Sometimes it is hard to sum up your experience abroad and describe all that you have learned during your internship/volunteering, that you can put into your cv. This is to help you ‘’How to market yourself after an exchange”. Check it out:

Even during your time abroad it is good to keep reflecting on your experience all the new skills you are learning, in order to have them fresh in your mind. Remember that you are not only developing professional skills, but valuable personal skills and attitudes.

Examples of what you could add to your cover letter:

1- Adapt to your situation and add details

2- Gained valuable experience in:

-Flexibility, adapting a new culture and a new working environment

-Thinking on your feet, getting used to have a plan B, C or D ready

-Problem-solving,

-Intercultural communication & Conflict Resolution (for example miscommunication)

-Organizing (escpecially you won’t have corporate schedule

-Intercultural understanding and adaptability 

-Proactiveness, if your boss gives you free rein & asks you to be creative

-My experiences qualify me to work in my field at a cross-cultural level.

Additional tips:

• – Try to find an original way to to describe your experiences, and don’t be too general. Your unique experiences could help you to stand out from the others.
• – Networking: Reaching out for past interns and helping the future interns, to see if they can be a resource, ask where are they now, do you have similar careerpaths?

Going home, general tips:

Get started early to think about next steps, how you can develop yourself

While your abroad keep in mind to match your interests with your future (making goals, SMART)

Prepare a short 30-second response to people how was your experience, easier when you have a script ready (if back home people think that you are always barging about being abroad, when you are a telling about your experience, you can just leave “Brazil” out, example: I learned this last year)
When you return at home, don’t think that the fun is over: You are on a lifelong journey of learning, exploration and adventure!