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Exchange and study abroad

Exchange develops you personally and professionally

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A stay abroad not only strengthens your professional profile and benefits job opportunities. It can also be a personally enriching experience that shapes you as a person. Additionally, you can show future employers that you are capable of adapting to different environments and thriving in an interdisciplinary and multicultural setting.

Table of contents

  • Good advice for a study stay abroad
  • Benefits and opportunities of an exchange stay
  • How you can leverage your exchange stay in your career
  • Use the stay to strengthen your social skills

Good advice for a study stay abroad

An exchange stay can benefit both yourself and your career, and therefore it may be worth taking on the challenges that may arise.

Through an exchange stay, you become better at navigating an international environment – and this can be an advantage if you later want to apply for a job in a large international Danish company. When you study abroad, you learn about other cultures, and you gain good adaptability. These are valuable skills in an international work environment, where many of your future colleagues may come from other countries.
Emilie Lindquist, Career Consultant at IDA

Perhaps especially for STEM students, an exchange stay can be relevant, as many STEM graduates will later work in international companies. The stay can also give you insight into how exactly your field is practiced and can look within both academic and cultural frameworks. Studying at another university can challenge your existing approach to the subject and introduce new teaching methods, research approaches, and perspectives.

Funds and grants: A guide for university students

Benefits and opportunities of an exchange stay

Get good advice for your exchange

How you can leverage your exchange stay in your career

As with any other practical experience, it is of course relevant to use your exchange stay strategically when you are job hunting.

You can mention specific projects you had during your exchange or personal or professional skills you acquired. Additionally, you can use the stay to demonstrate some of the human qualities and character traits that a stay abroad will undoubtedly give you.

It requires a great deal of maturity and independence to live and work in another country. It also shows that you have good adaptability, flexibility, and a curiosity to broaden your perspectives.
Emilie Lindquist, Career Consultant at IDA

When you have completed an exchange stay, you show potential employers that you possess these qualities and are capable of handling challenges and tasks in new and different environments. A huge plus in the job hunt.

Use the stay to strengthen your social skills

According to the career advisor, many who study abroad often find themselves stepping out of their comfort zone because you will be away from your routines at home, your friends, and familiar surroundings from university. These things need to be built up when you arrive at the new university.

This gives you a good opportunity to develop your networking skills, and it can help you create a global network of potential future colleagues, researchers, and other professionals in your field.

Emilie Lindquist, Career Consultant at IDA

The social skills you may have acquired can, in addition to benefiting your ability to maintain and create new relationships, also give you an edge in job interviews. Here, you can argue that your network abroad can strengthen the company you have applied to.

Related

Did you learn more about all the benefits of going on an exchange abroad? Then see related content below, which can help you have the best stay abroad.
Have you remembered insurance for your stay abroad?
Check whether your insurance covers you during your stay abroad. Get answers to the most frequently asked questions about study stays and insurance, so you can travel with peace of mind.
Read more
Study abroad
Choosing a university and application processes. Learn about different types of study stays. Funding options such as SU, grants, and scholarships. Practical preparations such as housing, visas, and insurance.
Take course
Travel insurance
If you are planning an exchange or a stay abroad, as a student member, you can get affordable travel insurance that covers you throughout your stay.
Get insured
IDA supports your dreams of going abroad

Make your stay abroad even better

As a student member of IDA, you can apply for grants, purchase affordable insurance, and seek advice on what to be aware of during your stay. Contact IDA’s career counseling for assistance.
Personal Career Advice