Students learning to market their experiences abroad

BY HOLLY RODRIGUEZ
Media & Public Relations Officer

More and more students at Richmond are studying abroad. When they return will they have more than memories and photographs of their international experience?

The Office of International Education wants students to learn how to use their global experience as they apply for jobs or graduate school.

To help them, the office now offers a workshop for students, “Marketing Your International Experience.”

As the professional world becomes more global, an international experience plays a pivotal role in students’ education. But with study abroad programs and internships gaining in popularity, students are faced with the challenge of demonstrating how their international experience makes them a better employment candidate. Beyond noting international experiences on their resumes, UR students are learning to apply the skills and knowledge they learn while overseas.

The workshop is an interactive training session, giving students an opportunity to get specific advice about marketing the skills they learned abroad. They also learn about study abroad programs that appeal to their interests and how the University’s program works.

Some of the key tips provided to students during the workshop include:

• Define the valuable skills or experiences learned that appeal to employers.
• Learn how to introduce details of the international experience during a job interview and explain how those skills specifically relate to the job or school where they are applying.
• Use international experience as a springboard to start a career as a humanitarian or service worker.