If studying abroad expanded your horizons and even changed your life, then helping others gain a similar experience might be a priority for you. Working for a study abroad program, whether as program director, academic advisor, administrative assistant or instructor, could be the ideal way to assist others. Even if you never studied abroad, such a position offers the benefits of working for a US educational institution or corporation while living or traveling overseas.
Almost every American university either offers its own international programs or partners with other universities to provide international opportunities for its students. These opportunities span the globe as well as a broad range of academic disciplines. With educational centers in cities throughout the world, American universities often recruit US nationals to perform administrative and educational duties. And although the field can be difficult to break into, positions do exist for experienced teachers or academic advisors.
Rachel Erdman Piccinin, 31, is an academic advisor at Boston University’s Centro Studi in Padua, Italy. “I kind of got into it by chance while I was working in academic advising,” she says. After graduating from Boston University as an international relations major with an East Asian studies concentration, she began her career as an academic advisor at Boston University’s Boston campus. While working in Boston, she gained valuable experience and forged important connections. Later, when the opportunity arose to relocate to the small town in Northern Italy, she jumped.
Although Piccinin had never studied in Italy and spoke very little Italian, her experience in student services and enthusiasm about relocating to Italy were enough to land her the post.
Piccinin’s route to a job with an international program is probably the most common one. Because employees of international programs act as mediators between American universities and their international centers, the American universities may prefer to send individuals with an extensive knowledge of the student services and academic advising system back home.
Many administrative jobs with international programs are either entry level or require two years of student services experience. But others, such as teaching positions or senior administrative jobs, require higher degrees -– whether in education or the field of instruction. For example, a position like director of educational services may require a doctorate in education, along with experience in student support services.
Piccinin explains that one of her position’s advantages is, “I never know what I’ll be doing from one day to the next.”
She also appreciates “living in a neat place and being dependant on an American university at the same time. It’s like having the best of both worlds.”
Another benefit of working for a study abroad program, of course, is having, “a long winter break and a long summer vacation. I can live here and go back to the United States frequently.”
If you’re interested in working for a study abroad program, expect administrative tasks, academic advising and student support. You might want to follow Piccinin’s lead and gain experience in the field and network while working on your language skills and contacting study abroad programs in countries that interest you. Other people who work for international programs landed their jobs by developing contacts while studying abroad. If you are already connected to a particular program, get in touch with the director to find out what opportunities are available.
Visas
Scoring a work visa is always one of the most difficult aspects of international employment. But the good news for people interested in working for international academic programs is that universities and educational institutions are generally successful at procuring visas for their employees. If you can get the job, they’ll get you the visa.
More Information
If you’re interested in getting into academic advising with the eventual goal of working for an international program, you can learn more about the field by visiting the National Academic Advising Association’s Web site.
