By Jane Han
Staff Reporter

Those who've never been abroad to study may soon end up feeling out of the loop, as a recent survey showed that almost 50 percent of salaried workers have journeyed overseas to study a second language.

Online employment portal Job Korea found Thursday that 46 percent of working men and women in their 20s and 30s have been on a study abroad trip either during or after college.

Employees hired by a foreign company turned out to have the most experience going overseas, as 73 percent said they improved their language proficiency through cross-border exchange programs.

Workers at large corporations came next with 60 percent doing the same, followed by those working at public companies (56 percent) and small- and mid-sized firms (38 percent).

Professionals in the marketing and public relations field had been overseas the most, followed by those in the fields of strategic planning, human resources, sales, information technology, manufacturing and design.

The poll shows that the most popular destination was the United States, then Canada, the Philippines and the United Kingdom, with a majority of students saying that one year is the optimal period to spend abroad.

The No. 1 reason people opted to invest time and money away from home was to strengthen their English skills, while others highlighted cultural experience, building self confidence and expanding their social network.

``Having overseas study experience is no longer unique because just about every other person has it,'' says Ki Eun-joo, a headhunter who mainly recruits for medium-sized domestic firms.

She said, however, that employers know that studying abroad doesn't automatically equate to better foreign language skills.

``That's why they thoroughly check through a writing and speaking language test during the actual job interview,'' Ki explained.

Even those who have first-hand experience feel the same, as the survey said that 10 percent of respondents who've been abroad experienced no benefits. But still, about 30 percent said their career got a significant boost.

``Going on a special program can help improve language skills, but a lot of people consider it a necessity these days because missing out on it would make their resume look less competitive,'' said Ki.

jhan@koreatimes.co.kr