Study abroad is more than just an exciting travel experience — it’s a professional asset and competitive advantage in your job search. With the guide below, you can focus and organize your study abroad information so it impresses recipients of your resume.
Where To List Study Abroad on Your Resume
Your study abroad experience may appear in a few sections, depending on its relevance to the job you’re after:
Education
Give basic details about your study abroad program under the relevant school degree. For example:
Bachelor of Arts in International Relations, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI | 2024
Study Abroad: University of Florence, Italy | Spring 2023
Simply by noting the program, you’ll signal strengths like ambition, curiosity, language fluency, or cross-cultural perspective.
Profile
You can use the profile summary to further emphasize key parts of your study abroad experience. This option is especially useful if your regular work experience is limited. For example:
“Adaptable and globally-minded marketing graduate with hands-on experience in international market analysis while studying in Madrid.”
Academic projects
If you’ve created a separate section for academic projects, you may reference your study abroad experience here. For example:
- Conducted a semester-long research project on sustainable agriculture policies in Sweden, presenting findings to an international academic panel
- Collaborated with students from four countries on a marketing strategy project, leading to a 10% increase in virtual engagement for a local NGO
How To Focus Your Study Abroad Experience
Managers want to know how your global education applies to their hiring needs. That’s why each extra detail you give about the program should speak in some way to the job opening at hand. Feel free to name and describe relevant courses, projects, or other school activities. But be careful to leave out any information that falls outside the scope of your job search.
If you find your overseas studies don’t pertain to the role, you can still focus on transferable skills you gained, such as:
- Solving problems in unfamiliar environments
- Adapting to new cultural and social norms
- Navigating foreign systems
- Collaborating with international peers
Study Abroad Resume Examples
Jordan Miller
[email protected] | (987) 321-6547 | City, ST 98765 | LinkedIn
Experienced interpreter specializing in simultaneous and consecutive interpretation for international conferences and trade shows. Trilingual: Fluent in English, Spanish, and Italian.
Key Skills
- Simultaneous interpretation
- Trade show terminology
- Public speaking
Professional Experience
Conference Interpreter, WorldConnect Events, Washington, D.C. | August 2020 to May 2025
- Provided live interpretation for over 100 international conferences and diplomatic meetings
- Assisted global delegations with real-time translations, ensuring seamless communication
Event Language Specialist, Multilingual Conventions Co., Washington, D.C. | June 2018 to July 2020
- Interpreted and translated materials for trade shows and business expos
- Developed bilingual glossaries for industry-specific terminology
Education
Bachelor of Arts in International Relations and Linguistics, Georgetown University, Washington, D.C. | 2018
Study Abroad: University of Florence, Italy | Spring 2017
Languages
Fluency in Spanish and Italian
Frequently Asked Questions: Adding Study Abroad To a Resume
There's no strict limit, but relevance is key. If it was more than five years ago and doesn't connect to your current job goals, keep it brief or consider leaving it off.
Use the original name, but add a translation in parentheses if needed. For instance: "Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne (University of Paris 1)" adds clarity for hiring managers unfamiliar with the institution.
Some roles benefit more from study abroad experience than others. If you're applying for jobs in international business, education, tourism, or global nonprofits, showcasing your time abroad will likely give you an edge.
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