3 Ways to Include Study Abroad on Your Resume

You’ve pinned travel snapshots around your room, gifted souvenirs to family and friends, and texted your classmates from abroad about fun memories shared. Though your global exchange program may be over, the adventure has just begun!

Whether your sights are set on further education like a postgrad degree, or you’re ready to go after your dream job, studying abroad can help you on your next big adventure. That’s because admissions officers and employers both love study abroad experience!

Read on to find out how to translate your study abroad experience into a stellar resume!

Showcase Your Skills

When you planned a weekend trip to Rome with classmates, arrived to class on time despite the cancelled subway, and learned how to order a cup of coffee instead of espresso, you already improved your professional skills!

For recent graduates who have less work experience, highlighting soft skills on your resume is key. The most sought-after soft skills, like communication, teamwork, adaptability, problem-solving, and time management, are inherently gained while studying abroad.

Soft skills should be included in your resume in either a “soft skills” section or in combination with the hard skills you possess. Keep in mind that the skills should be relevant to the job you’re applying for. Thinking about how a soft skill will be useful in the specific role prepares you for discussing it during your interview.

Talk the Talk

Although you probably took your classes in English as an exchange student, we bet you picked up more than just an accent while studying abroad. The ability to speak a foreign language has benefits that extend far beyond impressing your friends.

As markets continue to globalize, potential employers look for multilingual employees because of their ability to communicate with clients worldwide. If you learned the language later in life, it can also illustrate your ability to accept a challenge and stick with it: a quality valued highly among many employers.

If you speak more than one language, be sure to list it under a “languages” section on your resume along with your proficiency level. Even if you’re not quite fluent, listing your proficiency level as “limited working proficiency” still conveys a grasp of the language that could be useful to the company.

Cross Cultures

A deeper awareness of foreign cultures is a primary benefit of studying abroad and will serve you throughout your life. Those who have lived and studied in another country often possess a high level of independence and adaptability.

While it can be tricky to write this on a resume, think of a goal you reached while abroad: did you complete an internship or big project? Describe how you applied your skills in a practical way.

When you study abroad, learning reaches far beyond the classroom walls. Traveling and living in a foreign country teaches you practical skills like problem solving, cross-cultural communication, and critical thinking, which all happen to look amazing on your resume. While it can be scary to start on your next big adventure, don’t worry: your study abroad experience has your back.

Featured image courtesy of Unsplash