Beyond #PackAbroad 5 tips for articulating your international experiences to employers The Study Abroad Office & The Career Development Center 1
STUDY ABROAD 11% of U.S. undergraduates study abroad (IIE Open Doors Report, 2018) Facts & 22% of NC State undergraduates study abroad Figures THE 21st CENTURY JOB MARKET 80% of employers worldwide activelyseek graduates who had studied abroad (QS, 2011) 97% of study abroad participants secure employment within 12 months ofgraduation (NACE) Study abroad alumni earn an average of $6,000 more in starting salaries (IESAbroad) 2
IDENTIFY TRANSFERABLE SKILLS Take time to reflect on your study abroad experiences and what you learnedas a result. Once you've pinpointed some prominent learning moments, ask yourself: "How would this be valuable in a work setting?" OR "How could this relate to this position?" Example: Having lived with a host family in Poland last summer, I learned how to effectively communicate with individuals from other cultures and backgrounds 3
PUTTING IT ON YOUR RESUME Consider including international experiences at the top of your resume with 'Education' North Carolina State University - BA in Spanish & Psychology - 2016-2020 Universidad del Pais Vasco, Bilbao, Spain - 2018 North Carolina State University - BA in Spanish & Psychology - 2016-2020 International Experience: Intensive Spanish Language & Culture in Chile, Summer 2018 4
PUTTING IT ON YOUR RESUME List internship or volunteer experiences with other relevant professional/work experiences on your resume. Tuscany Tourism Authority, Florence, Italy Marketing Intern - May-August 2018 - Created promotional content for English-speaking visitors to Florence - Coordinated office social media campaigns for major city festivals and events Sea Turtle Sanctuary, Turtogero, CostaRica Sustainability Volunteer - July 2017 - Assisted in debris removal and beach clean-up initiatives 5
IN YOUR COVER LETTER Use your cover letter to highlight the transferable skills you gained through study abroad Draw parallels between the position's responsibilities and your experiences abroad - this may not be as readily apparent to all employers "Having completed a full-time internship in Barcelona, Spain last summer, I gained invaluable experiences working directly in international trade and commerce, which makes me a strong candidate for this position..." "...I am confident that, as a teacher at Asheville High School, I could draw upon my experiences from student teaching in China to bring a global perspective to students." 6
INTERVIEW TALKING POINTS Similar to your cover letter, revisit the transferable skills and learning moments you have already identified. Consider using the STAR behavioral interview structure to think through responses to potential questions beforehand: Situation - describe a specific event or experience Task - what was your goal? what was your role? Action - what steps did YOU take? Result - what did you accomplish? what did you learn? 7
INTERVIEW TALKING POINTS "Please provide an example of a goal you reached and tell me how you achieved it" As a student at NC State, I studied in Peru for 6 weeks to further develop my Spanish language skills (S, T). In order to achieve my goal of gaining better language proficiency, I decided to live with a host family so that I would be required to communicate daily in Spanish with native speakers (A). Having studied in Peru and lived with a host family, I am much more confident in communicating in Spanish now (R) and I am excited to use it in my future work with clients and colleagues. 8
USE YOUR RESOURCES Career Development Center LAUNCH program Study Abroad Office Additional resources: "How to use your study abroad experience in a job interview" - GoOverseas "How study abroad will help your career" - GoAbroad.com "Market your study abroad toolkit"- IES Abroad 9
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