Going abroad all alone needs a lot of preparation. Yes, there will be times during the planning process when you feel anxious and possibly even reconsider applying for an Erasmus+ or Turing internship. The following piece shows you the benefits that an Erasmus+ or Turing mobility brings to you on a personal level. Of course, there will be still times when your emotions take over but simply visualise the positive aspects of your Erasmus+ or Turing stay and look forward to your brilliant Erasmus+ or Turing internship.
Getting out of your comfort zone isn’t always easy. It can be frightening but that is completely normal when you are experiencing something new and unfamiliar. Don’t let your fear be an obstacle. It’s important to think about all the positive aspects an Erasmus+ or Turing mobility will provide you with and that you will certainly have a fantastic time. What’s also important, stepping out of your comfort zone, will doubtless enrich your life enormously.
Once you arrive at your chosen destination, you will see that you have no other option than to step out of your comfort zone! There’s no doubt that you will encounter unfamiliar situations and you will learn how to manage them. Even though it might feel uncomfortable at the time, your self-confidence will grow which will benefit you for the future.
An exchange experience is something no one can take away from you. You will make new friends with people from other countries and those friendships could last a lifetime. As an example, one of our employees experienced an exchange semester in Bilbao, Spain where she met a girl from Canada. The friendship still lasts today, even though they live thousands of miles away from each other. Last fall, she even travelled to Canada as a guest at the wedding of her friend and this is just one story of an international friendship made through an exchange experience.
An Erasmus+ or Turing internship abroad will boost your personal growth, as it is most often the first time young students live away from their parents. It’s not only experiencing living away from home that has an effect on your personal growth. It’s a combination of living on your own, living in a foreign country or city and undertaking work experience that will enrich you for the rest of your life. You will have to take responsibility for your daily duties, not only at your Erasmus+ or Turing internship but also at your accommodation. This could be cleaning, grocery shopping or doing the laundry.
Nowadays many companies are already operating in an international work environment so foreign languages are enviable skills that are sought after. An Erasmus+ or Turing internship abroad will offer you that as a benefit. You can either learn a new language from scratch or improve your level of a certain language. We assure you that after your Erasmus+ or Turing stay you will definitely see an improvement in your language skills.
An Erasmus+ or Turing internship is also an intercultural exchange because you will get to know a new culture and its people. It might also get rid of any negative views of the country you visit and its citizens, so you will become open-minded towards people. You will become more tolerant and understanding when living in a foreign environment where you have to adapt. Furthermore, your cross-cultural sensitivity will improve. This is one of the reasons why working and maintaining international relationships with people of different nationalities and backgrounds is so important, because you gain better cultural awareness and great communication skills. These are all factors that will benefit you for your future employability, as multicultural skills are in high demand in today’s work environment.
Entering the job market with international work experience is very favourable for your employability, because nowadays it is not only the work experience itself that counts for employers but also the soft skills that you gain. These make you highly competitive in the job market when you have experienced an Erasmus+ or Turing internship. During your Erasmus+ or Turing mobility you will not only acquire new professional skills, but also shine with the skills you gained throughout your studies.
The unemployment rate of young adults who took part in an Erasmus+ or Turing internship or studying abroad is 23 % lower than the group of people that did not participate in an international program. An Erasmus+ or Turing internship will give you a great advantage against other applicants with no international experience. It’s not only about the work experience gained but also about the interpersonal skills acquired that are crucial for future employment. So it is true to say that an Erasmus+ or Turing mobility will boost your CV, you will find a job faster and also earn more money. Employers consider international work experience as significant for their recruitment process.
We hope that we’ve given you an overview of what you can expect from an Erasmus+ or Turing mobility and that we have motivated you to apply right away 😊. If you want to delve deeper into the world of Erasmus+, read our articles Erasmus+ In General.
For more information about the application process, check our guide for Erasmus+ funding applicants or read our Handbook for Erasmus+ Project Management & Execution.