Mobility experiences such as Erasmus might be a tool to support upward social mobility across Europe, since, according to the Erasmus Impact Study (2019), students taking part in Erasmus mobility are 23% less likely to be unemployed 5 years after graduation. However, this matter is more nuanced. A research carried out within the Erasmus Careers project tried to understand if and how employers value and take into account mobility experience during recruitment processes, and to research the way students represent their exchange experience makes a difference. The findings indicate that at least in the countries where the investigation was carried out, studying abroad in itself does not increase the likelihood of being invited for a job interview. Does this mean that Erasmus is not worthy at all? Absolutely not! But you have ‘to sell’ the experience and underline what you gained by going abroad.
- Your learning experience goes beyond your career as it includes your personal development! You went abroad alone, adjusted to a new culture, and made new friends completely detached from your original social structure. You are by definition much more resilient now!
- The findings of research within the Erasmus Careers project suggest that there is a need to better understand the employers’ perspective and inform them about the benefits of studying abroad. Maybe you can recommend this employer manual to the Career Service Office of your institution! They might spread it among the employers they are in contact with!
- Erasmus is luckily more and more common. This means competing with many people who have an international education background. Therefore, your Erasmus exchange might not make you automatically stand out, rather it can help you understand what you like, set your ambitions, and assess your strengths and weaknesses.
- You can take our Erasmus Careers Self-Assessment Quiz to assess how your competences evolved during your Erasmus exchange and you can link them to concrete volunteer or job experiences, as well as to your specific academic background!
Learn more about the competences by visiting the Competence inventory.