So, you’ve just completed your time abroad, and now you are back. My guess is that you have just had one of the best experiences of your life, and even if you felt homesick out there, you will be missing your home away from home in no time.

Even if you aren’t, you might find coming back a bit of a shock. Here are some tips on how to adjust and what to do after returning from your time abroad.

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Connect with friends and family

Your first and foremost priority, and you probably don’t need reminding, is to catch up with all your friends and family. Hopefully, you will have stayed in contact with everyone, but for most people, it is an impossible task on top of work and university life - so don’t feel bad!

You will be wanting to know every little detail of everything that has happened even if you have chatted every day while you have been away. Oh, and also, they are probably going to be sick of your stories of being abroad after the first few days, it’s completely normal; however, they will probably want to know everything too!

The next most important step is to keep in contact with all the friends (and maybe even love interests) you have made on your travels. You will start to miss them after returning home, so make sure to reach out to them sooner rather than later. You never know you might get a free place to stay the next time you go on holiday!

Reflect on your time abroad

Of course, you will still be full of the adrenaline of going home and your time abroad. However, take some time to reflect on your experience. The last thing you want is to return home, with little inspiration and motivation of where to go and what to do next.

Reflect on your time abroad by working out the best and worst parts. Have you seen growth in yourself and what were your weaknesses? You probably have plenty of adventures to think about. This is useful to do for your personal growth and career visions, whether you are returning back to work or on the lookout for a job, as it helps you understand what you want out of your work life.

You may even consider going abroad again when you are ready! This literally does open a world of opportunities with travel and jobs abroad.

Highlight your new skillset

When living abroad, you are automatically creating soft skills that others may not have, such as adaptability to new cultures, communication skills and problem-solving skills. All of which are highly beneficial for you and your job search! So, use them to your advantage by updating your CV and online platforms such as LinkedIn.

If you worked abroad then – great! This adds work experience to your background. However, if you were studying or travelling, then this can also be added to your CV. Make sure to include whether there were any standout challenging situations that you overcame. These show potential employers your professional skills and your personal interests, which helps employers understand whether you are a good fit for their company. Time spent abroad is also a great talking point in any job interview, so try to think of some standout points that show your growth!

While you are abroad, try to keep your LinkedIn up to date with any people that you meet. By having a network on LinkedIn, you will keep all your contacts in one place as you will meet a range of characters in different sectors while abroad. This means that if you ever find yourself looking to enter different sectors, then you may know someone who can advise you!

Be flexible

It may take a bit of time for you to return to home life or work out what comes next, and that is totally fine! You may need to take into account cultural changes, especially if you have been away for a longer period, so do not be surprised by this.

After being abroad, the return may seem like the daunting part of the experience! By reflecting on your time, you can really understand your experience and your personal growth, and then you will be on to your next adventure!

This article has been provided by our partners StudentJob UK. If you are starting your job search but not sure where to start, then check out StudentJob’s tips.