VIDEO: Interview with Mandy Reinig of Penn State University-Altoona

Today I'm talking with Mandy Reinig, the one and only study abroad advisor at Penn State-Altoona. Along with running a one person study abroad office, she's an avid tweeter and study abroad advocate. You may know her as the Education Abroad Network Leader for NAFSA or from her various conference presentations on social media. Recently, Mandy launched her own social media consultancy called Mandy's Mashups. I first met Mandy though twitter - gotta love social media - where she tweets as @PSUaaAbroad and as @MandysMashups. Can't wait to meet her in person at NAFSA in Vancouver!

Thanks so much for joining me, Mandy!

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Are you a study abroad super fan and want to drink coffee (or tea) with me over skype while talking about all things study abroad? Let me know! Would love to chat with you. :) Email me at brooke{at}insidestudyabroad.com.

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Next week I'll be joining a TON of international educators at the annual holy-moley-this-is-a-lot-of-people NAFSA conference in Vancouver. The hometown Canucks (hockey for those of you who don't know) have advanced to the Stanley Cup finals which should really add to energy of NAFSA. 

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Because We All Started Somewhere: My Testimony for Joplin, Missouri

You'll have to forgive the personal nature of this post. But as we all know, the intersection of our professional and personal worlds is often murky. So here is my study abroad story and testimony for Joplin, MO.

What I don't say in the video is that Joplin is about an hour from where I grew up in Kansas. Because my dad lived and worked in Joplin most of my life, I've spent a considerable amount of my own life there. In fact, my grandma still lives there (though her house is severely damaged from the tornado). Joplin, for all intensive purposes, is home and it's where my study abroad story began. 

Thanks for watching. Information on how to donate money, items, and time below.

Here's a list of relief efforts happening online and a list of ways to donate your money, household items, and time from USA Today for the victims of the Joplin, Missouri, tornado.

Here's the video of the Joplin Mayor with Anderson Cooper.

And if you're interested in learning more about MSSU, here are some helpful links:
Missouri Southern State University, their international mission, great study abroad programs, and a special shout out to Chad Stebbins, Direct of International Studies, for allowing a naive freshman like me to study abroad.

You changed my life.

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How to Get A Job in Study Abroad WITHOUT a Master's Degree

Last week I wrote about the top graduate programs for a career in study abroad. But let's pretend for a moment that you aren't interested in getting a Master's degree (at least not yet), but you still want to work in study abroad. Have no fear. There is hope. But as with everything in life, you're going to have to accept some trade offs. Rarely will you have your cake and, well, you know, eat it too. This post is not about how to become a study abroad office director without having to work your way through the trenches or earn a little street cred. It's about how to get in the door and work your way up.

Now, I just have one caveat. Everything I'm about to say will do very little for you if you have no previous study abroad experience. I mean it. If your only previous travel experience involves a tour of Paris, a brief visit to Rome, and a cruise through the Caribbean, you're going to have a hard time getting anyone - universities or providers - to take you seriously. Which leads me to my first tip….


Get More International & Language Experience
If you've graduate from college and having trouble finding a job in study abroad, consider investing a year in boosting your skills and experience by teaching English abroad and focus on language acquisition while you're there. Even after I finished grad school AND had two years experience as a study abroad advisor, I was still struggling to find a study abroad job (and that was BEFORE the economic melt down). After weighing my options, I decided that my European-focused study abroad and research experience wasn't going to cut it. I needed some geographic diversity and knowledge on my resume. So I applied to a program to teach English in China for a year. Best decision of my life! Not only did I end up discovering a culture and country that I adored, but I leveraged my study abroad knowledge to create workshops for my Chinese college students on how to study abroad (short term and degree-seeking). All great content for my resume. When I started applying for jobs from China, hiring managers were MUCH more interested in me due to my diverse experience, new language knowledge, and my demonstrated ability to take initiative. [Though sadly any Mandarin I learned has slowly gone out the window. Use it or lose it, kids!]

