Those of us in student affairs routinely encourage undergraduates to travel abroad, offering up a long list of benefits that can be derived from the experience. But we should extend the same advice to student-affairs professionals themselves.
So how do you go about identifying and pursuing career opportunities for international travel or employment?
A variety of avenues are available. Among the easiest to pursue are professional study trips. For example, both the American College Personnel Association and Naspa— regularly offer educational international tours for student-affairs professionals. Another option to consider is organized institutional exchanges of student-affairs experts—a recent example is an exchange program involving student-affairs professionals from several institutions in the United States with their colleagues at various campuses in the ITESM system of Mexico.
You may also find travel opportunities at little or no cost by serving as a host on a trip abroad organized by your home institution or its alumni group. Those trips won’t be specifically focused on student-affairs issues, but it may be possible to use your free time to visit your counterparts at colleges in the region.
The Fulbright Scholar Program is best known for its overseas programs for scholars, but it also offers travel programs for administrators and other professionals. You can pursue short or long trips. Fulbright programs involve a competitive selection process and are administered by the Council for International Exchange of Scholars.
Besides travel-abroad programs, another intriguing option for those of us in student affairs is to seek employment outside the United States. That employment typically takes one of two forms—working for a university chartered in another country or working for a university in the United States with a campus or program in another country.
You might assume that overseas job openings are available only for deans, provosts, and presidents. However, a review of international job postings reveals that not to be the case. This past summer when I was perusing the job listings for overseas positions, I found listings for an associate dean of student affairs (American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine), director of admissions (European School of Economics), director of student affairs (American University of Kuwait), and vice president for student affairs (College of the Bahamas), among many others. In addition to listings available through periodicals or posting services, the Web site of the International Association of Student Affairs and Services includes a list of international employment openings.
Jason Laker, a colleague who has actively pursued both international-study travel and employment opportunities overseas in his career, shared some advice with me for anyone considering working in student affairs outside the United States. The gist of our conversation is included in the following recommendations.
Some things remain the same. Competing for employment opportunities in other countries is similar in at least one respect to competing for jobs in the United States: Your cover letter and résumé must highlight the ways in which your experience matches the needs of the position and institution. Language skills may or may not be required, but clear and persuasive indication of your interest in the host country and its culture will be important, just as you need to indicate your interest in an institution you apply to domestically.
They want your American know-how, but maybe not all of it. An institution’s interest in recruiting someone with knowledge of the American model of higher education and student affairs may not—indeed, probably does not—signal that the institution wants to adopt the American model wholesale. One of the most challenging and potentially rewarding aspects of professional practice in another cultural setting is the need to constantly hold one’s assumptions in check. Ideas about diversity, identity, law, and rights that are fundamental to student-affairs practice in the United States may vary in substance or import in another culture.
Cultural issues aside, let me turn to some of the practical considerations for a U.S. citizen exploring overseas work. The discussion here is just a starting point, and should not be construed as comprehensive or definitive.
Immigration issues. You need an up-to-date U.S. passport in hand. The wait is much shorter now than it was a few years back, but it still requires several weeks, so plan ahead.
You may also be required to obtain a travel visa for an interview or other visit depending on the policies of the host country. When taking a position in another country, its government will almost certainly require you to have appropriate paperwork permitting employment. Your employer will likely assist with you with the arrangements. It is not uncommon for countries to require institutions to certify that they are hiring you—a noncitizen—only because no qualified citizen is available to fill the position. Institutions have more latitude in making that argument for senior positions than for midlevel or entry-level jobs.
In addition, you may have to consider whether or not to take on formal residency status in the host country. Consult an immigration lawyer about the relative benefits, risks, and costs associated with that decision.
Financial matters. Salary comparisons between a U.S. job and a foreign one must take into account exchange rates, benefits, and variations in cost of living. Health care stands at the intersection of benefits and cost of living. Make sure you ask questions like: What is the health-care system in the host country? What does it take to be eligible?
Taxes are another problem. Would you be expected to file tax reports in both your host and home countries? Consulting an accountant with expertise in tax preparation for both countries is a wise investment, at least when filing for the first time. It can be helpful to maintain banking services in the United States as well as in the host country. Given globalization, some banks may operate in more than one country or they may have established partnerships with other banks.
Family and relocation matters. The obvious financial issue here is whether you will receive any reimbursement for moving expenses, but don’t overlook the costs associated with acquiring various documents and permissions as part of job negotiations. What about bringing family with you? Will your spouse or partner be eligible to work? What options are available for schooling of your children? What immunizations are required and when (not only in advance of travel but while in the country as kids grow older)? Are you allowed to bring pets? What are the export/import considerations for household goods or automobiles? Are there provisions in the contract for travel support back home?
A few final tips:
- Some contracts for work abroad do include completion payments or bonuses if you serve the full term of the contract, so be sure to ask about that possibility as part of the negotiation.
- Be sure to register yourself and your family with the American consulate in your host country.
Once home, how do you ensure that the benefits of your overseas sojourns translate to your student-affairs career in the United States?
The answers to that question are very much like what we tell students before they travel abroad: Go into the experience well prepared with an open mind and a set of learning goals. Stay connected with peers as you move through the journey so that you can share and discuss your experiences as they take place. Keep a journal for your own future reflection and to serve as the basis for future articles on your experience.
Above all, remember that the benefits of international travel and employment are most fully realized when it changes who you are and not just the list of places you have been.
