Education

Education is one of the key components of your resume and if you’re a college student, education would highlight your achievement during your time at a university or any college institution. To draw attention to your education, make sure that you have these key components:

• Specify what degree you are pursuing (PhD, MA/MS, BS/BA) followed by a concentration
• Month /year of graduation, whether the degree is expected or received
• List any minors or special academic certificates that you may have
• GPA can be listed if it is above 3.0, otherwise it is optional, depending on employer requests
• Academic achievement such as magna cum laude and summa cum laude can also be listed
• Thesis and dissertation titles can be listed here as well

Study Abroad Experience

Study Abroad is a way to showcase your intercultural competency skills of which can be very appealing to potential employers. While aboard, you are able to experience and learn about different cultures and immerse yourself in a diverse environment. While abroad, consider the following:

• What personal achievements did I attain abroad?
• How can I apply my new language skills?
• What challenges did I face abroad and how was I able to surpass with my personal strengths?
• Did I contribute to any projects, philanthropy or volunteer work while studying aboard?
• How did this experience shape my views of working and living with people from diverse backgrounds?

Think of how this experience will benefit you when you can list on your resume that you have lived and studied abroad.

Internship Experience

When it comes to internship experience, make sure to be specific in describing your accomplishments with a particular organization/company. Provide the reader with ample information that is relevant, precise and significant to the positions that you will be applying. Major details such as projects that you worked on, a budget proposal that you crafted or any developmental plans that you initiated that made an impact should be listed here. Some internship tips for resumes are:

• Highlight your achievement(s)
• What new skills or knowledge did you gain from being an intern?
• Is your internship relevant to the position(s) for which you applying?

Language Experience

Speaking another language or multiple languages can be a bonus to your resume. As there is a demand for speaking more than one language, language proficiency can be crucial if you are applying for a job that calls for it. Here are some of the ways that you can list your proficiency:

• Native: Specify this in your resume if you grew up and living in the country/household that primarily uses this language on a daily basis, considering this as bilingual

• Fluent: If you are capable of holding a conversation at dinner parties, able to converse eloquently and answer questions asked, ability to use figure of speech, idioms or creative language

• Proficient: Capable of forming complex sentences, although your vocabulary may be limited, but you can rephrase sentences that match the situation or questions asked

• Conversational: “An elevator conversation” or “I can order food in another language conversation” is classified as conversational. At this stage you are limited to asking questions with regards to the weather, how one’s doing or simple sentences, but cannot withhold a complex conversation

These are some key components that can help you improve your resume appeal. Don’t forget to consult with Career Services if you have any questions about enhancing your resume.

Good luck!