How to Become an International Student Agent?

The abroad education industry has seen historic growth in the last few years. With borders becoming ever so thin, students are preferring to study abroad more and more. But the only problem is a reliable partner that can help them to reach their destination. It could be you! Let’s see what an agent does.

An international student agent is an individual working alone or with an agency. These agents help students to study in specific parts of the world or at different levels of education. In this article, we will talk about how you can become an international recruiter for universities. Let’s get started.

What are the Skills Needed to Become an International Student Agent?

These are the skills to become an international student agent:

1.       Recruitment Expertise: The first thing required to become an international student recruiter is knowledge of the various study destinations, educational systems, degree levels and course structures.  

2.       Knowledge of Student Support Services: These agents need to have familiarity with aspects like country, course and university selection, application & admission procedures, and the visa requirements for foreign students in various countries.

3.       Networking Skills: Recruiters need to be able to network in the industry to build necessary professional relationships with universities, and colleges to get access to the latest information on student recruitment and build strong partnerships.

4.       Communication Skills: They should have clear and effective communication to be able to interact with students, universities, and parents. This will help them to provide information clearly to aspirants and address their concerns effectively.

5.       Entrepreneurial Expertise: To be a successful student recruiter or to expand the business, it is important to know the business side of things as well. While knowledge of universities can help recruiters to get students, it is equally important to ensure that maximum study abroad aspirants from their area approach them. Word of mouth and goodwill play a key role in this other than branding and marketing.

6.       Counselling Skills: Agents in the industry are not just salesmen for a destination or university. Their role is to guide students and help them to understand their goals and academic profile to provide the right kind of guidance. So if an agent is starting small and planning to be an all in one person at the consultancy then counselling skills are greatly essential.

These are the essential skills needed to become an international student agent. Next up we will see how to get started on the journey for aspiring professionals in the field.

How to Get Started as an International Student Agent?

Here is how young professionals can get started on their journey to become an international student agent:

1.       Choose the Study Destinations & Fields of Study to Promote

To begin their journey, professionals can start by looking for the countries they want to promote depending on things like demand in the market and their potential. They can focus on specific academic areas too.

2.       Gain Knowledge & Industry Expertise

They need to have the right training which can be gained with relevant training programs or workshops. They can also check for country or institution specific authorization,  registration, or licensing they need.

3.       Forge Relationships with Universities

They can connect to universities in the target country, present expertise and request to become an authorized agent. Negotiate agreements with universities regarding commission structures and support services for students.

4.       Start Building a Network

They should try to connect to students by conducting events like education fairs, school, college visits, seminars etc.,. Similarly, new consultants in the field can connect to experienced consultants to expand and enhance their reach.

5.       Student Support Services

Consultants can start by assisting students with aspects like choosing the program, completing admission applications, and preparing the documents. Then they can help students with visa processes by guiding them and supporting them. They can also offer guidance for cultural adaptation, accommodation and the other aspects of abroad studies through Pre-Departure Briefings.

6.       Marketing & Promotion

Last but one of the most important things for new international student agents is to promote their services by creating an online presence, along with physical marketing strategies to create a space for their business in the market. This can also be done by becoming a part of various events where they can connect with International Institutions and other recruiters.

To wrap things up, this article takes a look at how professionals can pivot to a career in the abroad education industry. We looked at the services study abroad aspirants need to get started.

To know more about how to get started as a recruiter, entrepreneurs can do their research by gaining knowledge from similar consultants to understand what they can do or need to do to start their career as an education recruiter in the study abroad domain.