Schedule & Presenters

Beyond ‘Awesome’ Interns as Ethnographers in International Education

Presentation (pdf)

Resource 

Description

International internships operate in complex context marked by some resistance from within parts of academia and political skepticism in the broader environment. The
presenters argue that, despite those environmental challenges, the value of international internships is demonstrable especially when experiences in placements are enhanced by co-related academic study. Professional development and the potential for concrete career integration is most apparent at the point of intersection between theory and practice. The objective is essentially to empower students to become both engaged participants and thoughtful, analytical observers through the basic ethnographic research methodologies: a combination of experiences and reflection. That methodology aspires to empower students to understand and articulate connections between the skills acquired in education abroad and their career objectives. Students perceptions will demonstrate the potential for these high-impact educational outcomes. How these objectives may be achieved is the subject of the
presentations and the audience discussions that will follow.
Presenters: Simran Sahi, Director of Undergraduate Programs, Department of Economics, University of Minnesota; Craig Kench, Director of International Internships, CAPA International Education; Kristin Dean, Associate Director of Academic Affairs, London, CAPA International Education

Every Little Bit Counts: Finding Opportunities for Career Integration Throughout the Undergraduate Experience

Presentation (pdf) 

Description

This session will explore the various opportunities that exist for career integration throughout a student’s undergraduate career. Participants will be briefly introduced to Georgia Tech’s International Plan (IP), which is a degree-long program that incorporates international experiences, foreign language proficiency, and globally-focused courses into the undergraduate curriculum. Certain programmatic elements of the IP will be highlighted as a basis for participants to consider how they may incorporate these at their home institutions. Topics to be addressed in this session are: an interculturally-themed freshman seminar; advising students to intentionally select international experiences that align with their major and career interests; workshops and simulations focused on the intercultural workplace; and career-related advising such as marketing one’s international experience to potential employers. Participants will have an opportunity to work in small groups to explore these topics further in the context of their own institutions.
Presenter: Jennifer Evanuik Baird, Assistant Director, International Plan, Georgia Tech University

The ‘How To’ of Helping Students Incorporate Their International Experience Into the Job Search and Interview Process

Presentation (pdf) 

Description

When students returning from abroad are asked to talk about their international experience, they typically respond with something like "It was amazing". Unfortunately, employers recruiting these same students for internships and full-time job opportunities are looking for a more thoughtful and substantive answer. This session overviews a fundamental process to help students identify and articulate the knowledge and skills they gained abroad, and how to incorporate that information into their career exploration, job search and interview process. Prepare to attend this session as a participant-observer; you will be taken through a series of exercises to reflect on your own international experience while the
presenters share training and facilitation tips. This is a hands-on session that you will be able to take back to campus and offer to students with materials to duplicate and share.
Presenters: Ann Hubbard, Vice President, AIFS Study Abroad; Darren–Kaltved, Assistant Director, Career Services, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota

Employer Perspectives on Value of International Education in the Global Workforce

Presentation (pdf) 

Description

Globalization has expanded the rationale for international education and led to the convergence of interests between academic institutions and employers. There is a new transnational narrative supporting the re-alignment of education abroad programs to achieve gains in competencies that add value to student career decision-making and advance prospects for employability after graduation. This session will review the current research findings on employer priorities in hiring talent with international experience and
present the perspective of a senior manager with a worldwide executive search firm who began his career in student affairs.
Presenters: Martin Tillman, President, Global Career Compass, former Associate Director, Career Services, Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies; Simon Kho, Vice President, Global Recruitment, Heidrick & Struggles

More than Coffee, Copies & Cantonese: Helping Returnees Articulate Professional Skills Gained through Education Abroad

Presentation (pdf) 

Resource (pdf)

Description

In this session, a re
presentative from the Gilman Scholarship Program and the School for International Training (SIT) will show models of how each guides education abroad returnees to best identify and articulate skills gained and their experiences through international programs to potential employers and for campus outreach purposes. The session will explain the significance of helping students articulate skills to potential employers, illustrate how to develop self-assessments for students to identify transferable skills, and include an interactive activity and toolkit to demonstrate methods for helping students integrate education abroad into a career search.
Presenters: Aileen M. O’Donnell, Assistant Manager, Institute of International Education (IIE), Gilman International Scholarship Program; Ben Efird, University Relations Manager, Midwest Region, SIT World Learning; Jeannie Stumne, Director, CEHD Career Services, University of Minnesota

Using Partnerships to Create Career – Focused Short Courses

Presentation (pdf) 

