Resumes and Cover Letters

Selling Your Experience: Resumes, Cover Letters, and Personal Statements

 Including your education abroad experience in your resume, cover letters, and personal statements introduces that experience to prospective employers and graduate schools. Use the ideas and examples below to help you determine how to best include your education abroad experience in your application materials. For personalized advice on how to best market your specific experiences, make an appointment with a Career Advisor in Career Services

Resume

 If you took classes during your time abroad, list this experience in your Education section. Include the name of the school, its location, the duration you were there, and relevant coursework. 

sample resume example

If you participated in an internship abroad, include this in your Experience section.

another sample resume example

When including service-learning/volunteer programs abroad on your resume, you may choose to put this in your Experience section or in your Volunteer Work section. When including research programs abroad, you may similarily choose to include this in a specific Research section of your resume or you could include it in your Experience section. 

 Cover Letter and Personal Statement

 Depending on the position or program for which you are applying, you may be able to highlight your education abroad experience in your cover letters and/or personal essays. Use the chart below to identify specific activities you participated in abroad that are directly related to the posted qualifications of the position or program you are applying for. The Transferable Skills Guide is also a good tool to help identify relevant activities.

 

Job/Program qualifications

Experience

Action

Skills

How it will help in the position/program

Example: Excellent digital communication and interpersonal skills

Example:

Greenwich Peninsula Ecology Park intern

Example:

-Planned educational programs for school groups and families

-Marketed events using social media channels

Example:

Communication, problem solving, customer service,

organizational

Example:

Will help me to communicate and connect with YYY Company audiences/Will help me to communicate with students and faculty from other cultures

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Developed in collaboration with University Career Services. For more information on interviewing and other job search activities, visit careers.unl.edu.