Skills

It has been well established that students do gain skills by studying abroad. There are lists upon lists of these. If you are not sure what these skills are then just check out your university's website; either career services or study abroad. They will surely have a webpage dedicated to the topic. It is both wonderful and terrible that these lists exist. On one hand, some students may need them. On the other, I feel they are a poor substitute for highlighting the benefits of study abroad. I have used the terms: independence, confidence, problem solving, communication, and adaptability countless times. Why should you study abroad? See this list. How do I add a study abroad experience to my resume? See this list. This process works in the short term, but what is the next step. I have found that simply listing a set of skills on a resume does not get you an internship or a job. So the question is: how do we prepare students to illustrate those skills? Like most things, resumes do not exist in a vacuum. Therefore, Marketing Ur Experience does not depend solely on what words are placed on a resume rather this process depends on story telling, networking, making impressions, and highlighting what makes you unique or your personal brand. 


In case you are new to these ideas, here is a list of skills you may find useful.

No matter what skills you choose to highlight, the secret to a successful interaction is storytelling, which translates into proof that you actually had an experience in which you gained something tangible. This is where the S.T.A.R. approach becomes a successful tool. S.T.A.R. stands for situation, task, action, result and represents a framework in which you may form stories. It is best to have a set of these ready for any occasion. You may not need to give every example every time, however you will seem more confident (wiser and better looking) if you are able to give examples in interviews without stumbling on your words or talking in circles. So how does the S.T.A.R. approach work?