Description

Why is an overseas experience a perfect time for students to explore their career potential? How can career development be truly enhanced while in another country? In this session, we will
present how a partnership was formed between Career Services and the Learning Abroad Center to create and pilot two career-focused short courses. We will discuss the initial vision, outcomes and content of courses, drafts of on-the-ground itineraries, and importantly, answer our own questions above on why career discovery abroad enriches a student's professional self.
Presenters: Christine L. Anderson, Assistant Director, Learning Abroad Center, University of Minnesota; Becky Hall, Director of Career Services, University of Minnesota; Angie Schmidt Whitney, Senior Career Counselor, University of Minnesota

Creative Confusion

Presentation (pdf) 

Description

This
presentation is an innovative application of significant concepts that will get the conference participants thinking about reflective practice in the context of this conference theme.'Confusion is the first step to understanding.' I will model in this session the innovative approach I have adopted in facilitating our European Union Erasmus exchange students and staff over some thirty years in the University of London. I will share what has worked less well for me- and demonstrate how reflection has indeed lead to enhanced cross cultural learning experiences because of the openness to difference, and the ability to see with ‘new eyes’. The session will challenge existing shibboleths around this area which has been subject to unhelpful ‘stereotypes’ and a limiting of vision, rather than honing an ability to ‘hear what goes unspoken.’ There will be time for lively discussion since my
presentation will be more of a "provocative conversation" and not a mere
presenting of information. I want to metaphorically walk forward in a positive light, and will encourage others to not merely follow me, and not even just to lead their learners in new ways. It is about our learners themselves leading in directions previously unthought, maximizing career reflection and seizing new opportunities; the successful exploitation of new ideas. Samuel Beckett urged, 'go ahead and try again, fail better'. That is my message, too.
Presenter: Mary Claire Halvorson, Director of Professional Development, Goldsmiths University of London

Internships Overseas: Delivering a Successful Experience for Students, Employers, and Universities

Presentation (pdf) 

Description

Successful international internships involve all parties working together to best prepare, deliver and accredit the program while managing the important aspects of preparation and cultural integration onsite. Learn about some unique tools and ideas being offered by the internship community that effectively help give students the best onsite experience possible. Acquire tools and techniques for engaging with the employer to ensure clarity of expectations and program design. Find new ways to keep the home university involved with the program but learn to release the deliverables to credible internship programs onsite.
Presenter: Cynthia Banks, President, Foundation for Global Scholars

New NAFSA Resource To Support Global Career-Related Education Abroad

Description

Two nationally-known authors / consultants will share their perspectives on resources for career and global program professionals available from NAFSA, AIFS and other organizations, on global career development, as well as advising and administering programs for work, internships and volunteering abroad. In addition, two campus case studies will be shared that provide best-practice examples of infrastructure (ranging from health and safety to data collection) and programming developed to address these issues. One example of campus-based programming to be
presented is a series of workshops, International Career Pathways, aimed at helping students connect their international experiences with global careers. The universities featured will be the University of Michigan, which has 1,500 undergraduate and graduate/professional students annual participating in co-curricular work, internships and volunteering abroad, and John Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies.
Presenters: William Nolting, Assistant Director for Education Abroad, University of Michigan International Center; Martin Tillman, President, Global Career Compass, former Associate Director, Career Services, Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies

Rethinking Study Abroad Advising for Career Connections

Description

Traditionally, study abroad advising has focused on location as the primary factor in program selection. Curriculum integration has influenced stronger emphasis on program structure and content as important aspects of the decision-making process. In this session, approaches to including career aspirations as part of advising will be
presented along with suggestions for fostering a student/staff advising office culture that values professional goals.
Presenter: Laurie Black, Dean for External Relations and Strategic Enrollment Management, SIT Study Abroad

Strengths at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities and Abroad: Using a Strengths Based Approach to Enhance Career Development

Presentation (pdf) 

Description

Since the fall of 2010 every incoming first-year student at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities (UMTC) has had the opportunity to take the StrengthsFinder assessment as part of their orientation. Strengths is being used to enhance student engagement and well-being which leads to improved retention and graduation, and academic, career, and personal success. Students are increasingly identifying and applying
their Top 5 Strength Talent Themes throughout their studies at the University, including their abroad experiences. This session will give an overview of the Strengths initiative, provide context for trainings that have been done with the Learning Abroad staff, as well as give a few examples of the ways Strengths has been or will be incorporated into abroad experiences.
Presenters: Katy Hinz, Program Coordinator, Office for Student Engagement, University of Minnesota; Angie Schmidt Whitney, Senior Career Counselor, CLA Career Services, University of Minnesota; Sheila Collins, Associate Director, Learning Abroad Center, University of Minnesota

