Making your Exchange Experience Count at Home

As you transition back to life in Australia , you may want to continue interacting with people from your host country, do further study on host country-relevant issues, and work in a bilingual environment or even study overseas again in the same or another country. One advantage of exchange is that it can offer you a more global perspective and expand your mind. So, don't forget to consider other opportunities outside of your host country as well

Getting Involved

Since you will be aware of the challenges that come from living and studying overseas, you will be in a unique position to understand the needs of other international students who have come to ECU. Getting involved with international students or organisations can be a great and rewarding way to remain involved in the international community and international affairs. It also affords you the opportunity to share what you've learned with others who can benefit from your experiences abroad.

Here are some other suggested ways you can continue your international experience at home:

• Join international student groups or clubs

• Mentor new international students or be a new student orientation advisor

• Tutor English to non-native speakers

• Offer to speak to prospective students interested in exchange, especially those interested in your host country

• Volunteer or work for community/national organizations, which have an international focus/agenda

• Continue to read on-line news from foreign newspapers and other foreign publications

• Attend foreign cultural events and celebrations in Australia

• Frequent local ethnic restaurants or cook ethnic recipes at home

• Remain in contact with friends you've made while abroad via e-mail or chat programmes - this will help you maintain and develop your new language skills

Volunteer at the ECU Study Abroad and Exchange Office

When you return from your exchange you will most likely want to tell everyone about the fantastic experiences you have had and the wonderful people you have met. So after you have readjusted to being back, why don't you visit the Study Abroad and Exchange Office to find out how you can assist in letting other ECU students what a fantastic experience international exchange is! The Study Abroad and Exchange Office is always looking for enthusiastic returned exchange students to help out with presentations to other students, exchange fairs and so much more. We would be delighted to have you help promote the exchange experience to more ECU students!

Career Development and Resume

If you are considering a career with an international component, or looking for a job overseas, we also recommend that you visit the ECU Careers Advisory Service. The ECU Careers Advisory Service provides various services for students seeking employment, and this is generally a good place to start looking for international job opportunities in your host country and in other countries.

When you start looking for a job or career, think of the professional and personal growth you've undergone while overseas. If you can present these skills on your résumé and in your interview(s) well, you can impress almost any employer.

The following tips will help you to "market" your international experience to future employers:

• Make sure your international experience gets noticed by formatting your resumè to highlight the foreign institutions at which you studied, or with separate categories such as "International Education" or "International Experience"
  
• List any languages that you speak, as well as internships, major projects, or work experience you had while overseas, in the appropriate categories
  
• Briefly describe what you did and the skills and attributes you learned while overseas
  
• Using specific examples, try to incorporate into your interview some of the significant learning, communication, problem-solving, etc. experiences you had while overseas