Marketing Your Study Abroad Experience

Prior to your departure on your study abroad journey we told you how valuable studying abroad is to your educational career. We also highlighted how critical it is in today's job market. Studying abroad has not only aided you in eliminating the gap between our international neighbors but it also opened the door for your future. You may now be realizing how your time abroad was invaluable to not only your educational development but also your professional and interpersonal development. As a result, you will make a better and more valued employee!

You may be asking yourself, how do I let my potential employer know what you now know? Well, this is how:

1. Self-Assess

Some changes you underwent during your study abroad experience may be more obvious than others. You may not be fully aware of all of the ways you have changed as a result of your international experience. Take some time to think about the skills you acquired and/or strengthened while abroad. For example, ability to think critically, willingness to confront problems, ask others for help, awareness of values and lifestyles in the U.S. and abroad, ability to interact with different people, communication and language skills, tolerance for differences, openness to new activities, resilience, capacity to deal with failure, strength in handling unfamiliar situations, willingness to take risks, awareness of personal strengths and weaknesses, self-sufficiency, etc.

2. Incorporate the Attributes

Now take what you have identified from your self-assessment and incorporate them into your resume and cover letter. Don't forget to personalize these attributes by thinking carefully about what factors or experiences helped you possess these skills.

3. Format Your Resume

You want your resume to stand out. Employers may spend as little as 30 seconds reading your resume, so make sure your international experience gets noticed. Here are some formatting ideas:

Include your semester abroad in the Education section of your resume.
Create a separate category named International Education if you have had more than one international experience.
Internships or field experiences abroad should be listed separately under a relevant category.

4. Describe What You Did While Abroad

In addition to listing the details of where and when you studied, add several statements with action verbs. For example*:

Immersed in a six month intensive language program.
Conducted all coursework in Spanish.
Demonstrated the competence and flexibility to function well in cross-cultural situations.

*Input the correct information pertaining to your study abroad experience.

5. Translate Your Resume

If seeking a position with a company where fluency in a foreign language is a desired skill, why not translate your resume into that language. Your double-sided resume in two languages is a direct way to demonstrate your foreign language proficiency.

6. Be Prepared

You should be prepared to incorporate your study abroad experience into an interview or cover letter. Go over sample interview questions, and think of the answers that draw on your international experience. (These experiences and abilities should be written in your cover letter). Below are several possible interview questions which could easily reference to study abroad:

Describe one professional/personal challenge you have overcome.
Tell me about a time you have had to use problem solving-skills.
How do you insure effective communication.
Describe a situation that demonstrates the level of confidence you have in yourself.
Provide an example of your ability to work independently.
Tell me about when you have asserted yourself while under pressure.

7. International Expertise

If you are interested in a job in the international arena, focus on the international expertise gained during your time abroad, such as, language, country knowledge (geography, history, politics), and cultural understanding (social & professional conduct).