Neil Glessner: Brunel University, Summer Program

I want to share my story so it might help students understand the importance of a study abroad experience.

 Before going on the Brunel Summer Program I had to convince the Program Coordinator to allow me to participate in the trip; my GPA did not meet the criteria.  I had to work hard that semester to raise my grades and show that I wasn’t going to waste my time there.  At the time, I saw it as a great way to get summer credits and meet requirements towards graduation; now I know that it was worth much more than that.

Last summer I graduated and was in the search for a job.  While my GPA climbed higher every semester following the trip it still was not impressive and furthermore I did not have any technical internships.  Finding a job was proving to be difficult.  That was, until one found me.  I interviewed at Emerson Process Management, Flow Computer Division in Marshalltown last July.  The interview seemed short, and although I thought it went well, I assumed it would be great to get a second interview.  3 days later, I had an offer. 

Come to find out, a major reason I was hired for the job was my study abroad experience.  The company had a project on the table that involved a person traveling to England and working with British engineers.  A little over a month after I was hired I was in Pickering, England (about an hour north of York).  Since then, I have become the local ‘expert‘for the product that is made in England. 

              It just goes to show that having “study abroad” on your resume can make all the difference in the world.