Page 32 - Scholarship Guide Feb 2019

30 ARTICLE

7 Ways You Can

Improve Your Career

Prospects While

Studying Abroad

By Wu Xueting

The idea of studying abroad is like a dream. You get DO AN INTERNSHIP RELEVANT
to stay a few months or even years in another country TO THE CAREER YOU WANT
and fully immerse yourself in the culture by attending If you want to find work while abroad that’s more di-
classes like a local. It’s no wonder more and more Sin- rectly in line with your dream job, internships are the
gaporeans every year are flying to Australia and the way to go. Smooth your path towards working at your
UK for their university studies. host country in the future by landing an internship
Still, many have their hesitations and anxieties. while you’re studying there. Internships are available
They are completely valid, too - the tuition and accom- during or after the study term, so you can look for one
modation fees of studying overseas can add up to a that fits your schedule and ability to juggle multiple re-
steep sum. And what benefits does it bring? Will all sponsibilities. True, many internships are unpaid, but
that spending pay off? you’ll realise that there are lots of great and unique in-
The answer is yes, if you seize all the great career ternships you can’t find in Singapore. You’d also gain
opportunities study abroad brings. a unique experience to add to your resume and share
Study abroad has many career benefits. It’s a during a future job interview.
one-of-a-kind experience that can open doors for you
to score your dream job in the future, whether you LEARN AS MUCH AS YOU CAN ABOUT
choose to return to Singapore or remain in the host THE CAREER OPTIONS THERE
country after the program. The following tips help you If it’s your big dream to work in the host country, you
can take full advantage of the experience to prepare can’t give up! Even if you’re not able to get a job or
for your future career. internship while you’re studying there, seize the op-
portunity to find out more about doing so in the fu-
FIND A PART-TIME OR TEMPORARY JOB ture. Doing research online is a huge struggle when
Besides giving you some extra cash to finance the you’re overwhelmed by too much information, or you
program costs, a part-time or temporary job shapes can’t find answers to the specific questions you have.
your self-sufficiency. It doesn’t have to take up a lot of When studying abroad in the desired country, you
your studying time, too - even a job right on campus, have the chance to enquire about career opportuni-
at the bookstore or the student recreation centre, can ties in-person and directly at the companies, whose
help you become more responsible and better at jug- employers would probably also be intrigued by your
gling multiple responsibilities, as you’re adapting to a studying at a top local university. Not sure who to ap-
completely new and foreign environment. proach and how to approach them? Attend the cam-
It ultimately depends on the laws and visa poli- pus job fairs and international program fairs, and you
cies of your host country, but many of the popular might just meet the right people there! You’re also
spots for Singaporeans studying abroad do allow in- surrounded by locals - your professors and school-
ternational students to work while they’re there. The mates - whom you can ask for advice or even refer-
hours are limited (typically up to 20 hours a week dur- ences. Your international student program advisor
ing the term), and some top destinations like the Unit- should be able to help you with questions about study
ed Kingdom only grant international students who are and work visas, too.
studying more than six months to work on a student
visa. If you are open to staying on after completing BROADEN YOUR NETWORK
your studies, you also have the option to apply for IN THAT COUNTRY
special work visas. So be sure to do your homework Many international students, not just Singaporeans,
on whether or not you qualify to work there, and the like to stick to fellow international students from their
related restrictions. home country and school. Though it may be difficult