Returning From Abroad: You're back! Now what?

Marketing your Study Abroad Experience...

On Your Resume

In Your Cover Letter

With Employers

On Your Resume

Where do I list my study/work abroad experiences?

There are a few ways to incorporate your international experience in your resume. Here are a few ideas to help you get started:

1. If you participated in a study abroad program, you can list your experience in your Education section. Go ahead and include the university you attended, the location, and the dates you were there. Another good idea is to include a few bullet points about the experiences you gained while abroad.

Example:

Veritas University, San Jose, Costa Rica Fall 2008          (9/XX-12/XX)

• Successfully completed course work in Latin American culture and society
• Demonstrated willingness to take risk by enrolling in Spanish-speaking curriculum
• Consistently sought out courses requiring team-work with students from different cultures

2. If you gained practical experience while abroad such as volunteering, internship, or part-time work, you can list this in your Experience section.

Example:

English Tutor, The English Connection, London, England             Aug. 2008-Dec.2008

• Developed and implemented lesson plans for ESL adult students
• Managed a classroom of 10-15 adults from diverse backgrounds
• Integrated cross-cultural learning into lesson plans

3. Another option is to create a separate section on your resume entitled International Experience, International Education, etc. This would be helpful if you have multiple experiences. In addition, this provides a quick reference for employers looking specifically for international experience!

What should I include?

Think Skills! Yes, spending time overseas is a life-changing experience full of great times. In addition, you also developed a number of key skills and attributes employers are going to be interested in hearing about.

Examples:

• Adaptability, flexibility
• Communication skills (listening & communicating carefully to overcome language barriers)
• Global awareness, tolerance, cultural Sensitivity
• Independence, self-reliance
• Problem-solving, crisis management 
• Ability to deal with ambiguity
• Inquisitiveness
• General travel and navigational skills
• Foreign language skills
• Perseverance
• Assertiveness
• Resourcefulness
• Versatility

Below is a list of some study/work abroad action verbs:

Cooperated    Fostered    Immersed    Overcame    Translated

Represented   Traveled   Translated    Exchanged   Visited

Practiced         Lived        Realized      Recognized  Navigated

Adapted         Shared      Organized 

Can I use references from my overseas experience?

Yes. Gather these references soon after you return while the experience is still fresh in everyone’s mind. Possible references could be: a professor from the country you studied in, a host family member, or a supervisor where you worked or interned. Be aware: A reference from another country might be harder for an employer to contact depending on the preferred method of correspondence.

In Your Cover Letter

A great cover letter matches your skills and abilities with those the employer is looking for. International experience is a great way to pique an employer’s interest. Provide a few appropriate examples of when you mastered specific skills while overseas.

With Employers

How do I describe my overseas experience to employers?

• Be professional. You probably get fairly animated and excited when talking about the experiences you had while overseas. It's okay to be enthusiastic, just be sure to practice speaking professionally and appropriately.
• Use the employer's language. It's easy to pick up sayings or slang terms while spending a significant time in another culture. Always assume the employer does not understand these. Furthermore, if you used country specific professional terms or acronyms during your stay, translate these to the terms used here in the US.
• Avoid shocking stories. Everyone coming home from abroad has a collection of wild and adventurous stories to share with people when they return. However, going into bizarre tales of misadventure is not appropriate in an interview setting! If you need to, revise them to be more relevant to the interview question.

What kinds of stories should I share with employers?

Begin by gathering a group of cross-cultural career stories that best showcase the talents and skills you gained in your experience. Think of and practice these ahead of time. To help you, below is a list of possibilities:

• Describe your role of working with students from different cultural backgrounds. How did you learn to interact in diversity?
• Describe instances when you worked collaboratively with professionals from other cultures.
• Discuss your adaptation skills by talking about how you immersed yourself in an unfamiliar environment.

In addition, you can incorporate your study/work abroad experience into answers to typical interview questions such as:

• “Tell me about how you have reacted in a stressful situation.”
• “Provide an example of when you have had to think on your feet.”
• “Are you willing to travel?”
•  “Tell me about a time when there was a communication break-down between you and a colleague.”

Still have questions about sharing study abroad experiences in an interview? Run your answers by a Career Counselor in a practice interview!