Opportunities Abroad

Turning Global Experiences Into Career Skills

Working abroad can help you develop transferable skills that employers value, including:

  • Cross-cultural communication and cultural awareness
  • Adaptability and flexibility
  • Problem-solving and resourcefulness
  • Teamwork across different backgrounds and perspectives
  • Independence and confidence
  • Language and communication skills
  • Interpersonal and relationship-building skills
  • Decision-making

International experience can help you explore careers in global organizations, international business, education, government, nonprofit organizations, communications, and other fields.

Explore job boards and organizations that offer international jobs, teaching opportunities, and other professional experiences:

  • Go Overseas – International internships and jobs
  • GoAbroad – Internships and international opportunities
  • Global Jobs – Jobs for global professionals
  • U.S. Department of State – Government internships and international career opportunities
  • Global Graduates – International job and internship resources
  • Europe Language Jobs – Jobs for multilingual candidates
  • Indeed Worldwide – International job listings
  • Teach Away – Teaching opportunities abroad

Tip: Research opportunities by country, industry, and job function. Requirements for working abroad can vary by location and employer.

Instead of listing that you “studied abroad” or “worked abroad.” Focus on what you did and what you learned.

For example:

Cross-Cultural Communication

  • Collaborated with individuals from different cultural backgrounds to complete a team project.
  • Adapted communication strategies to work effectively across language and cultural differences.

Adaptability & Problem-Solving

  • Adapted to unfamiliar environments and developed solutions when plans changed unexpectedly.
  • Navigated new cultural and professional environments while balancing competing priorities.

Language Skills

  • Developed conversational proficiency in [language] through sustained interaction with members of the local community.
  • Applied [language] skills in a professional or community-based setting.

Use specific examples whenever possible and connect your experience to the skills required for the position.

International experiences can provide strong examples for behavioral interview questions.

For example, you might use an experience abroad to answer:

“Tell me about a time you faced a challenge.”

Focus on:

  1. The situation or challenge you encountered
  2. The actions you took to address it
  3. The outcome
  4. What you learned and how you would apply that experience professionally

You might also use an international experience to demonstrate your ability to:

  • Work with people from different backgrounds
  • Adapt to change
  • Communicate across differences
  • Solve problems independently
  • Navigate unfamiliar situations
  • Contribute to a diverse team

“While studying abroad, I faced several unfamiliar situations. While working on a project with local students from my university in Argentina, I really struggled to complete a group homework assignment, due to both the language barrier and cultural differences of work style and academics. I took some time by myself in between classes to try to better understand the assignment, and then I spoke with my classmates and explained that I was struggling and we were able to compromise on our study styles and successfully present our project. We received an A and I feel that I benefitted greatly from this situation as I improved my language skills and knowledge of my host culture.”

“I enjoy working with others and feel that I can contribute a unique perspective based on my past experience. While studying abroad, I worked with people from various cultures and developed my communication skills by learning a second language. I feel comfortable working with people from different backgrounds and with different ideas and feel that its crucial in the work place and in life to have multiple skills, backgrounds and perspectives. Because of this I feel I am confident that I am equipped to work with others to reach the best outcome for the organization.

Language skills can be valuable across many industries. While some careers require daily language use such as translation, interpretation, or language education, many employers value multilingual candidates in broader roles.

Language skills may be particularly useful in areas such as:

  • International business
  • Marketing and communications
  • Tourism and hospitality
  • Education
  • Government and public service
  • Nonprofit and international development
  • Research
  • Customer relations
  • Sales
  • Consulting

When listing language skills on your résumé, include your level of proficiency (for example, conversational, intermediate, or fluent) and highlight opportunities where you have applied those skills.