Leverage Your Experience Abroad

This resource was co-authored by Wellesley Career Education and the Wellesley Office of International Study.

  • Stay in touch with your experience. Be sure to save contact information for the people that you connected with while abroad. You never know where your relationship might lead! Communicate regularly with the contacts that you made abroad. Do not lose the language. Document and share your memories. Join a local language/cultural group.
  • Be an advocate! Participate in Office of International Study (OIS) panels and events in order to demonstrate to underclasswomen the benefits of studying abroad.
  • Apply for the study abroad alumnae grant! OIS offers a grant of up to $200 for a student or group that has recently studied abroad to organize a study abroad related program/event on campus.
  • Enter the photo contest. Each fall, students who have studied abroad during the academic year prior are encouraged to enter our photo contest. Winners will receive gift cards!
  • Attend the Lessons from Abroad ConferenceThis conference, which takes place each February, provides a variety of resources, re-entry support, and career inspiration to returning study abroad students. From workshops with targeted resume advice, to graduate school options, to discussions about what it means to live an internationally-focused life, this day-long conference is not to be missed!
  • Integrate your experience into academics at Wellesley. Consider thesising or using an independent study project to further explore a topic that interested you while abroad. Use your experience abroad as another lens through with you can approach your major studies.
  • Present at a conference. Present your out-of-the-classroom learning or research done abroad at the Tanner Conference or Ruhlman Conference. Synthesize your coursework in a way that will contribute to and build upon the wealth of experiences and knowledge on campus.

Market your study abroad experience. Before you market your study abroad experience, it is essential that you reflect on it first. If you recorded your goals and experiences in your Study Abroad Vision and Goals Worksheet, journal, or other means, review those documents as part of the reflection process. After you complete your study abroad program, you have the chance to show people how your international experience would make you uniquely qualified for the next experience you want to have. For additional support on marketing your study abroad experience, take advantage of the resources available from Career Education.