Look for Study Abroad Assistant Positions
I know of a lot of large study abroad offices that have study abroad assistant positions that are pretty low on the totem pole, but that incorporate that coveted study abroad office experience. These positions typically focus on in-take advising before the student is handed off to a Study Abroad Advisor. They also do a lot of scheduling, office manager tasks, and answering the phone. However, if you've only ever been a student or student worker on a college campus, getting even a low level position in a study abroad office will help you understand the challenges, triumphs, and bureaucracy of higher education that much more.

Become A Study Abroad Road Warrior
Most people I talk to really want to work in a study abroad office at a university and that's great. I love working on a university campus (most of the time). But if you don't have a Master's and you really want to work in study abroad, try starting out as a field rep for a study abroad program provider. Why I love these types of jobs? NETWORKING! Not only will you gain an incredible amount of knowledge about academic concerns, financial aid policies, health and safety issues by answering thousands of questions about these topics, but you'll also meet an incredible number of study abroad administrators through campus visits, fairs, and conferences. You'll be able to show your passion and knowledge of the field to a lot of hiring managers…and that ain't bad. Some of these jobs are commission-based, some aren't. Some of these jobs come with low salaries but other perks like international travel. As with everything, you have to determine what you're willing to sacrifice in one area (i.e. salary) to avoid another area (i.e. getting a graduate degree). Which leads me to...

Work for a Study Abroad Company
I've worked at universities and for private (non-profit and for-profit) study abroad companies. And let me tell you that both experiences can suck at times and can be amazing at times. But an added bonus of working for a study abroad company is that entry-level positions typically do not require a Master's degree. Depending on the size and scope of the company, you can work in academic advising, student pre-departure services, program development, financial aid advising, and many other areas. The great thing about these types of positions is the sheer volume of students you will interact with and advise. After a year or two in one of these positions, you'll have heard it ALL and be able to talk about that valuable experience during future job searches. Another benefit of working for a provider - beyond the number of students and the networking (listed above) - is how much you'll learn about how study abroad is administrated at universities across the country. And believe me, no two universities do it the same. Sure there are some baseline standards, but at the end of the day, how one university determines if a study abroad experience is credible can be dramatically different than how another university decides. It can be both enlightening and frustrating, but either way, you're going to have a lot of great knowledge to carry over to your next gig.


Be Unique/Interesting/Passionate/Funny/SOMETHING!
You have no idea how many resumes and cover letters I've read that 1) don't tell me why the person is a PERFECT fit for the job they are applying for and/or 2) bore me to pieces without showing me any of the applicant's unique character and passion. [And if you've failed to do both of those things…well, that's a pretty big problem.] Now, study abroad is a relatively conservative field when it comes to job applications. We've all filled out the same human resources online application forms that go on for pages and pages, and right before you hit submit there's an error of some kind and you have to start all over. Ack! Hate it when that happens! But if you want to stand out in this crowded job market, do something to catch our attention. Start with superior application materials. Your resume and cover letter better be AMAZING and specifically demonstrate why you are going to rock it in this position! Then do something unique: create an online portfolio, create a video application, start your own blog about study abroad, write guest blog articles for me (seriously, do it!), but do something, ANYTHING professional that will get you noticed and remembered. Not sure where to begin? Here's a great article from Mashable about social media resumes. Granted these people are trying to get jobs in social media, but you can take these examples and apply them to the study abroad context. Be creative and show any hiring manager who you are and why you'd be a perfect fit!

Note: I hope it goes without saying, but please, please, please for the love of all things study abroad, tailor each and every application, resume, and cover letter for the specific company/university/position you're applying to. There's nothing more insulting to a hiring committee to see that the applicant couldn't be bothered to spend an hour tailoring the content to them. If you want them to seriously consider you, make sure you've shown them that you're serious.