Coaching Students On-Site as They Explore Their Future Major and Career Focus

Presentation (pdf) 

Description

For many students, going abroad will be an experience that will shift their perspective. For some, this can be re-examining their choice of academic major or future career path-- or even deciding on a major for the first time. How can we help these students while they are on-site to reflect on their experiences to help them through this decision-making process? The Center for Academic Planning & Exploration (CAPE) at the U of M, Twin Cities provides resources and individual coaching for students who are undecided or exploring options for their major. CAPE takes a holistic approach to guiding students through this process that integrates major and career exploration. We hope to share some of the resources that we use with students that can be adapted to using with students while they are abroad, as well as generate some ideas for how to spark conversations with students who are grappling with these questions.
Presenter: Susan LeBlanc, Academic and Career Coach, Center for Academic Planning & Exploration, University of Minnesota

Get a Job: Parental Goals for Student Careers

Description

Presenter: Antonia Lortis, Director of Marketing, Learning Abroad Center, University of Minnesota

Learning Abroad Groupies: Converting career professionals to ambassadors of learning abroad programs

Presentation (pdf) 

Description

It started with a single site visit. It led to joint strategy sessions to integrate learning abroad and career programming with more to come. We'll discuss how investments in international experiences for career staff led to better work with students, heightened engagement in learning abroad programming, improved advocacy for programs and motivation to work with the learning abroad center on advanced initiatives (such as career integration!).
Presenter: Sara Newberg, Director and Career Advisor, Career & Internship Services, University of Minnesota

Life After Study Abroad: How Partnerships Between Career Services and Global Education Make a World of Difference

Presentation (Prezi) 

Resource (pdf) 

Resource 2 (pdf) 

Description

By reviewing the goals and outcomes involved in carrying out a large-scale “Life After Study Abroad” Conference, this brief session will provide Global Education and Career Services professionals with a specific example of how they can—and a clear justification of what they should—collaborate to support study abroad alumni in articulating the personal and professional impact of their international experiences.
Presenters: Carin Usrey, Study Abroad Coordinator, Center for Global Education, Marymount University; Sarah LaRosa, Coordinator for Global Engagement, Center for Global Education, Marymount University

Looking at a Strengths-Based Approach to Global Internships

Description

Awareness, understanding and utilization of one’s strengths is a life-long learning process necessary for personal, career and global growth. One year after the implementation of Strengths-based career development programming in international internships, Global Experiences critically examines the tools, methods and technologies used through an interactive experiential
presentation. Global Experiences’ primary goal is to share the practical application side of their programming, including suggestions for assessment and outcomes research. Impacts on interns’ self-reported personal development are also explored through case studies and research evaluation. The
presentation will set the stage for a group discussion of individual strengths programming as a foundation for global career development.
Presenter: Melissa Buerkett-Vivian, Director of Academic Internships, Global Experiences

Minnesota Study Abroad Re-entry Conference: A Living Case Study

Presentation (pdf) 

Description

The Minnesota Study Abroad Returnee Conference (MN-SARC) is a half-day workshop for study abroad returnees from area schools. Offered 6 times since 2007, it provides both practical and reflective sessions to help students build a "bridge" to their next opportunity. We will describe the conference, highlight changes & innovations, as well as challenges inherent in sponsoring & sustaining this event in the evolving collaboration between career services & study abroad.
Presenters: Allison Suhan, Enrollment Specialist, Learning Abroad Center, University of Minnesota; Joy Ruis, Education Abroad Advisor, College of St. Benedict/St. John's University

You Did What, Where? Applying the Not Obviously Relevant Experience Abroad To Your Career

Description

How do we help students articulate the "not so obvious" experience abroad? The business major who studies art history in Italy, the pre-med student who studies drama in Ireland... In international education much of the career conversation has centered around internships and programs developed with specific curricular foci. But what about the many students who pursue programs that have a less obvious relation to their intended career path? This session will offer some suggestions correlating examples for the skills and aptitudes developed abroad, particularly in short term instructor led programs. Past participants will offer insights. The role of the instructor and strategies for incorporating career considerations into program design will also be discussed.
Presenter: Martha Johnson, Assistant Dean, Learning Abroad Center, University of Minnesota

Mentoring as a way to bridge college to career … which can also raise a few bucks along the way!

