Adding Study Abroad to your Resume
Be sure to include study abroad experiences on your resume. By highlighting your study abroad experience, your resume will stand out stand out to potential future employers and give you the opportunity to highlight the new skills and knowledge gained from the experience.
Action Words
When creating your resume, it is important to include action words to highlight your skills, involvement, and impact. This will also help you avoid overused lingo.
Example action words: learned, practiced, exchanged, recognized, demonstrated, shared, immersed, cooperated, adapted, translated, cultivated, collaborated, navigated
Skills and Competencies
Combining action verbiage with skills and competencies will help you communicate about your experience effectively. When answering questions, composing a cover letter, or creating a resume, be sure to include how studying abroad impacted your interpersonal, intrapersonal, communication and adaptability skills.
Examples of Interpersonal Skills:
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Examples of Communication Skills:
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Question and Response
When answering questions at the career fair or in an interview, be sure to include your experience abroad and how it has impacted you personally and professionally. By using action words and clearly stating what skills and competencies you gained from studying abroad, you can set yourself apart from other applicants!
Question: Tell me about a time you had to work closely with someone whose personality was different from you.
Response: During my semester abroad in Greece, I collaborated on a group project with Greek and American students. We had to develop a business model for a startup company that would be successful in Greek culture and the Mediterranean economy. This project challenged me to communicate effectively with someone from a different culture, as well as recognize the differences between a business in Greece vs. the US. As a result, I adapted to the Greek way of thinking, and we ended up with a better project overall.
Sample Resumes:
Include study abroad information in the Education, International Experience, or Professional Experience sections of your resume. Be sure to include the study abroad program title, location, dates traveled, and a brief description of skills learned while abroad. A concise but descriptive resume ensures that you have room to expand upon your experiences during interviews.
