Going on a student exchange is an adventure into cultural immersion, learning a language, fostering unique friendships, boosting confidence and becoming independent. While many students choose to go on an AFS programme for personal growth, it’s worth noting that the hard work, time taken off school and adapting to new environments pay off in career related advantages. Research tells us how going on exchange can set participants up for future success.
Positive Educational Outcomes, Smooth Workforce Entry and Career Growth
A study on the challenges and benefits of studying abroad in the U.S.A found a correlation between exchange students’ high academic satisfaction and high university completion rates. AFS International’s 2019 global study on the impact of an AFS exchange on life and career shows that exchange returnees were more likely to pursue a postgraduate degree.
Challenging oneself to student life in a foreign country may also ease the transition into the workforce. Another study, critically examining the employability of exchange returnees found that students gained in-demand skills such as communication, teamwork, problem-solving, and analytical thinking while abroad. More remarkably, returnees reported a clearer sense of career direction and motivation.
This clarity could be explained by a wider perspective on career opportunities gained overseas and new self-confidence to pursue these possibilities, as reflected in a 2017 Institute of International Education research report. More than half of the exchange students surveyed for the report said their student exchange experience influenced their career plans.
After entering the workforce, the 2019 AFS study suggests that student exchange returnees have high starting salaries and quick career progression. Among returnees captured in the research report aged 40 or younger, 79% had already reached mid-level or higher positions. Of which, 26% of were in a senior role and 20% in an executive role. Similarly, the Institute of International Education Research report discussed how exchange returnees with STEM majors in particular made career gains after study abroad, with around half of survey respondents reporting that their study aboard had contributed to a job offer. These returnees described how partaking in academic programmes overseas was a chance to gain soft skills, making them more well-rounded compared to their counterparts.
This research demonstrates that completing an overseas exchange goes further than exposing students to other cultures – it inspires vision, increased focus, and drive, aided by increased interpersonal and cross-cultural skills that stand out in the job market.
Learning Approaches that Increase Work Effectiveness
Intercultural exchange transforms how students learn and apply knowledge, increasing workplace effectiveness, potentially explaining the quick career progression of returnees once in the workforce. For example, a study of occupational therapy exchange students in Uganda and Sweden found that exposure to different healthcare systems made them more holistic practitioners. Ugandan students practiced comprehensively supporting individuals without the community care they were used to seeing, and Swedish students learnt to recognise the impact of socioeconomic factors on treatment decisions. Students also developed stronger problem-solving skills, moving beyond surface-level solutions by considering core values and cultural contexts. As one student asserted, “once I understood the culture of the person, I could easily intervene and provide care that had a positive impact.”
Completing an overseas exchange has also been found to shift rote learning methods to a context-drive approach. Research on exchange returnee Polish medical students found that learning in an unfamiliar environment improved their reasoning and logic. A student shared, “this exchange opened my eyes. My studying has become more focused—less rote learning, more understanding and correlation.”
These examples show us that international learning fosters adaptable, resourceful professionals who can navigate complex professional environments with a holistic perspective.
Collaboration and Communication Skills Applicable to Professional Settings
It’s no secret that effective communication and collaboration are sought-after qualities in today’s workplace. During exchange programmes, students develop a heightened dependence on collaboration, relying on the expertise of those around them to navigate new environments, as well as communicate without a shared context.
The research on Polish medical students emphasised how this reliance and challenge sharpened their ability to communicate resourcefully and adapt to professional settings. One student described how standing on the side when another professional and the client spoke the foreign language was a good experience for non-verbal communication and practical knowledge client care. She now uses these skills at her at her current workplace with people who lack the ability to speak! The AFS study noted that 90% of survey respondents stated that their exchange programme improved their ability to communicate and collaborate with people from diverse backgrounds.
Communication and collaboration are workplace buzzwords, and it’s interesting to see research uncovering the processes behind how exchange programmes actively develop these skills for long-term use.
Changemaking, Influence and Careers in Exploration
AFS is dedicated to cultivating global citizens, bridging cultures, and inspiring positive social change. Research provides evidence that student exchange programmes does actively equip participants with valuable changemaking skills.
Among the 23 participants inspired by their exchange to improve Poland’s educational or healthcare systems, 19 had already begun enacting changes when surveyed. AFS data highlights the long-term impact of exchange experiences – 87% of alumni reported that their programme helped them become active global citizens, 88% said it enabled them to connect with people from diverse backgrounds long after returning home, and 83% felt it motivated them to better understand global challenges.
In terms of truly out-of-this-world changemaking, three AFS alumni have even contributed to space exploration. In 1985, Major Brian O’Connor piloted the space shuttle Atlantis. A decade later, NASA astronaut Cady Coleman brought an AFS flag aboard the Columbia space shuttle during its Microgravity Mission – she later presented a signed collage to AFS, recognising the organisation’s role in her journey! Samantha Cristoforetti, an astronaut with the European Space Agency, started her path with an AFS exchange to the U.S. Space Camp before making history as the first Italian woman in space in 2014. Beyond space, AFS alumni have been heavily involved in politics, economics, and diplomacy.
Some examples of other change-making AFSers include:
- Anders Adlercreutz – Minister of Education, Finland (Finland to Portugal, 1987)
- Christine Lagarde – President of the European Central Bank, ranked the fifth most powerful woman in the world by Forbes (France to USA, 1973)
- Cesar Gaviria – Former President of Colombia (Colombia to USA, 1964)
- Gabriel Boric – Youngest-ever elected President of Chile (Chile to France, 2001)
- Jan Eliasson – Former President of the UN General Assembly, Swedish Minister of Foreign Affairs, and UN Deputy Secretary-General (Sweden to USA, 1957)
- María Belén Bogado – Ambassador of Argentina to New Zealand (Argentina to France, 1992)
The above list is far from exhaustive. Check out more about AFS alumni with global careers here:
AFS Notable Alumni
AFS Active Global Citizens
Read AFS International’s Impact of AFS Exchange on Life and Career (2019) report here.
Going on a student exchange is an investment in future success. Research shows that exchange experiences shape well-rounded professionals, who obtain high education outcomes, workforce readiness and rapid career progression. Going on an AFS exchange not only provides adventure, long lasting relationships and improved soft-skills – it helps returnees step confidently into the future.
References and Further Reading:
Adlercreutz, A. (2024, January 25). Anders Adlercreutz Finland. AFS. https://afs.org/2024/01/25/anders-adlercreutz-finland/
Messer, D., &; Wolter, S. C. (2007). Are student exchange programs worth it? Higher Education, 54, 647–663. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-006-9016-6
Milian, M., Birnbaum, M., Cardona, B., & Nicholson, B. (2015). [Article title unknown]. Journal of International Education and Leadership, 5(1). https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1135354
Potts, D. (2015). Understanding the early career benefits of learning abroad programs. Journal of Studies in International Education, 19(5), 441–459. https://doi.org/10.1177/1028315315579241
Vikström, S., Kamwesiga, J., Mubangizi, A., & Guidetti, S. (2017). Differences as catalysts for professional learning—Participating in a student exchange program between Sweden and Uganda. Cogent Education, 4(1). https://doi.org/10.1080/2331186X.2017.1316348
Żebryk, P., Przymuszała, P., Nowak, J. K., Cerbin-Koczorowska, M., Marciniak, R., & Cameron, H. (2021). The impact of ERASMUS exchanges on the professional and personal development of medical students. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(24), 13312. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph182413312
This site uses cookies, including third-party cookies, to optimize your browsing experience as detailed in our