How to Add Your Off-Campus Experience to Your Resume
Okay, so you've studied off-campus and learned a lot, and now you want to share that with your (hopefully) future employer. Your resume has multiple areas where you can highlight your study abroad experience and all that you’ve learned. The Education Section, Experience Section, and/or the Skills Section, are great places to explain and share how this experience is relevant to the job you are applying for.
List the details of your study away experience, such as the name of the program, the location you studied in, the dates you were there, and the type of program (e.g. semester abroad, summer program, etc.) and when you do, be sure to list them in chronological order.
Share about your off-campus experience in the Education Section. Under your college or university, you can dedicate a line or two about where you were fall semester of your junior year, or what you were doing on the East Coast over the summer before your senior year. Make sure to highlight your coursework and emphasis how the diverse experiences that uniquely relate to the job you are applying for. This could include language classes, cultural studies, or any courses in your field of study.
TIP: Visit your career center on campus to get an idea of how to format your resume to showcase this experience.
Share about your off-campus experience in the Skills Section. While studying away, you developed a range of valuable skills, such as intercultural communication, adaptability, and independence. Share how a specific experience where these skills were demonstrated.
TIP: Expand in your Cover Letter! Explain how your internship at Helping Up Mission directly relates to the job you’re applying to through the responsibilities you had, the skills you developed and grew, and the environment you were in.
Share about your time off-campus in the Experience Section, and emphasize your internship or volunteer positions. How does your internship relate to the job you are applying for? Share any volunteer work you may have done during your study abroad program.
TIP: Highlight any leadership roles you held while interning or volunteering.
Remember, studying and interning in a new context can be a valuable addition to your resume, showcasing your relational mindset and adaptability. So, don't be shy about highlighting your experience and all that you gained from it.