The Impact of Overseas Studies on International Students and Their Employability

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One of the substantial impacts of overseas studies lies on the cultural aspect. Individuals get better understanding to another society through their process of experiencing cultural differences and encounters, thus making it easier to work and communicate with people from various culture background (Campbell, 2010). For the practical working aspect, the advantage of studying overseas is not merely getting a good command of another language, but also achieving a deeper understand of oneself and the future working environment with the combination of a person’s own knowledge background with the different one gaining from the experience of studying abroad.(Archer & Davison, 2008)

Heffron&Maresco (2014) has examined a range of inner impact on overseas studies to international students, including knowledge and values enhanced by students during their studies. From their data analysis between students before and after studying abroad, it is shown that international students tend to have more global prospects, and are more likely to be put into an multicultural environment; they tend to be more tolerant and optimistic while enduring a situation which is not positive to them; they show open attitude when given the working opportunity in foreign countries. (Heffron&Maresco, 2014) It is worthwhile to point out from their research that some students think it is local people who has changed their views and abilities rather than the cultural environment they are immersed in.[b]

Perceived Challenges

According to the data from Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), International student consist 18% in university education, which the amount of students from China surpassed the amount of total EU international students in year 2013-2014. One of the biggest problems Chinese students are facing is their four-month-limitation of getting a job, or they will directly go back home. (Rhoden, 2015). [c]

Yates and Wahid (2013) found that communicating in English is an essential problem for international graduates in their future job hunting process, hence students thought it has narrow effect on university’s English for Academic Purposes project and found it hard to be adapted into the local community. Apart from the language skills, the shortage of policy making for international students in their employability in the UK is also an urgent problem, especially for the huge amount of Chinese international students. (Huang, 2013). It is an undeniable fact that discrimination in working place do exist in UK, for a report from National Audit Office (NAO) has shown that there are circumstances which appear to be stereotyping and prejudice on the Asian employees, by refusing to accept their job application form or hinder them from being promoted. (Bell &Casebourne, 2008).

Research Question

After building up the literature review, there is limited research on Chinese international students’ interference on job applying and the link between their gains from abroad studying with their performance on hunting for a job. I am going to focus on these two field and further the research during my personal project period.

References

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