester, Taylor was able to see: France, Spain, Austria, Malta, Ireland, Scotland, Czech Republic, Poland, Germany, England, Switzerland, and Italy. She is double majoring in international business with French language and marketing.