How Study Abroad Can Help You Score Your Dream Job
Studying abroad can change your life. The experience will introduce you to new people from all walks of life, give you confidence, improve your problem-solving skills, help you to grow comfortable in unfamiliar situations, and increase your tolerance and patience. Suppose you're wondering how to include the many ways studying abroad shaped you into a better person on your resume. In that case, you might consider seeking professional help to "write a paper for me" that effectively articulates your transformation and experiences.
Look no further because here's your guide to writing about studying abroad when applying for a job.
Plan Ahead
If you're reading this article before you start your study abroad, that's great! That means that while you're away, you can put in the extra effort to pick up some skills that will benefit you.
One great thing to do is start a study abroad blog and publish content for the entire duration of your trip. It'll prove that you have dedication and can stick with a task for several months. It'll show you pick up skills quickly, as running a blog entails learning skills such as writing, editing, marketing, networking, social media, editing photos, and building a brand.
This is especially useful if you're applying for a publishing job or any other creative industry.
You could take language classes while you're away, which always looks good on a resume! You could use your spare weekend to travel, which makes you a more well-rounded individual. You could volunteer during your spare time, which will never count against you when applying for a job.
It's worth noting on your resume that these were extra-curricular activities, that your program didn't require them, and that you took the initiative to maximize your study abroad experience.
Create a Subheading Under Your Education Heading
Studying abroad differs from attending college because you learn more skills by moving abroad. Because of this, you'll want to list study abroad under its heading. This will allow you to talk about the experience and what you gained from it in more detail rather than trying to summarize it in a single bullet point.
Consider a Countries Visited Section
I recommend including this section if you're applying for a job requiring you to travel frequently. If that's the case, including a list of countries you visited (both during study abroad and before/after) will show that you're open to travel and are used to the stresses and difficulties it can bring.
Pick and Choose From this list of Skills
You probably already know how studying abroad (and traveling) has helped you better yourself, but getting all of that down on paper is easier said than done. Consider why you decided to study abroad, what you hoped to gain from it, and whether you succeeded. How did studying abroad change you? Ask your friends and family about the changes they've seen if you're struggling to come up with some yourself.
Here are a few options to help you get started, as well as examples in case you're asked to expand upon them in the interview:
Financial Management Skills
If you're heading overseas, you most likely have a brand-new currency and exchange rate to deal with. Not on that, but you had to budget in a foreign country, where you originally weren't aware of how much things cost. If you decided to take advantage of your new destination and travel, this would have brought even more money management skills into play, as you had even more currencies to deal with and tried not to throw your money away.
Improved Language Skills
If English wasn't the first language spoken in the country you studied in, you likely picked up quite a bit of the language during your time there. Even if you're not fluent, it's worth including this, as it means you would only have to work harder to achieve fluency if required in your job, and it shows you're willing to make an effort to communicate effectively.
Honed Your Problem-Solving Skills
Studying abroad is about problem-solving, whether navigating a new college or figuring out the local bus timetable. Functioning in an unfamiliar country in a foreign language will lead to problems whenever you leave your room!
Improved People Skills
Studying abroad leads to you meeting dozens of new people, which, no matter how socially awkward you were to begin with, can only improve your people skills. You learn how to be comfortable around people from various backgrounds, whether they can speak the same language as you or not. You may have had to make friends with people and nurture those friendships because you didn't know anybody else in the country.
Enhanced Knowledge of Geography and Global Issues
Your understanding of the world becomes broader once you leave the United States and live in another country. It can happen simply by reading the local English-language newspapers or watching the news. If you're studying abroad in Europe, the information will be focused more on European countries, so you can't help but learn more about the region.
Learned Communication Techniques
How do you do so if someone speaks a different language than you, but you need to communicate with them? According to the EssayPay Facebook page, after studying abroad, you'll most likely know how to do this! Sharing with people who don't speak the same language as you teaches you how to mime efficiently, encourages you to pick up words and phrases you can use in conversation, and teaches you the art of patience rather than just speaking even louder in English in the hope that'll make you better understood.
Improved Cultural Awareness and Sensitivity
Spending time in a foreign country only increases your tolerance and understanding of the local population. Think about any preconceptions you had about the country and local people of the country you went to study abroad in -- have they changed?
Personal Qualities
You'll have no doubt improved your personal qualities while you've been studying abroad as well! Here are a few examples of rates that you may want to include in your resume:
Tolerant
Independent and self-reliant
Flexible and adaptable in unfamiliar situations
Assertive
Open to being relocated
Bilingual
Inquisitive
Appreciative of diversity
Don't Give it All Away
The key to a successful resume is staying concise and sharing only the most essential information while doing a job search. You want to share just enough that your future employer can tell it's a desirable quality, but keep some information to yourself so that they'll invite you to an interview to ask more.
A few examples of this include:
“Immersed myself in the language and culture of France.”
"Adapted to an unfamiliar environment when living with a local family in Argentina."
"Improved problem-solving skills when traveling solo across the Balkans."
Don't Forget About Your References
When writing your references section, include a professor or supervisor from your study abroad experience. They'll be able to speak first-hand about how the experience helped you develop many skills overseas and back up your international experience.
Prepare for an Interview as You Write
As you're putting together your resume, remember how you'll explain every point if you were to be chosen for an interview. You want to avoid exaggerating anything in case you'll be called out on it in person, for example! Instead, practice discussing that point after every bullet point you include as if somebody had asked you for more information.
If you can't readily talk about a certain point and use it to sell yourself to an interviewer? Don't include it in the resume.
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