Demonstrate Your Academic Street Cred
The main reason that Master's degrees are often required or preferred for study abroad jobs is simple: study abroad is, at its core, an academic experience. And in higher education there's almost nothing more sacred than how academic credit is evaluated and distributed. (Okay, maybe faculty academic freedom and tenure are more sacred…but you get the idea.) That's why it's so important that study abroad administrators have a strong foundation in understanding the academic experience…which can often come from having a master's degree. BUT, if you don't have those elusive letters behind your name, have no fear. I bet you've still got a little academic mojo to share. When you apply for jobs be sure to highlight your high-brow academic experiences. Did you conduct original research as an undergrad? Complete an honors thesis? Better yet, was that research presented at academic conferences and submitted/accepted to academic journals? Did you work on a credit transfer research project for your study abroad office? Did you conduct field research on the ground when you studied abroad? Did you serve as the student liaison for your institution's re-accreditation process? Did you co-teach lower division courses at your university or tutor in the writing/math labs? Whatever it is, be sure to highlight your academic prowess. Universities and providers want to know you can differentiate between studying abroad in Florence and being a cast member of Jersey Shore in Florence.

Volunteer with a Study Abroad Company or Office
Okay, I know that this option isn't ideal. Hell…it's terrible. BUT if you really want to break into this field, you might have to make some sacrifices…and this might be it. The key to this approach is to do project based work. Maybe the study abroad office wants to move to an online pre-departure orientation format? Tell them you'll do it! Maybe they need to put together a faculty-led program policy manual? Offer to put together a first draft. Whatever the project is, make sure it has a clear start and end and that you put together some real deliverables and objectives for the volunteer position. And since you'll probably need to keep working a paid job while you volunteer, try to get projects that you can work on from home. At the same time, be sure to etch out a few hours a week when you can be in the office helping with other projects, drop-in advising, random logistical duties (copies and coffee runs!), and to get to know your colleagues.

Take a Temporary Position
This is a tough one. But if you are a bit of a risk taker, determined, and confident you can make a noticeable impact in a short period of time, this may be a great option for you. There are a lot of study abroad programs that require a temporary on-site administrator/coordinator to help manage the pre-departure and onsite experience. A few I can think of are: World Learning-Experiment in International Living, Babson-BRIC, Semester At Sea, and NortheasternUniversity NUin Freshman Programs. These semester-long positions are temporary, but may give you just enough experience to get you noticed and land you an interview.

Be Diligent But Not a Pest
You wouldn't believe the number of people who have asked me for advice on getting a job in study abroad who never, EVER follow-up on their job applications. They just send their resumes, cover letters, and references out into the interwebs and cross their fingers that they'll get a call. Big mistake. If you want to be taken seriously, show them that you're serious about the position. While I'm not advocating that you call and write the study abroad office or hiring manager every day, I AM suggesting that you follow-up on all applications you send out to 1) confirm it was received, 2) Check on the status of the hiring process, and 3) Check AGAIN on the status. You never know what is happening on the "inside" and why you're considered for a position or not. But it never hurts to follow-up. It won't work every time, but it may get you noticed.

Here's a personal example, when I was teaching in China and applying for jobs back in the States, I had sent out more than 100 applications (I'm not joking). One of my applications was for a position with EUSA-International Academic Internship Programs as a University Relations Manager. I poured over my resume and cover letter, tailoring every word to that position. I had followed the application instructions perfectly. I had highlighted my travel blog about China for a little added flair. I thought for sure I was getting an interview. If I could, this is where I'd insert the sound of crickets chirping. I didn't hear anything. Nothing. Several weeks went passed and I hadn't received a confirmation email, rejection email, anything. [And this was the case for a LOT of jobs I applied for.] So I worked up the nerve to email the hiring manager and confirm that she received my application (and attached the original email). She was so happy that I followed up because my original email had gone to her junk mail folder. She interviewed me over the phone a few days later. My tenure in China ended and I flew back to the US a few days after that and interviewed in person for the position in Boston….and a week later, I had a job offer. :) I'll say it again: It never hurts to follow up.

