Marketing Your Study Abroad Experience on Your Resume

 Skill Development
(Back to Resume Index)

When studying or traveling in a foreign culture, many skills are enhanced and realized. Most potential employers are eager and interested in knowing about how that overseas experience developed your professional skills. Think about incorporating the following qualities into your resume:
►Flexibility: The length of time you spend abroad is an indication of your ability to persevere.
►Language Enhancement: Undoubtedly the opportunity to immerse yourself in a language hones your understanding and speaking ability in a foreign language.
►Cultural Adaptability: Getting along in another's culture, respecting different ways of conducting business, being sensitive to varying customs and morals, respecting laws and traditions, are all traits that are called upon to be used while studying and traveling in a foreign country.

Professional Applicability

As a student who traveled abroad you must recognize that this experience instills professional mannerisms in you as well. Study abroad experiences can be explained under the resume category of “Education”, especially if you completed coursework. You may want to create a stand-alone section for “International Experience or Travel”. By utilizing examples to elaborate on any of the following characteristics, you increase your attractiveness as a future employee. Ex:
►Traveled throughout Spain, observed culture and enhanced language skills
►Completed six week field study of French language and culture
►Visited four international business in Europe
►Adjusted to living with a family in Ecuador
►Immersed in language and culture of the society

References

Think back on your experience and determine who would be good for you to ask to be a reference: a teacher from the country in which you studied, host family members, and an overseeing faculty member from your home school are just a few possibilities. Gather those references soon after having your study abroad experience, while the experience is fresh in everybody’s mind.

Study Abroad Action Verbs

Adapted, awarded, built, cooperated, developed, exchanged, fostered, implemented, immersed, improved, lived, managed, organized, overcame, practiced, realized, represented, recognized, shared, traveled, translated, visited.