Have you ever felt like you wanted to see the world?
Travel is said to broaden the mind, but it also broadens your employment experience! No matter if you were visiting a different country for work or for pleasure, the experience that you gain there could be of major interest to potential employers.
Many of my clients have shared their international experiences when I asked, and we were able to work it into their resumes. Here are some of the reasons you might want to do that!
Living Abroad
Many people have lived abroad for a variety of reasons, including:
- Doing a tour of duty for military families
- Taking a college-level study-abroad program
- Working at companies with international offices
- You were just born outside the U.S.
Living in another country can completely change your perspective, allowing you to experience how people living and working in different ways.
A few years ago, I was coaching a young man who lived in Papua New Guinea for two years. He was Mormon, and many young people in that religion live someplace else for two years as part of their missionary work. He is still the only person I have met who has lived in Papua New Guinea.
I asked him how living there changed him. He was very clear, “I got really good at reading body language!” It made me laugh, and it made sense as one of the reasons that he was doing well working in sales.
Travel Abroad
Even if you have not lived in another country, you might have been fortunate to travel personally, not just for work. Again, it just gives you a different perspective.
About 20 years ago, my husband and I spent a month in India. We were traveling independently, not on a tour. We came back as different people, having experienced the extremes of the country – great beauty, horrible poverty. And we had never been anywhere where a people’s religion was such a part of daily life.
International Experience as a Point of Conversation
When I was a recruiter, I reviewed everyone’s resume before meeting them in the lobby. Of course, I always looked for something in their resume that would be a natural way to start a conversation. And travel was always a fantastic icebreaker.
Maybe there were shared experiences if we had traveled to the same places, or perhaps a destination on their resume was on my “bucket list.” “Wasn’t the Coliseum in Rome awesome,” or “I’ve always wanted to go to Egypt to see the pyramids; what were they like?” It’s just a way to make a connection with the other person.
Don’t take your international experience for granted. It is just part of who you are. It has given you a broader perspective on life, and that perspective can make you a much more attractive candidate for a job!
I am a resume writer, job search coach, and interview coach. This is an example of the type of conversation that I can have with my clients. If you think I might be able to help you this way, go to Tools for Transition and schedule a free initial consultation call.
I hope to hear from you!
Irene