Ways to use Study Abroad as a Resume Booster / Conditional Interview questions

Words and photos by Vanessa Pollari, who studied abroad with ASA in Florence, Italy, during the spring semester of 2025. 

Hello everyone! My name is Vanessa, and I studied abroad in Spring of 2025 in Florence Italy. Studying abroad is a great way to boost your resume and have some great responses to interview questions while looking for and applying for post-grad jobs. I’m here to tell you a few ways you can use your experiences and what you learned to help you in the future.

Here are the examples I will be explaining today:

• Adapting to change

• Independence

• Problem solving

ADAPTING TO CHANGE. Adapting to change is a great quality that a lot of employers will want to see and hear examples of during an interview. Studying abroad is a great way to familiarize yourself with the concept of learning new things and adapting to not only living in a new place, but also with new people. An easy way to use this in an interview would be, “The biggest way I learned how to adapt to change would be when I studied abroad in _______. I not only moved to a new place, but an entirely new country, with new people, and a completely different lifestyle to learn and try to adapt.” It almost goes without saying that studying abroad is a big change, so this will show your employer you’ve been there before.

INDEPENDENCE. If you went alone to study abroad as I did, or even with your friends, make sure you take some time to do things by yourself. This is a great way to gain some independence, and the only way you will really grow in this experience. I went on a lot of walks by myself, went to cafes in the morning, and I wish I had gone to dinner or lunch by myself once or twice. I am a very extroverted person, so sometimes it’s hard for me to be alone, but it’s a great experience. For example, “I gained a huge sense of independence while studying abroad, learning how to navigate the city by myself, grabbing a meal, exploring, and figuring out the language barrier.” You could also use something like this, “A huge note of the independence I gained while studying abroad was traveling to _____ from ______ by myself. I had never flown alone, especially not internationally. I got myself on a tram to the airport, on the plane, through the other airport, and on a bus into the city for my friend to get me.”

PROBLEM SOLVING. Problem-solving is a huge thing employers look for while hiring post-grad employees. No one wants to have to babysit you while you ask a question about something you should know or can easily figure out. Most likely, if you studied abroad, you ran into issues, whether it came to traveling, adjusting to new things you weren't used to, someone around you getting hurt or sick, getting stranded somewhere, etc. I’m sure everyone can name at least one experience where there was some problem-solving involved. An example you could use is, “While I was studying abroad, we got stranded in _____, we had to figure out ____ to get home.” You could use getting off on the wrong stop on a bus or train, flights getting cancelled, going to weigh your vegetables at the grocery store, getting lost in your city, losing a belonging of yours, etc. Those things always make the best stories, and look great in an interview.  

While these are all great ways to help you out while looking for your adult job, just remember not to use studying abroad for every question. Throw in one or two, but use some variety of experiences so it doesn’t seem like that is your only life experience.

Good luck in finding a post-grad job! 

Thanks, Vanessa!