Take What You Can Get
I know it may not seem fair and I know it's frustrating, demoralizing, and down right crappy, but in this economy, in this job market, and without the academic credentials that most jobs prefer or require, you can't afford to be picky. As with almost any career in almost any field, you may have to put in a couple of years in a job that, in your mind, is beneath you. Manage your own expectations on this one. Loving study abroad isn't enough. A lot of us love study abroad. You have to gain the skills and experience associated with working in study abroad. After all, if your car breaks down and needs to be fixed, would you choose a mechanic with specific training in all things automobile and a few years of experience OR the guy who just really, really likes cars and hopes to be a mechanic some day - who would YOU pick? The point is that the competition is fierce and you've got to be ready to "pay your dues" for a bit.

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By no means can I guarantee that these tips will work for everyone. But if you take a few of these tips and carefully strategize and craft your personal and professional brand, I have no doubt you'll get a few interviews. And from there, it's all on you to demonstrate why you're awesome.

If you have other suggestions on how to get a job in study abroad WITHOUT a Master's degree, please leave them in the comments. And of course, if you disagree with anything I've outlined above, I want to hear that, too.

Good luck and happy job searching!

Image found here.

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VIDEO: Interview with Tiffany Harrison of What Would Jane Do

Last Saturday morning I enjoyed a cup of coffee (yes, I drink Starbucks) and a great interview with Tiffany Harrison, a recent grad, burgeoning PR pro, and study abroad super fan (she studied abroad for a year in Scotland with USAC). We discussed the benefits of study abroad for PR majors, advice Tiffany has for future study abroad students, and her future career plans. Check out her blog What Would Jane Do where she muses about her love of tea, all things Jane Austen, and making your way as a young/fun professional woman.

I first met Tiffany on Twitter where she's known as a friendly, fun personality tweeting about everything from study abroad, tea (of course), and public relations. As a true study abroad super fan, Tiffany is also interested in starting a career in study abroad (for a university or a provider) where she can utilize her PR and social media skills along with her knowledge of the study abroad process. In her own words she's:

• Passionate about study abroad
• Natural leader
• Great communicator

And I'd agree with all three! Be sure to check her out on her blog and on LinkedIn. She's definitely got my recommendation!

Best of luck Tiffany, and thanks so much for chatting with me on a Saturday!

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If you're a public relations major reading this and thinking about study abroad, check out these great study abroad programs for Communications/PR students.

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And yes, I can just hear my mother's voice telling me to sit up straight in this video. I'll work on that. :)

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I want to thank everyone for the wonderful support of my post about the Top Graduate Programs for a Career in Study Abroad. The response has been amazing! And a big thanks to everyone who left a comment and even added to the list of programs. If you've emailed me since Monday with questions, I'm so sorry for the delay and I'll try to get out responses in the next week.

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Master's Required - Top Graduate Programs for a Career in Study Abroad

If you look at just about any study abroad job posting, you'll see one very common phrase: Master's Required. While there are ways to get a study abroad job WITHOUT a Master's degree (I'll write about that next week), here I suggest seven-plus graduate programs that are sure to launch your career in study abroad.

Brooke & Friends at the BGSU '06 Graduate Commencement

Profile of You

So, let me guess. This is you:

• You majored in something related to the international world (international relations, international affairs, international business, anthropology, languages, etc.).
• You studied abroad in college (maybe even 2 or 3 times).
• You double majored or minored in a language (and you list those language skills on your resume)
• You volunteered as a peer advisor in your university's study abroad office.
• You received glowing recommendations from the study abroad director at your school on your work in the office.
• You talk about study abroad to (nearly) every person you meet - clearly you're passionate about it.
• And now, you want to work in study abroad - making the dream of study abroad come true for future college students.

Looks great on paper, right? You'd think this person would be a shoo-in for a job as a study abroad advisor at ANY college, university, or program provider. But sadly, this person has a very small chance of landing one of those jobs and here's why: Master's Required.

Why Do You Need a Master's Anyway?

