Returning to the US

Marketing Your Study Abroad Experience

Have you considered that the skills you gained as a result of studying abroad can help you become a better employee? Read on for tips to effectively communicate how your study abroad experience has developed career related skills.

Resources:
Career Services
Study Abroad Re-entry Information
Marketing Ur Experience

Mock Interviews
Did you know studying abroad and other international experiences provide great opportunities for personal and professional development? To the right you can find a few examples of how you may use the STAR Approach (video) during an interview to highlight experiences from an international experience.
Employers are using behavioral-based questions to find out how you deal with situations that are relevant to the position. They will ask for specific examples to highlight a particular skill. When you give an example, utilize the STAR method – Explain the SITUATION, describe the TASK, explain the ACTION you took to accomplish your objectives, and talk about the RESULT.

Elevator Speech
When you returned from your study abroad experience, how many times did a friend or family member ask you about it? Now try to remember, how many times did you respond by saying, “It was a great trip, I had a lot of fun.”? It is difficult to sum up an entire semester, or even a few weeks, into a succinct story, but it is important to reflect upon your international experience and be able to communicate the lessons you have learned.
By changing the way you respond to this simple question, you can articulate how much you learned and the skills you gained while abroad. Listen to Danielle give a 60-second elevator speech on what she learned from her time overseas.