Is going on exchange good for your resume?

Christof Van Mol: ‘International student mobility is often promoted as something that will improve graduates’ chances of work in the globalized labor market. But evidence for this is meagre. I have looked at different studies on graduate employability. In one of these studies, more that 7,000 employers from 31 countries were interviewed about their recruitment practices over the past year. The study shows that only a minority of the employers interviewed considered the fact that a candidate had studied abroad was an important criterion. However, there were significant difference between countries. For instance, it is striking that, in countries like Cyprus, Italy, Portugal, Latvia, Finland, and Greece, more than 1 in 3 employers thinks having been on exchange is important whereas, in countries like the Netherlands, Norway, the United Kingdom, and Sweden, it is less than 1 in 10.

When do employers find studying abroad a valuable experience? 

‘Our study shows that studying abroad is important mainly for graduates who aspire to working at large multinational companies. In these cases, results seem to indicate that students who have been on exchange can also expect a higher salary. But here, too, there are differences between countries. German researchers, for instance, have shown that students who went on exchange earn a little more. In a similar study conducted in the Netherlands, we did not find this effect. Moreover, we were unable to find any empirical evidence that graduates in the Netherlands find a job more easily when they have studied abroad.’

The results seem to go against the common idea that studying abroad experience is ‘good for your resume’. How can this be explained? 

‘This may have to do with the fact that the level of Dutch higher education is already very good. As a result, going on exchange may not directly provide additional benefits. Across the board, Dutch students have fewer options to go to an institution that is significantly more highly regarded than a university in their own country. This may hold to a lesser extent for students from other countries.

Dutch students already have many international skills that are important in the job market

It is remarkable that students who did go to a more prestigious institution often took longer to find work. The reason for this may be that these students may have become more selective as to the type of job they want, as a result of which it takes longer to find such a job. Furthermore, Dutch higher education is generally quite internationally oriented, so Dutch students already have many international skills that are important in the job market.

The Dutch job market is also quite internationally oriented. The Netherlands is attractive to foreign workers, so employers have a big pond to fish in. They have relatively easy access to people with international competencies, which reduces the importance of having been on exchange.

What about the job opportunities of foreign students who come and study in the Netherlands? 

‘The Dutch job market has a structural need for highly qualified workers. The job market is tight. Although there are differences, depending on the sector and the region, we can really use those international workers. Moreover, there is also an advantage for Dutch students who do not go on exchange themselves: they can still gain international experience thanks to foreign fellow students.’

Date of publication: 11 April 2024