The sad truth of the study abroad field is that for most entry-level jobs these days you need a Master's degree to get in the door (and sometimes that's not even enough). Where did this - some would argue - over inflated requirement come from? I'm not sure. But my personal opinion is that there's a little-talked-about pressure in the higher education world for administrators to match or try to match the academic credentials of faculty. Instead of relying on an applicant's experience and knowledge of the industry (because let's face it, that's what study abroad is), in academia we tend to give a little more weight to academic achievements. Some will argue that these (experience and academic credentials) go hand in hand, but in my experience and the experience I've seen of others, the MA, MS, M.Ed., etc are a vital step to starting your career in study abroad.

Graduate Programs for Future Study Abroad Professionals

Okay, so let's pretend that there's absolutely NO WAY you can get a job in study abroad without a Master's. [There are ways to get a job without a Master's. I'm writing about that next week.] But for now just play along. Now, the challenge is selecting a program that will help you land that first dream job in study abroad. Below I profile some of the best (in my opinion) master's programs that will help you get a great job in study abroad. The list is not exhaustive and others may strongly disagree (leave a comment if you do, please!), but I don't think you can go wrong with these options (in alphabetical order):

American University (D.C.)
International Training and Education MA
Why It's Awesome: This program focuses on how education can be an instrument of international development and cross-cultural understanding. One of the best bits is that they focus on practical application of theoretical concepts, so after this two-year program you should walk away with some pretty interesting knowledge AND some solid experience under your belt. Oh. And did I mention you'd get to live in D.C.? 'Nuff said.

What's the Catch: With budgets in higher education being cut dramatically over the past few years, the number of scholarships and graduate assistantship available may be decreasing (not sure). A great question to ask the admissions office: How many people in each class receive a scholarship; how many receive an assistantship. This will help you gauge your chances of receiving one.

Bowling Green State University
Higher Education and Student Affairs MA
Disclaimer: I'm going to talk about my alma mater now. Yes, I'm biased, but it's my blog AND BGSU happens to be a great program/experience so it's a win win. I get to be biased and you still get a pretty decent program recommendation.

Why It's Awesome: What I like most about this program (and similar programs at Loyola University in Chicago and Miami University in Ohio), is that you get to learn about the entire higher education experience from administrative issues, student development, the history of education, student learning, and more. My mantra has always been that study abroad is an extremely important, but small part of the college experience. You have to understand the bigger picture before you can understand how study abroad can/will impact a student. Another great benefit to this program is that you HAVE to do a graduate assistantship to be in the program. No exceptions. This means you'll get two years experience working in higher education by the time you graduate. Score! You can also take classes that focus on international education.

What's the Catch: Well, if you know you want to work in study abroad, getting a grad assistantship in a study abroad office is going to be difficult. Assistantships are already competitive even before you start narrowing it down by department. I was lucky enough to land a GAship at Baldwin-Wallace College in their Explorations/Study Abroad Center. [Though I was their second choice. Feel free to heckle Christie, the Director, about that one. ;)]. Two of the most influential years of my life. No joke.

Edge Hill University (England)

Management of International Higher Education MA 

[This is a blog about study abroad. I had to throw in an international option.]
Why It's Awesome: You get to live in England. The program is only one year, like most master's degree programs in the UK and Europe. The courses/modules sound extremely interesting, but sadly, it's a new program so I don't know anyone personally who has gone through the program. But it sure does look great on paper the internet.

What's the Catch: Well, if you're an non-UK or non-EU citizen reading this, that means Edge Hill will look at you as an international student, therefore, the fees are a bit high. So start saving your pennies. And because this program is very new (I believe it launched in fall of 2009 or 2010), it's relatively untested. But hey, if you're the adventurous type, go be our guinea pig and and report back. I want to hear all about it.

Kent State University (Ohio) 

Higher Education Administration M.Ed. [Certificate in Internationalization of Higher Education]
Why It's Awesome: You get the best of both worlds: I broader understanding of higher education with a specialization in international education. You can't go wrong. Also, you'll be working (through your grad assistantship) on a traditional college campus. It doesn't get much more standard than KSU. And the school is rich in history specifically related to higher education.

