Intercultural skills

In today’s changing and global economy the way in which employers look at job candidates is different.

Relevant experience and technical understanding is important but employers are also looking for employees with the ability to understand people from different cultural backgrounds who have the intercultural understanding to work in the global economy.

This in turn allows you to understand and respect others allowing you to adapt to different cultural viewpoints with an openness to new ideas.

Those who have experience of working in different cultures could be better able to bring in new clients and relationships, work within and across diverse teams and support business growth on a global scale!

Organisations who do not search for such candidates with cultural understanding are putting their business at risk, especially if their business is operating on a global scale. This means employers will look for international experience on the CVs of graduates, but because the definition of intercultural skills within the context of work is loosely defined, it’s very much up to the proactive individual to demonstrate their own development of intercultural skills.

• Experience of studying overseas - a growing trend amongst students in the UK is to study their full degree overseas. In fact, studying overseas could be one of the most structured and fun ways to gain these critical skills!

• Experience of working overseas - a significant number of young people leave university and take a gap year but few take a structured gap year, which can in fact look like a jolly! Take the time to plan out a gap year which would give you the best opportunity to demonstrate your learning!

• Gaining a thorough understanding of intercultural communication which can be demonstrated from the moment you apply for a job through to interview and beyond. This understanding will be strengthened even more so if you study overseas!

• The ability to speak foreign languages - with language training platforms offering free language learning there really are no excuses! If you study overseas you’ll likely pick up the local lingo!

• An understanding of cultural sensitivity - this can be demonstrated through giving real life examples of when you’ve worked across groups either within school, college, universities or as part of extra curricular.

How well do education systems support the development of intercultural skills?

The UK is behind on integration, when compared to the rest of the world, and ensuring students get international experience; the consistency across UK universities varies considerably.

Keep in mind - those students who take a degree programme in the UK with an exchange programme aren’t always guaranteed a place!

Want to find out more about studying overseas? The visit one of the International Education Shows this March and meet with top international universities from around the world! Click on the link below for free tickets!

Sunday 11th March 2018 in Birmingham at the Aston Villa Hospitality Suite

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