Drawing upon your International Experience to help get the job you want!!

Mya FisherGraduate Intern

Office of International Education Beloit CollegeMarch 21, 2012

TODAY’s TASK

•What employers want

•What you’ve got

•How to show ‘em the resume the cover letter the interview

Who am I?• Graduate Intern@ OIE

• PhD Candidate in Sociology at UW-Madison

• Maryland native

• Japanese speaker

• Liberal Arts College graduate: Sociology and Psychology

International Education Experience• JET Program, Kawasaki City, Kanagawa-ken

• Corporate English Instructor, Tokyo, Japan

• Embassy of Japan, Washington D.C.

• Consultant, Youth for Understanding U.S.A.

• National Cherry Blossom Festival Goodwill Ambassador, Washington, DC

Who are you?

• Major

• Where are you from?

• What do you hope to get out of this session?

• What is your international experience?

• What kind of jobs/educational opportunities are you considering?

• Name one (1) thing you’ve learned through your international experience.

WHAT EMPLOYERS WANT

• Graduates who:

possess both broad and in-depth skills and

knowledge

can apply college learning in real-world settings

(think Liberal Arts in Practice)

have developed a measure of ability to conduct

research and develop evidence-based analysis.

Hart Research Associates, Raising the Bar: Employers’ Views on College Learning in the Wake of the Economic Downturn.

January 20, 2010

Employer Expectations

Asking employees to:

take on more responsibilities and to use a broader range of skills

work harder to coordinate with other departments than in the

past

face more complex challenges than in the past

possess higher levels of learning and knowledge today than in

the past

Employers see a positive benefit in education innovations

that foster active learning and research skills… like

study abroad!

WHAT JOBS CAN I DO?

Public Sector Private Sector

- U.S Government - Law

- State Government - Media

- Foreign Government - Banking & Finance

- International Groups - Consulting

Nonprofit Sector Continuing Education

- Education - Business School

- Research Organizations - Law School

- Public Interest - Medical School

- Private Volunteer Groups - Graduate School

Where do I begin?

• Brainstorm: What is your international experience?

International Student

Study Abroad

International Travel

International Internship

What skills have you gained from the experience?

Transferrable skills

Figure out how you might want to break out the sections

• Organize a Resume

• Write a Cover letter

• **STAND OUT** in the Interview

Skills Development

• Did you become proficient in a language?

• Did you complete projects within a multicultural student environment?

• Did you meet professionals in your field while abroad?

• Did you work or volunteer in your field?

• Did you gain research experience through conducting an independent study project?

SKILLS LIST• Communication skills (including

listening and overcoming language barriers)

• Foreign language skills

• Global point of view, appreciation of diversity, tolerance, cultural awareness, and sensitivity to customs and cultural differences

• Flexibility and adaptability

• Motivation and initiative

• Organizational and time-management skills

• Ability to identify, set, and achieve goals

• General travel and navigational skills

• Problem-solving and crisis-management skills

• Patience

• Independence, self-reliance, and responsibility

• Perseverance

• Inquisitiveness

• Assertiveness

• Commitment

• Drive

• Appreciation for Diversity & Culture

• Flexibility

• Problem Solving

Adapted from http://www.willamette.edu/dept/oie/abroad/alumni/marketing/index.html

What info is relevant?

• What information is relevant to include in the resume. Why?Location

Program information – may include a short description

Research/Field study/Internship

Length of time

Current language skill level

Courses taken and grades* (optional)

Resume Examples (cont’d)Education

BELOIT COLLEGE, Beloit, WI

Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science, May 2012

Minor: Sociology

GPA 3.4/4.0; GPA in Major 3.3/4.0

AKITA UNIVERSITY, AKITA CITY, JAPAN

Studied Japanese language and Global Studies courses, focusing on the challenges to economic development facilitated by the aging population in Japan.

Gained conversational and semi-professional proficiency in Japanese

BELOIT COLLEGE, Beloit, WI

Studied economics with a focus in international business and trade. Developed analytical, project development and presentation skills through coursework and independent research projects. Examined the Korean consumer market as an independent research project

Resume Examples (cont’d)

Relevant Experience

January 2011 THE WOMEN’S DEVELOPMENT COALITION, Freeman’s Township, South Africa

Independent Research Project

Completed and analyzed ten (10) in-depth interviews with coalition activists about post-apartheid gender inequality. This resulted in a presentation at the Beloit College International Symposium (Fall 2011).

Summer 2012 The Wisconsin Union Outreach Association

Intern

Analyzed surveys completed by local unions to improve communication and organization among state union members.

Used Spanish language skills to develop verbal and written protocols for reaching out to Spanish speaking union

constituencies.

RELEVANT EXPERIENCE

2009 ENGLISH TEACHING INTERNSHIP AT THE MIDDLE SCHOOL COLLÈGE MALIFEU,

Rennes, France

English Teaching Assistant

Taught three classes per week (Social Studies and Literature for students who live in Anglo-French speaking homes and General English for students of an intermediate level).

Planned and developed activities and worksheets, experience leading class under observation.

Communicated with the teachers and discuss how to organize classroom activities, lesson plans, and worksheets.

Attended class weekly at the University of Haute Bretagne about English teaching pedagogy (in conjunction with the field work)

LANGUAGESENGLISH: NATIVE

RUSSIAN: FLUENT

Reading, writing, speaking, and aural comprehension: professional/academic fluency.

FRENCH: FLUENT

Reading, writing, and aural comprehension: professional/academic fluency. Speaking: near professional fluency.

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Japanese – Intermediate Level Proficiency in writing and speaking; English –

Native

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Levels: Intermediate/near-fluent/fluent/native + language.

Example: Near-fluent Spanish

Cover Letter

• Build a connection between your background and the company’s needs.

• Emphasize your strongest attributes

• Include any directly-related experience

Cover Letter

• “My experience living in Ecuador has enhance my ability to communicate and interact effectively with the local Latino population this position has the opportunity to work closely with.”

• “Working in cross-cultural teams in the international city of London has given me insight into the communication styles and adaptability necessary in this type of position.”

• “I am writing to inquire about the summer environmental education internship that was advertised on the Eagle Bluff website. Having spent the last three summers enjoying similar work in the U.S. and abroad, I am very interested in learning more about the position.”

Typical Interview Questions

• Tell me about yourself.

• Describe a time when you took a leadership role.

• What are some challenges you encountered during your international experience?

• Why do you want this position?

• Describe a time when you had to work in a group and the members of the group had different priorities and work ethic. How did you solve these issues?

The Interview

• Prepare answers to potential questions

S = Situation Describe the situation

A = Action Describe the action you took and why

R = Result Describe the results of your actions

•Develop a Stock of Career Stories

• Write an Elevator Pitch

Continue Building Global

Competence

• Join an international student organization.

• Find a meaningful way to use and strengthen languages.

• Attend cultural events on campus and in the community.

• Choose academic programs and elective courses that will increase global awareness.

• Volunteer or intern at culturally-based organizations.

Thank You for Coming today!!!

Any questions?