Beyond ‘It Was Awesome’: Talking About Your Experience Abroad

Having an international experience on your resume is a great way to demonstrate your intercultural skill set to employers. However, many returnees struggle with how to effectively communicate the benefits and abilities gained from an overseas experience; therefore, it’s important to take some time reflect on the value of your time abroad.

Alisa Jackson, a study abroad advisor at Loyola University, studied abroad with CIEE in Peru during the fall of her junior year, and again in Spain during the spring of her junior year. According to Alisa, the experience was invaluable in her career path towards international education. 

Upon her return to campus, she found herself wanting to talk to other students about the value of her program experience, which led her to ask about opportunities within the study abroad department at Loyola. She encourages recent study abroad alumni to do the same. “The biggest thing I would say is ask questions. We always tell students it’s not just study abroad; we have incoming international students, we have an intensive English program, and so it’s about asking questions to figure out what your interest would be, and also getting involved,” she says. “Keep pushing and be open, not just to study abroad – a lot of people in international education spent time abroad, and lived abroad – it’s realizing what else is out there, like working with international students or teaching English abroad.”

Alisa advises her undergraduate students to practice their ‘elevator pitch’ about their time abroad. “Continue to improve how you talk about your experience, because that’s ultimately what it comes down to. Continue to branch out and continue improving; move beyond ‘It was awesome!’”

Study abroad advisors agree that learning to talk about your experience is an essential step in the study abroad reentry process. Sarah Kate Hartt, the program manager and lead advisor for Study Abroad at the University of Colorado Boulder and an alum of CIEE Study Abroad in Seville, tells study abroad returnees to “think about how you will articulate your CIEE and other international experiences beyond ‘it was a great time’,” and ask themselves questions about their experience: What did you learn about yourself? In what ways were you challenged? What transferable skills did you develop?

Additional resources:

• Life After Study Abroad - How to Talk to an Employer about Your Study Abroad Experience
• University of Virginia McIntire School of Commerce – Marketing Your Study-Abroad Experience to Employers
• Go Overseas – How to Use Your Study Abroad Experience in a Job Interview
• The Muse – How to Talk About Your Experience Abroad in Your Job Hunt

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