More Reasons For Getting Outta Town
Yesterday we had a great post from Marcia Robinson of BullsEyeResumes about how studying abroad can make you a more attractive candidate to future employers.
She doesn’t say so but maybe it’s because spending time in a foreign country stretches you and matures you in ways that living in the same place all your life can’t.
Don’t get all up in arms at Working Girl! Being born, growing up, and living in the same town is nice. It can give you a sense of rootedness that maybe you can’t get any other way.
But you know that old cliché “travel broadens the mind”? Well, it does. And in a rapidly globalizing world, traveling abroad–better yet, living abroad–is a fab (and fun) way to give yourself a real advantage in life and at work (see great comment from Sarah Franklin on yesterday’s post).
For example (most of this is aimed at U.S. citizens):
Living in a foreign country shows you that there are other valid ways of doing things. You may believe that you have to eat cereal or toast at breakfast. But you don’t. You can eat curry or noodles or dim sum or soup or beets with cottage cheese.
Living in a foreign country shows you that most people are a lot like you. Get to know them and you’ll find that their worries and hopes are just like yours. Seems obvious, but the first time this happens you’ll be surprised.
Living in a foreign country shows you that not everyone wants to be an American. In the U.S., we are taught this, either implicitly or explicitly. But it’s not true. People love their own cultures and languages. The vast majority are happy with their lives.
Living in a foreign country shows you who you are. Lift yourself out of your normal surroundings and your strengths, weaknesses, fears, talents, and unthinking habits will stand out in contrast.
Living in a foreign country makes you more resourceful and resilient. And, we hope, more tolerant. Also, smarter. And especially, more mature. People will have assumptions about who Americans are and what they’re like. You’ll have to deal with this. It can be a real eye-opener!
It’s probably impossible for everybody to live abroad. Too bad. It would do the whole world a lotta good.
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I would second this. We had a young woman working for us who was doing good, but not great work. She left and joined the Peace Corps. When she came back after a stint in Russia somewhere, she was SO different. We couldn’t promote her fast enough.
These are all excellent points. I recently returned from a trip to the Middle East (ISrael and Jordan) and was shocked to listen to the people there explain the conflicts from their point of view. Everything I’ve been taught is wonky!
I’m completely convinced that Americans would learn a lot about what they don’t know simply by visiting and talking to people from that part of the world.
There’s no doubt about this. Living and working abroad really opens the eyes and mind. As a Brit living in England, I thought I knew all about Americans “from the movies” – until I moved to Seattle years ago. Living here has been fascinating. Much as I want them close by, I am hoping that my daughters will study and work abroad (before gravitating back to the PNW to settle?!). Travel overseas is the fastest mode of education, and the results generally show. I also think our politicans should be chosen by their experience overseas, but don’t get me started…