Last week, we looked at what studying abroad can offer, based on conversations with people from all walks of life who’ve studied both overseas and at home. We broke things down into six key areas—and found that networking (who you meet and how you connect) might actually be one of the most underrated parts of the whole experience. In fact, candidates who come in through referrals tend to have a much higher chance of getting hired.
What It All Boils Down To: Soft Skills
Those six things—global perspective, independence, career benefits, academic quality, networking, and English—are all important. But what ties them together is something even more powerful: soft skills. These are the things that really make a difference in the working world today.
Why Soft Skills Are a Big Deal Now?
1. Hard Skills Are Losing Ground
Thanks to AI and automation, technical know-how isn’t as special as it used to be. What’s harder to replace—and more valuable—is your ability to communicate, adapt, work in teams, and think critically.
2. Studying Abroad Teaches You Without You Realising It
Every little challenge abroad helps you grow:
- Adaptability & Problem-Solving – Like when your flat loses power and no one’s around to help
- Working with Others – Doing a group project with classmates from five different countries
- Staying Resilient – Getting 30 internship rejections before finally landing one
- Creative Thinking – Pitching a start-up idea to judges from all over the world
- Showing the Best of Yourself – Updating your LinkedIn so international recruiters actually notice you
- Self-Push (Self-Motivation) – As a Durham grad said: “My time there made me think more deeply about real-world issues, and I felt this self-push to keep learning and contributing to meaningful conversations.”
- Handling Stress – Picking up how different cultures deal with pressure
- Other Real-World Skills – Confidence, open-mindedness, time management, making the most of what you’ve got
3. Soft Skills Are What Employers Want
These days, companies care more about your real-world skills than what’s printed on your degree. More firms are hiring based on what you can do, not just where you studied:
“More companies are starting to embrace skills-based hiring practices…”— McKinsey, 2022
“… skills-based hiring is now backed by big names like IBM, Google, and Accenture.”— Forbes, 2024
“Seven of the top ten in-demand skills in today’s workplace are soft skills, partly because AI can’t easily copy them.”— CNBC,2025
So, Is Studying Abroad Really Worth the Cost?
It’s not like buying stocks where you can track your return in numbers. The benefits of studying abroad vary a lot—especially depending on how your child handles it. So maybe the better questions are:
1. Does my child need structure or do they thrive with more freedom?
2. Will they embrace being in a new environment, or feel lost in it?
3. Will this experience turn them into the kind of person employers are fighting over?
These six aspects of studying abroad aren’t just about landing a job—they’re about how quickly your child can grow in their career and life. Speaking from experience, I’ve gained a lot from it. Sure, there were ups and downs, but overall? I’d say my parents got their money’s worth—and then some.