Many people, both students and not, find themselves studying, working, or volunteering abroad at some point in their lives. Time abroad offers individuals unique opportunities for development and skills that can assist in future educational and work experiences. Skills developed while spending time outside of one’s home country can be location specific, and unique to the area abroad. No matter where one travels, or what they do during their time abroad, there is a benefit to international experience, one that can be written about on a resume.
No two experiences abroad are the same; similarly, there is no one ‘right’ way to include time abroad on a resume. In order to begin to think about where to include a study (or work/volunteer) abroad experience on a resume, it can be helpful to reflect on the work done, how the location impacted the experience, and what skills were developed as a result of the experience. St. Kate’s Office of Global Studies has created a guide to marketing study abroad experiences that has helpful reflection questions to consider before international experience to a resume.
For many college students, time abroad consists of a semester taking courses. For those whose semesters abroad are centered around coursework, the experience may be best listed under the “Education” section of a resume. Even within the same section of a resume, there are multiple ways to list an experience. For example, some may include their semester abroad as a bullet point underneath the line where they list their degree at St. Kate’s while others may list the experience on a separate line. For example:
EDUCATION
St. Catherine University | St. Paul, MN Expected Grad: May 2026
Bachelor of Arts in Communications, minor in English
- Dean’s List, 2022-2024
- Semester abroad in Cape Town, South Africa, Spring 2024
Or:
EDUCATION
St. Catherine University | St. Paul, MN Expected Grad: May 2026
Bachelor of Arts in Communications, minor in English
- Dean’s List, 2022-2024
CIEE Study Abroad Cape Town | Cape Town, South Africa January 2024-May 2024
- Completed coursework in Intercultural Communication and Leadership
Additional variations can be seen in the section that time abroad is listed under. While the Education section works well for students who focused mainly on classes, other students hold internships or volunteer positions while abroad. Such students may add a separate ‘Volunteer’ section or include their internship alongside other work or internship experience. Some examples of volunteer work and internships abroad on resumes include:
VOLUNTEER EXPERIENCE
IES Abroad Seoul | Seoul, South Korea September 2024-Present
Administrative and Marketing Volunteer
- Assisting center administrative staff with creating marketing materials for program
- Tabled at program events to assist students with course and internship registration
EXPERIENCE
Studio Cassio | Rome, Italy September 2023-December 2023
Mosaic Studio Intern
- Applying conservation techniques to Roman mosaics dating from 1600 to ensure preservation
- Facilitating workshops for studio visitors in order to expand knowledge on mosaic art
Students who take classes and complete an internship or volunteer experience abroad can list the experiences in different sections of the resume; different types of experiences can each lead to the development of unique skills. Current senior Maria Ngangsic-Asongu studied and completed an internship in Nice, France during the spring of 2024. She has had elements of her semester listed in three areas of her resume; education, experience, and skills. In addition to taking courses, developing unique skills at her internship, Ngangsic-Asongu also developed her French language skills while abroad, and had them listed separately. To see Maria’s resume, and how she included her study abroad experience, click here.
One final area on a resume that study abroad skills are frequently listed under is the ‘skills’ section. When adding skills gained abroad to a resume, it is important to emphasize ‘hard skills’ related to technical knowledge rather than ‘soft skills’ such as communication and flexibility. While listing them under the skills section of a resume isn’t recommended, there are still ways to include soft skills in a resume, specifically in relation to bullet points included under education, experience, or volunteering sections. Time abroad offers excellent opportunities to develop language skills that can be listed under this section. Other times, students learn technical skills related to different software applications, or hand skills through their courses, internships, or volunteer work. These “hard skills” developed abroad can be great additions to a resume. For more information on including skills on resumes, check out resume resources on Katie Career Virtual Center.
No matter where or when you travel, or the kind of experience you have abroad, there are many creative ways to convey your development and skills to employers. Time abroad can also come up on cover letters, be listed on a LinkedIn profile, or brought up during an interview. There are so many ways to include and tailor your experience abroad in spaces that relate to education and careers. For questions about studying abroad, you can contact the Office of Global Studies. For questions about resumes, cover letters, or anything career or internship related, you can contact the Career Development Office.
