How to Put Study Abroad on a Resume

So, you did it! You made the decision to study abroad and now you have the experience, and more importantly, the degree to prove it. But, this is only the beginning of the adventure. Now it’s time to put everything you learned to practice.

Studying abroad teaches you the practical skills you need to succeed on any career path. It can be critical thinking, creative problem solving, or communicating cross-culturally. That’s why employers take candidates who list study abroad on their resume. Rather than being taught through a book, those who’ve studied abroad learn skills through first-hand experience.

To catch their attention, you must first know how to include study abroad on your resume in the right way. Putting study abroad on your resume is easy with a few tips and tricks. Check out our suggestions on how to include study abroad on a resume to really grab employers’ attention and get that dream job!

Highlight Your Skills

Without a doubt, your study abroad experience has prepared you with the necessary skills to handle any job that comes your way. Finding an apartment, making friends, and adapting to new cultures — you may not think about it, but these all take skill to navigate, and it’s not easy. But you need to think about how to include study abroad on your resume and emphasize your skills effectively.

Without even looking at the experience you’ve written down, recruiters know that a student with international study abroad experience can handle almost anything. That’s why employers appreciate candidates with a study abroad resume!

This is why, it’s important to draw explorers' attention to your study abroad resume and the skills you want to highlight. There are a variety of ways of adding study abroad to resume:

Try this:

If you completed an internship or had work experience while studying abroad, make sure to clearly describe how you used your newly-learned skills in a practical way.

For example:

“Completed an internship while studying abroad where I used my critical thinking skills to solve complex problems, communicated with customers from around the world, and successfully navigated an international workplace.”

By emphasizing your international experience on your study abroad resume, employers will get a sense that you are able to quickly adapt and communicate with your peers no matter what situation you find yourself in.

Speak Their Language

Pick up any language skills during your study abroad experience? Creating a section titled “Languages” after you’ve highlighted your academic and professional experience is another way to make your study abroad resume stand out.

Language skills are in high-demand, especially in today’s globalized world. So, whether you picked up Spanish studying in Spain, or Chinese while getting your degree in China, you should highlight them when thinking about how to include study abroad on your resume. It’s great to show employers that you have the skills to communicate with customers, colleagues, or business partners from around the world.

As anyone who has tried to learn another language knows, it’s a long and time-consuming process that requires a lot of practice and studying. Therefore, language skills on your study abroad resume will not only show employers you have the practical skills, but also that you are capable of taking on a challenge and sticking to a project.

Don’t forget:

Make sure to include the level at which you speak each language on your study abroad resume. The most common way to classify your language proficiency is to use one of the following:

• Native
• Elementary proficiency
• Limited working proficiency
• Professional working proficiency

Another option is to break your language skills down by reading, writing, and speaking ability on your study abroad resume if you feel that you are stronger in some abilities than others.

Show That You’re Social

Did you join any social activities or organizations during your time studying abroad? Or, maybe you made a whole bunch of new, international friends and professional contacts? You should mention your international connections while putting study abroad on your resume.

Multicultural communication is one of the most important skills in global work environments. If you take part in social activities with other international students, add those to your study abroad resume and demonstrate your ability to get along with people of all backgrounds. Your participation in an organization, especially if you ran it, should be included when putting study abroad on your resume. Employers will also get the chance to see your leadership potential.

Don’t forget:

If you don’t have one already, consider creating a LinkedIn profile to connect with all the new professionals you meet. It’s a great way to expand your network and present your study abroad resume at the same time. Plus, it’s a great way to hear about work and internship opportunities and apply to them directly.

Consider Cultural Differences

It’s likely you know how to craft a basic study abroad resume in your home country. But, do you know what an employer in the United States, Germany, or Japan will be looking for when you apply for a job or internship?

It might not seem obvious at first, but the standard resume looks different from country to country. So before considering how to include study abroad on your resume, you should do some research on cultural differences before submitting yours.

For example, in many European countries it is common to include a picture attached to your resume. However, in the United States including a picture is much less common and could be seen as a breach of equal opportunity hiring practices. Knowing these differences helps you polish and strengthen your study abroad resume.

Take Our Tips to the Interview

You increase your chances of grabbing an employer’s attention when you put study abroad on your resume in the right way, but that’s only the first step. It’s just as important to also highlight your international experience during your interview.

You can get the conversation started from the very beginning when the employer asks you to talk a little bit about yourself. Casually emphasize your study abroad resume by discussing your study abroad experiences, and don’t forget to name the city and country where you stayed.

You never know, your interviewers might have studied abroad themselves or have at least travelled to your study abroad destination. If you can make a personal connection like that, you’re likely to make your study abroad resume stand out and score that callback.

Of course, you should highlight your study abroad resume and how the experience helped you grow as a person and a professional first. But, don’t be afraid to mention some of the challenges you faced along the way. You’re likely to impress employers and prove your perseverance by demonstrating how you overcame challenges and turned a hurdle into a success when discussing your study abroad resume with them.

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