What's the Catch: Well, Kent, Ohio, isn't the most exciting place you could live for two years, but what you'll get from the program and the specialization in international education is totally worth it. Also, like BGSU, getting a graduate assistantship specifically in study abroad will be challenging.

Lesley University (Massachusetts)
Intercultural Relations MA
Why It's Awesome: I used to live in Boston/Cambridge where Lesley is located. In fact, I used to live around the corner from the building where most of the graduate classes are taught. Oh wait. Is that not reason enough to apply? Fine. Here's more. Lesley has several tracks and enrollment options (like low residency) to fit a lot of needs. And like SIT (below), they've become one of the "go to" programs for people already in the field and people eager to break in to the field. Just reading through the course titles gets me excited. And I love, love, love that they have a language requirement.

What's the Catch: Lesley isn't exactly a traditional college experience. The small residential campus that primarily serves undergrads is several blocks away from the graduate school. But since most people in the program are currently working in international ed in some capacity, it's not a big deal for them. But if you're a newbie, with no study abroad job currently, this could be a bummer. Or maybe not. Everyone has to do an internship as a degree requirement, so you can get your fill of practical application through that. I came really close to going to Lesley, but at that time, they didn't have much by way of scholarships/grants. That may all be different now.

SIT Graduate Institute (Vermont) 

International Education MA (and others)

Why It's Awesome: SIT has basically become a feeder school for international education, especially among study abroad professionals in the Northeast. They have even more degree options, tracks, and concentrations than UofM (below) - even a low residency option. But one of the best parts of SIT's programs is that most are just one calendar year which typically includes a practical field experience. To give you an idea of the field experience you could have, when I worked for Semester at Sea, there was a woman working along side me on the ship who was using the experience as her practical requirement. Darn the luck, aye?

What's the Catch: One of the downsides of SITs program (at least from where I sit), is that since you won't be studying at a more traditional college or university (similar to the Lesley situation), you won't get to see/learn about the college experience and how study abroad fits into it - or how traditional study abroad offices function. However, you could do your practical experience at a more traditional campus and BOOM, you're good.

Fun fact: It seems that either: 1) every SIT grad I know was in the Peace Corps OR 2) every Peace Corps alum I know went to SIT. Hmmm...

University of Minnesota
Comparative and International Education Development MA
Why It's Awesome: Not only is my international education research crush a faculty member (Hi, Dr. Paige!) in the program, but the CIDE program has a lot of options for specialization. You can focus on policy, educational exchange, and development education. If you're ready for a research-focused program with a long and respected history, this is it. Though, admission is competitive, so put some effort into those application essays.

What's the Catch: Hmmm. Well, I'm guessing the winters in Minneapolis aren't the most fun thing you'll ever experience. But millions of people do it every year, so buck up, kid. And if you're looking for a program that is more practical in nature - and less theoretical - make sure you read through the course requirements carefully. You want to make sure you'll be motivated by the coursework - and not deterred by it.

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There you have it. Seven-plus graduate programs that are sure to give you a great education, practical experience, and those ever important master's degree credentials behind your name - all with the hopes of landing that first or next study abroad job. Of course, there are plenty more programs in International Education (I considered the NYU International Education program and Columbia's program in International and Comparative Education program way back in the day) and MANY more higher education programs (Michigan State, Indiana U, Ohio State, Colorado State, UCLA….and the list goes on. You can find a pretty comprehensive list here.).

Things to Consider When Choosing a Program:

At the end of the day, you have to choose a program that fits your needs, lifestyle, budget, and interests. Here's just a few things to keep in mind.

• Will the coursework keep you interested (so you'll finish)?
• Will the coursework offer content and knowledge that will help you in your study abroad career? (i.e. language acquisition, cultural understanding, administrative knowledge, etc.)
• Will you get practical experience from the program?
• Can you afford the program?
• Are you ready for grad school? (It's okay if you're not. Try a post-grad gap year instead!)

Not all programs are created equal and you have to choose a program based on your unique situation, but hopefully this list will help get you started in your search. Happy [grad school] hunting!

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