Bon Voyage!

For many rising juniors, study abroad is an exciting, much sought out option—a one-way-ticket to tongue-rolling dialects, tasty cuisine, and exotic overseas life. Perhaps inspired by Tufts’ global emphasis, many choose to plop themselves on trans-Atlantic land for a semester or two, miles from the shelter of America’s coast. They exchange withered dollars for sparkling euros, pesos, and pounds. They indulge in Italian pizza, Indian curry, and fancy French escargot. And (thanks to Tufts’ language department), they whip out impressive vocab, amble along picturesque backdrops, and explore new cultural customs—which in Spain involves saving a carnivorous dinner appetite until 10 p.m. Uh oh.

And so here you are, exhilaratingly stranded overseas, with no parents or Tufts staff to bat a firm eye. But linked to this invigorating independence is a common misconception about overseas study and what it can offer. Study abroad is often labeled a surreal suspension of time—a chance to put the gnawing career search and hectic real world on pause. Many students express concerns that career development simply takes a backseat to the thrilling blur of sightseeing and club hopping. It’s a tempting alternative, they say, but perhaps not quite worth the hard reality of missed networking opportunities and internship offers.

Ahhhh, but not so fast. I’m about to impart some handy suggestions and comforting reminders meant to drive home this little fact: if overseas study does appeal to you, career talk should never hold you back. In fact, study abroad—the chance to take on a vibrant new culture, language, peoples, customs, food, everything—can provide an unexplored window into our continuous career search. It can be both exhilarating and exploratory, both indulgent and informative.

Of course, study abroad isn’t for everyone. Some students opt for a wild, post-college adventure, or simply don’t want to part with Tufts before they need to. But if abroad is on your pre-graduation list, Tufts Career Services offers numerous ways to continue your career advancement, even from thousands of miles away. Take a look at the list below:

Check out the Career Services Website: Oh, the joys of technology. While we might be gallivanting far away, Career Services isn’t quite ready for a clean break. Yes, from Europe to India and beyond, all travelers will have access to the office’s expansive and resourceful forum of information, easily accessible via its online website. This includes a list of internship and job opportunities updated daily in Tufts Career Connect, alumni contacts, and all other online resources that pave the way on campus. Why not continue to browse job offers, handcraft cover letters, reach out to cool-sounding alums, and submit applications to prospective employers? It’s still a mere click away.

International Internships: If you grow tired of perusing domestic options, keep in mind that career development can be experienced from afar. An internship abroad allows you to explore the career environment of a country halfway around the globe—its distinctive business etiquette, job economy, codes of conduct, work agenda, you name it. Cooling down with a Spanish siesta halfway through a taxing business day, for instance? Doesn’t sound half bad. And not only does an international internship expose us to career life abroad; it can be a stepping stone in our own career exploration, a way to supplement our cultural immersion with valuable, hands-on work experience. You may want to dive into a work setting while actually studying abroad, an opportunity to be both knowledge-hungry student and ambitious employee. Or maybe you’ll choose to survey overseas career life at another point—one adventurous summer, or during a phase of post-Tufts exploration perhaps.

Whatever our spiraling plans may be, Career Services makes these valuable international opportunities easy to scout out. The office’s international careers page comes jam-packed with loads of informative resources, including links to profiles of 30+ countries, international job listings, and wise advice from internationally minded alums. It’s the perfect jumping off point for boating your career development overseas (corny pun, I know).

Network, Network, Network: So here you are, stuck within the exhilarating dazzle of your country’s professional and cultural atmosphere. You’re fully surrounded by its intelligent and interesting populace, well versed in the ups and downs of the career hunt (yes, it’s not limited to overstressed Americans). They offer distinct perspectives, stories, and fresh advice—all magnified by their strikingly diverse backgrounds and customs. And to gain this exotic new insight? Simply ask, of course!Study abroad provides countless opportunities to mingle with people from other cultures, whether professionals, professors, native students, or friendly passer-bys on the street. Always look to establish new relationships, ask questions, and absorb as much as possible about those you interact with. You never know where it can lead.

Plunging yourself into this sea of unfamiliar faces is definitely scary, but deeply rewarding all the same. The people we meet, the advice they impart, and the experiences they relate can potentially help decode our elusive future paths. Whether in a Parisian coffee shop or over some yummy Spanish tapas (where you’ll be finding me), you have the power to turn mere acquaintances into information outlets, professional contacts, engaging confidants, and long-lasting friends.

So all in all, perhaps you can have your cake and eat it too. You can soak up the life of the carefree “abroader," and, whether consciously or not, discover a thing or two about the “serious, career-minded self” you thought you left back home. Career-related information—both domestic and international—is out there, computer friendly and wildly accessible. And so are the swarms of sleek, worldly, seductively accented natives, probably more than eager to engage in some charming, broken-up conversation. So pick some brains, absorb the culture, and most importantly, take it all in and enjoy. We do only live once.