Presentation (pdf) 

Description

Come learn about a unique mentoring program offered by the Foundation for Global Scholars (FGS), a Denver based 501C3 organization. With scholarships founded on the principle of reciprocity, FGS empowers globally minded students to gain international understanding and perspective, without regard to financial ability, and to return the investment by making an impact on their local/wider communities. This program is similar to speed-dating with employers and has been wildly successful on college campuses. This effective program model includes ways to recruit corporate mentors and bring in the right students.
Presenter: Cynthia Banks, President, Foundation for Global Scholars

MyWorldAbroad

Description

MyWorldAbroad–(formerly The BIG Guide to Living and Working Overseas) helps students (and their advisors) to integrate career-boosting strategies into the student’s go abroad experience. Learn about our training tools and how we migrated from a book to the latest version of our website. Hear about innovative ideas on how to help students maximize the career value of their time abroad. Uncover key concepts when guiding students undertaking an international job search (for jobs at home and abroad). Learn how students can market their international skills to employers. Participants will receive sample copies of our popular Quick Guides such as: 10 Easy Ways for First Year Students to Build International Skills; -Your International IQ; -Marketing Your International Experience to Employers; -Debunking The Myths About How Young Professionals Find International Jobs
Presenter: Jean-Marc Hachey, Publisher and Founder, MyWorldAbroad

Undergraduate Research Abroad and Links to Career Interests

Description

Undergraduate research abroad is naturally seen as connected to future academic pursuits upon return to the home campus and beyond. As there kinds of opportunities for students expand, we need to realize the untapped potential for linking student research experiences to career exploration and pathways in a broader sense. This session will highlight possibilities and stimulate ideas for better incorporation of undergraduate research abroad into career planning.
Presenter: Laurie Black, Dean for External Relations and Strategic Enrollment Management, SIT Study Abroad

Asking the Right Questions: Career Relevance of Education Abroad at MSU

Presentation (pdf) 

Description

The career benefit of education abroad is central to the national and institutional rhetoric calling for more participation, e.g. 100k Strong Initiatives, Generation Study Abroad, etc. What is the evidence for this argument? Are we asking the right questions of the right stakeholders? MSU’s Collegiate Employment Research Institute’s report on Recruiting Trends, led by Phil Gardner, Executive Director Career Services, found that employers do not value education abroad intrinsically but do value the skills that can derive from the experience. This session will review the evidence on career relevance and relate the programming steps developed at Michigan State University to help students ask the right questions–about their experiences.
Presenters: Brett Berquist, Executive Director, Office of Study Abroad, Michigan State University; Inge Steglitz, Assistant Director for Academic Relations, Office of Study Abroad, Michigan State University

Beyond the Classroom: Integrating Study Abroad and Career Development into the Global Studies Major

Description

Global Studies at the University of Illinois seeks to integrate career development into the major plan of study, including study abroad, a requirement for the major. The session highlights specific study abroad programs with a career development component, such as an internship, details pre-departure efforts to have students set goals to maximize career development opportunities while abroad, offers strategies to help students articulate how skills attained in another country can be transferable to career development, and discusses strategies for empowering underre
presented students to be successful while abroad. This session shows how the requirement of study abroad and advanced language proficiency in a social science major creates "career-ready" graduates and emphasizes the role professors, academic advisors, and student leadership groups can play with these efforts.
Presenters: Moira Rogers, Director of Education Abroad, University of Maryland at College Park;–Melissa Schoeplein, Academic Advisor and Program Coordinator, LAS Global Studies, University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign; Anna Fairbairn, Specialist for International Projects, Study Abroad Office, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Onsite Career Initiatives: Skill Development, Reflection, and Career Planning While Abroad

Presentation (pdf) 

Description

Students can build cross-cultural leadership and communication skills during study abroad to prepare themselves for working in a globalized world, whether they realize it or not. This session will discuss how career centers can collaborate with study abroad offices to help students maximize career reflection and opportunities on site. A number of resources Danish Institute for Study Abroad (DIS) provides to support students in skill development, reflection, and career planning, particularly with career-minded business students, will be highlighted. This session will also discuss the challenges in career integration DIS has experienced with students from other disciplines, as well as the DIS internship program.
Presenters: Jamie Cathell, Assistant Director of Institutional Relations, DIS; Jon Mayfield, Institutional Relations Manager, DIS; Kim Betz,–Director, Career Center, Carleton College