Graduates pursue international jobs

Mackenzie Mathews

WKU students have several options upon graduation, and many have taken their choices abroad to begin their careers.

According to US News, thousands of graduates have found temporary work outside the United States, due to a lack of availability of domestic jobs.

“For these young alums, working a year abroad can provide more time to settle on a career path or decide on graduate school,” Michael Morella, writer of the article, “How to Find a Job Abroad,” said.

Nate Hovee, a 2013 graduate from Portland, Ore., has noticed an increasing number of WKU students going abroad after graduation.

“Every year on campus there seemed to be a greater push toward international opportunities for students across all disciplines,” Hovee said. “More students took advantage of these international opportunities for students across all disciplines.”

Hovee moved to Istanbul after graduation to pursue jobs in journalism, film and multimedia work. He studied abroad during school at Yeditepe University in Istanbul and decided to extend his exchange program to a year-long one.

“I realized I could get so much more out of my education and independent projects in Turkey by investing more time and making stronger connections with professors and professionals in the media industry,” Hovee said.

With networks made during his trip, Hovee was able to formulate freelance work when he returned to Istanbul after graduation, and within a month of his arrival, he had a part-time job working as an assistant to a professional photographer. He was also exchanging work with a hostel in Istanbul for free room and board.

Hovee said WKU held an influence on his decision to move to Istanbul. Through his participation in several international programs and support from faculty and staff, he developed the interest and confidence to follow his goals and move overseas.

“The exciting academic and personal challenges that I learned to overcome, combined with the incredible learning experiences I had during my year-long exchange program in Istanbul, motivated me to return to Istanbul to seek out new opportunities in media production and journalism,” he said.

Ali Edelstein, a 2012 graduate from Louisville, moved to Brussels post-graduation after her supervisor from her senior-year internship hired her. She had completed several internships in Canada, Belgium and Washington D.C.

“They all influenced my career path by showing me not only what I liked and didn’t like, but also what opportunities existed for me other than the obvious career choices traditionally associated with my field of study,” Edelstein said.

Living in Kentucky produced an interest for her to travel outside state lines, and after WKU provided the opportunities in support of her ambitions, Edelstein was able to study, intern and later live abroad.

Edelstein has seen more students participating in international internships during school and then acquiring jobs that involve global travel and intercultural communication after graduation.

“The global job market is competitive and requires international competencies,” Edelstein said. “More students are recognizing this and doing what is necessary to remain relevant.”