Studying Abroad vs Local: The ROI Reality Check (Part II)

Last week, we discussed the results of our findings (from our discussions with individuals of various backgrounds and demographics, who have studied both locally and abroad), and we identified and examined six important pillars of "What Studying Abroad Can Augment".  We also opined that Networking is an underrated theme, especially when it comes to career development / finding jobs.  Referral candidates experience a much higher hiring rate than applicants sourced through other channels.

The Common Thread: Honing in on Soft Skills

These six pillars – global perspectives, independence, career, academic quality, networking, and English - all converge onto one transformative theme: mastering the soft skills that define 21st-century career success.

Why This Matters More Than Ever

1.  The Evolving Value of Hard vs Soft Skills - Technical knowledge has become less and less important due to artificial intelligence and technology.  Conversely, the importance of soft skills has compounded over time and are needed to succeed in any industry and role.

2. The Hidden Curriculum of Studying Abroad - Every challenge abroad consciously and subconsciously trains one or more soft skill:

• Adaptability / Problem Solving - When your housing experiences a power outage
• Emotional Intelligence / Collaboration- Navigating a group project with teammates from five nationalities
• Resilience / Written Communication - Getting rejected by 30 international internships before winning #31
• Creativity - Designing a startup pitch for judges from three continents
• Self-Branding - Curating a more diversified LinkedIn profile to stand out globally
• Self-Motivation – From a Durham alumni: “my years at Durham …brought more intellectual engagement related to real world topics, …, (I was) self-motivated to learn more so as to participate for more constructive discussions.”
• Stress Management – learn from people from other nationalities and cultures how they handle and cope with stress
• Other Soft Skills - open-mindedness, organizational skills, self-confidence, resourcefulness etc…

3. The Career Optimization Algorithm - Employers are discovering a higher correlation between employee productivity and their soft skills.  When it comes to hiring,

“More companies are starting to embrace skills-based hiring practices.  Large companies, such as Boeing, Walmart, and IBM have signed … pledging to implement skills-based practices …”(McKinsey, 2022)

“… skills-based hiring started to become a movement just a few years ago, and is being strongly advocated by major companies today, including IBM, Google, and Accenture …”(Forbes, 2024)

“In a rapidly evolving workplace post-Covid, seven of the top 10 skills in the study were soft skills – in part due to the proliferation of AI, …  Soft skills can be harder for AI to replicate.”(CNBC, 2025)

The Ultimate ROI

Unlike investing in a stock like Tesla or Alibaba, you cannot easily and numerically quantify your ROI from your investment in the education of your child.  As much as we know what studying abroad can potentially offer, conceivably a bigger unknown is the receptiveness and absorption capability from your child.  Perhaps we, as parents, should additionally question:

1. "Does my child thrive with structure or freedom?  Will he/she be able to exploit the study abroad opportunity?"

2. "Will my child leverage global exposure or drown in it?"

3. "How will this experience make my child become the kind of person employers fight to hire—and promote first?"

So, that's what these six pillars can directly and indirectly deliver.  More importantly, it is not just about career path, but it can also impact career velocity.  Personally, it has helped me a great deal, as I have managed to exploit the pros and navigate the cons.  How much ROI exactly?  Well, I can say, I don’t believe my parents have any regrets!

Herman Fong

Founder of Grove Education

Enquiry: (852)2381 8013

Email: consultation@grove-education.com

Website: https://www.grove-education.com/

Address: Suite 2807, 28/F, Tower 2, Times Square, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong