Marketing Your Study Abroad: Resume Tips

Not only was your time abroad THE BEST EVER, but it was a good choice for your career, too.

 

Aside from the culture, language, and all things mind-blowing, your study or intern abroad experience offers you an abundance of opportunities: to discover, develop, and hone the vital skills you can use in a professional setting, including a better understanding of yourself in a differing and/or challenging context.

You’ve already set yourself apart from the crowd by going abroad, now let it help get you that job!

START by identifying new skills and accomplishments.

What knowledge, skills, and shifts in attitude did you develop? How have you changed or grown from this experience? Make sure you do more than just list that you participated in a study or intern abroad program – detail what you gained.

Here are a few examples of skills/accomplishments:

  • Learning a foreign language (list which language and levels)
  • Cross-cultural communication skills
  • Flexible and adaptable in new and challenging situations
  • Intercultural competence
  • Self-awareness (i.e. patience, stress management, judgment, tolerance, preferences, communication style, etc.)
  • Time management
  • Organization and initiative
  • Learning how to tolerate ambiguity
  • Leadership skills (gained or improved)
NEXT, practice showcasing your skills and study abroad experience in a mock interview. (Seriously, grab a friend who went abroad and pretend to be each other’s future boss.)


Practice Interview Questions:

  • Why did you choose to study abroad?
  • How and why did you choose your program location?
  • What skills did you learn abroad? How will these skills be helpful to you in the future?
  • Tell me about your most challenging situation while in college and how you handled the situation.
  • Tell me about a time when you took a risk. What was the risk? What did you gain or lose from the risk?

What’s the point? The point is employers value your ability to demonstrate cross-cultural competence, and articulate lessons learned and skills developed through your international experience. You’re a global citizen now, so show potential employers how this adds value to your work.

Check out this video from CISabroad President Kris Holloway about The Positive Impacts of Education Abroad.

 

Source: Marketing Study Abroad: How to Sell Your Overseas Experience to Employers, Jean-Marc Hachey

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