Why write a cover letter?
A cover letter is your opportunity to tell a company why they should hire you. While your resume typically lists out your skills and qualifications, your cover letter should explain why you are passionate and interested in the role you are applying for and exactly what value you would add to the team.
This may feel a bit daunting, but the good news is you can often pull from your study abroad experience to do just that! Studying abroad supplements classwork or previous work experience, offering you the opportunity to strengthen the soft skills and competencies that employers often look for.
Common skills and competencies developed abroad are:
- Confidence and curiosity
- Empathy and self-awareness
- Global perspective and cultural knowledge
- Adaptability and relatability
- Teamwork & collaboration
- Fundraising & budgeting
In addition to the skills mentioned above, there are many others you might develop while studying abroad. We recommend creating some space before, during, and after your experience to make a note of the various skills you are developing along the way. For example, budgeting and fundraising for your program (see our EF Study Abroad Budget Calculator) help you to develop skills in areas like money management, event planning, and marketing which can all also be leveraged during your job search.
To show you how all of these skills can be incorporated into your cover letter, we have created an example from the perspective of a student who traveled on our London: The City Experience program who is now applying to an entry-level sales position.
As seen in this example, there are many ways in which your experience abroad can give you an advantage when it comes to your job search. For specific questions on how to speak to your experience abroad feel free to reach out to our Traveler Support Team at info@efstudyabroad.com or 877-485-4184.
Stay tuned for our upcoming blog on how to leverage your study abroad experience in your future interviews!
Find more “How To’s” and resources here.
