Marketing Your International Experience to Employers: How to Transfer Skills and Knowledge from Abroad
Whether planned or unplanned, studying abroad is likely to make you more attractive to future employers. The skills and experiences you gain overseas can seamlessly translate into valuable workplace competencies. However, you must be able to demonstrate how your international experience aligns with the specific skills a company or organization values in order to really set yourself apart from other candidates.
Identifying Your International Experiences and Competencies
Here are some questions to help you identify the skills, knowledge, and experiences you may have acquired abroad. Reflect on your responses to these:
- Flexibility: How did you develop a greater tolerance for ambiguity? Did you become a more effective team player?
- Cultural Adaptability: What cross-cultural skills, sensitivity, and awareness did you gain?
- Global Perspective: How did your understanding of international affairs and global issues deepen?
- Language Proficiency: How did you improve your fluency in a primary, secondary, or tertiary language?
- Leadership: How did you grow in your ability to motivate others, develop new visions, and acquire core leadership skills?
These broad skills are highly transferable and can be essential to your job search. Employers value them whether you’re seeking a position in the U.S. with a domestic company, working with an international organization, or applying for jobs abroad.
Essential Qualities Gained from Studying Abroad
To better prepare for job interviews or networking opportunities, think about specific examples from your study abroad experience that demonstrate your growth in these areas:
- Independence and self-reliance
- Increased self-awareness and self-confidence
- Flexibility and perseverance
- Ability to cope with stress and rejection
- Assertiveness and inquisitiveness
- Awareness of lifestyle choices and their global impacts
- Adaptability to new environments and appreciation for diversity
- Quick rapport-building skills
- Open-mindedness and the ability to understand and appreciate diverse perspectives
- Enhanced global awareness, including knowledge of international issues and politics
- Ability to function amid ambiguity and achieve goals despite obstacles
- Strong initiative-taking and risk-management abilities
- Time management and communication skills, especially in overcoming language or cultural barriers
By reflecting on these attributes, you can effectively market yourself as a globally competent candidate. Employers are likely to value skills such as:
- A diverse and informed worldview
- Understanding the international dimensions of your academic field
- Cross-cultural communication skills, including proficiency in another language
- Sensitivity and adaptability in navigating different cultures
How to Effectively Showcase Your International Experience
To maximize the impact of your study abroad experience in your job search, incorporate these attributes into your resume, cover letter, and interview talking points. Here’s how to get started:
- Update Your Resume: After returning to your home institution, visit a career advisor to help you revise and reframe your resume to highlight your international experience.
- Engage in Campus and Community Programs: Look for opportunities to share what you’ve learned abroad, particularly in terms of intercultural and professional skills.
- Practice Articulating Your Experience: Reflect on overcoming challenges, such as adjusting to a new culture, learning a second language, or becoming more open-minded and self-confident. Reviewing your experiences will help you communicate them more effectively during interviews.
Effectively marketing your international experience can significantly enhance your appeal to potential employers. By clearly articulating the skills and insights you’ve gained, you position yourself as a well-rounded candidate ready to thrive in diverse professional environments!
