Integrating Immersive learning Experiences into your Resume

Jolie Roetter

Director of Global Learning Programs

KOGOD

SCHOOL

OF BUSINESS

American University’s

A focus on international immersions:�US Study Abroad Statistics �

How unique is my experience?

10.9% of US students study abroad as a part of their degree program

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Of that small number, only 12% are Graduate students

How Many U.S. Students Study Abroad?

Yet, only 0. 8% are Graduate students in Professional Schools

IIE Open Doors 2019 Report

What is Experiential Learning ?

• Anything that allows you to experience a profession as a way to deepen the understanding of what you’re learning in a classroom is Experiential Learning
• The Association for Experiential Education defines it as: “A hands on form of learning that begins with a concrete experience” followed by a focused reflection by students to connect what they’ve learned to broader concepts and life experiences.
• Advantages of Experiential learning include: familiarity with a new profession, networking, demonstrating and developing soft skills

Skills gained from participation in an immersion:

• Effective communication across cultures (this applies for international and domestic)
• Flexibility
• Keeping Organized
• Public Speaking
• Handling ambiguity / problem solving
• Adapting to a new cultural/professional environment
• Time management

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Internationalize your LinkedIn Profile

Under Education section

Example bullet points:

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• Learned from executive-level professionals at 14 international companies in 2 European countries, including: BMW, Swarovski Crystal, and the World Trade Organization

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• Gained the knowledge, skills, and qualities necessary to engage responsibly and effectively in a global business environment

Listing your experience on your resume

-Education Section

• This is the most common place to put study abroad or immersion experience on your resume. List below the school information.
• You can include additional information to provide context.

-Experience Section (or add an International Experience section)

• Put your experience in a bulleted list, but be somewhat selective
• Utilize action words: collaborated, innovated

-Skills Section

• Focus on your top skills and those that you can expand upon in an interview.

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Resumes

There are a number of different ways that you can incorporate your immersion experience into your resume.

• If you have done an international immersion, you may want to represent it differently from domestic.
• If you have participated in a number of experiential programs across both your undergraduate and graduate programs, you may consider grouping them together.

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Let’s review a few examples…

In “Education” Section

Separate “international Experience” Section

Cover Letters

Sometimes, the specifics of the job description may not seem relevant, but a more general description of your experience can be a good way to demonstrate your skills.

My desire to learn about and make connections between a wide variety of subjects keeps me constantly searching for new ideas and opportunities to better understand the world around me.  This manifests itself in my strong interest of travel.  For instance, I was able to participate in two dynamic immersion experiences as a part of my MBA program, traveling to Montreal, Canada and Atlanta, Georgia. While on both programs, I was able to meet with a number of business executives in the fields of Marketing and Public Relations to better understand the challenges they encounter on a daily basis.

Questions to consider:

Questions to consider:

What was the biggest challenge I faced while on this immersion?

What 1-2 things did I like most about the experience?

What 1-2 things bothered me the most about the experience?

Have I noticed any changes about myself since returning?

What was the most significant thing I learned about myself from this experience? 

How did my experience change or not change my expectations, career goals, or life plans?

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Interviewing

You must be able to speak about your experiences in terms of the transferable skills gained. Below are some examples of interview questions that can easily relate to the experiences you had on an immersion:

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• Describe a time in which you had to adapt to a new situation

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• Provide an example of your ability to work independently (or in a team)

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• Tell me about a time when you had to work under pressure

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• Describe your time management skills

Final Points:

• Immersions make up an important part of your MBA or Master’s experience. Don’t assume employers understand what they are. An immersion carries as much value as you can articulate

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• The out of class components can carry as much value as the academic components (ie traveling long distances, dealing with time zone changes, balancing your responsibilities at work, handling delays and cancellations, managing a language barrier etc…) but again, it comes down to how you talk about those experiences

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• Immersions add a unique dimension to your Graduate degree, you absolutely should highlight them in your job search!

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