Gayle Elliott, Assistant Director for International Co-operative Education Programs at the University of Cincinnati, has seen a significant increase in the number of students interested in working abroad while still in college. At the University of Cincinnati, co-oping is mandatory for engineering students, but mostly with companies in the United States. Now she also has business and architecture students asking about co-oping abroad. Charles Gliozzo, Assistant to the Dean of International Studies and Programs, is presently Professor in the Department of History and was former Director of Overseas Studies at Michigan State University in East Lansing. He, too, observes a substantial interest among students seeking international internships.
Students note that more employers are looking for employees who have been abroad.
Those who have experience in the global workplace are highly valuable. One can not underestimate the importance of having worked overseas and how that will affect a student's future career. Interning and co-oping is not an easy road to graduation. Add a foreign corporate culture, plus speaking another language, and students have some formidable hurdles to master. Despite the obstacles, students are attracted to working overseas because it offers so many benefits.