Returning to the U.S. after having had a life-changing time abroad can be a difficult and challenging transition. In fact, for some, this transition can be even more difficult than the culture shock experienced while abroad. Clicking here will open the CIS Reentry Workbook with advice, tips and exercises to help you integrate back into U.S. life.

We also have a fabulous CIS Campus Representative program, in which you’ll get to integrate your study abroad experiences into your personal, academic, and professional lives.

After you have completed your coursework at the foreign university and have made all of the appropriate payments, your home institution will be issued a transcript from the host school via CIS. In addition to the official transcript, we also provide a transcript translation sheet to facilitate faster acceptance of overseas credits. This process generally takes longer than in the U.S., usually about 8 - 10 weeks. Please keep in mind that your academic records will not be released if you have any outstanding financial obligations to the host university or to CIS.

If you have any questions about your transcript, please contact us!

A resume is a way to market your skills and experience to businesses, non-profit organizations and educational institutions. Research tells us that in the first round of a candidate search a potential employer will only look at your resume for an average of 10 to 15 seconds. In light of this, it is important that you include any experience in the resume that might set you apart from other candidates and get you an interview. For any applicant, international experience is a definite advantage in this regard and your participation in a CIS program should be included in your resume. With this in mind, be sure to…

Mention your international experience in the Professional Objective section of the resume

List your study abroad experience separately under the Education section along with your US education

If you did an international internship, list this under the Experience section

If you participated in volunteer work you can put this under Experience or activities depending on how extensive the volunteer work was

List any scholarships you received for study abroad, such as the CIS Go Global Scholarship

If you were a CIS Alumni Ambassador be sure to list that as well and ask us for a reference.

Cover Letters

The cover letter is another good place to showcase your international experience. In a cover letter, you want to briefly describe your experience abroad, what you learned from that, and how that learning is transferable to the job for which you are applying. Ideally, this should be done in the second paragraph of the cover letter.

Take a look at the cover letter template created by the Princeton Career Services Office to see where mention of your international experience might best be placed.

Components of a Cover Letter

Your Street Address
City, State Zip
Today's Date
Person's Name Title
Organization
Street Address
City, State, Zip Code (or Country)

Dear Ms./Mr. Last Name:

Paragraph 1: State immediately the position you are pursuing and how you came to know of the opening. If you have an alumnus, family or other contact at the organization, you can mention that here as well. Tell the employer briefly (one or two sentences) why you are interested in this position.

Paragraph 2: Explain the skills and experiences you have that will make you successful in the position. Talk about classes you have taken, activities you have been involved in, summer experiences you have had. You do not have to have directly related experience but think about the skills you have gained from what you have done and how those could relate to the duties of the position you are applying for. You do not want to repeat your resume to the employer in this paragraph but this is the place to highlight related accomplishments that will make the reader want to learn more, which will lead them to your resume. The goal is to show the employer that you have confidence in your ability to succeed in the position.

Paragraph 3: Demonstrate that you have done some research about this organization. Go to their web site, look in industry periodicals (Ad Week, the Wall Street Journal, the Chronicle of Higher Education) and talk to alumni or other contacts who may currently work for the organization. This research does not have to be extensive but it shows that you have taken some time to think about this position and put some effort into this letter. This makes a very good impression on employers. It shows that this is not a form letter where only the address and contact name is changed for each position.

Paragraph 4: State that you would welcome a personal interview to further discuss this opportunity. If you need to explain anything out of the ordinary on your resume, this is the place to do it. You might mention that if you do not hear anything from the potential employer in two to three weeks time that you will call to follow up this letter to see where they are in their process. Finish by thanking them for their attention and express a desire to meet them sometime in the near future.

Sincerely,

Your signature

Your Name (typed)

Enclosure (referring to a resume or writing sample or transcript)

Interviews

An interview is your time to shine. It is an opportunity for you to articulate to a perspective employer why the organization to which you are applying needs your skills, personality and experience. During the interview, you may be asked about your time abroad and you should be ready to answer these questions in a way that shows your international experience will enhance your job performance. Here are some examples of questions you might be asked…

1. "You studied in Sydney. Why did you decide to go there? How was your experience the same or different from your expectations?"

Answering Strategy: "To keep my tan through the winter months," is probably not the best way to begin this response. Think back to why you decided to go. It may help for you to refer back to the personal statement you wrote for your CIS application. For the second part of the question, think about the things that surprised you while you were overseas. For example, you may have realized that Australia is more diverse than you believed it to be before.

2. "What have you accomplished at school or during your study abroad experience that you are most proud of?"

Answering Strategy: Think about the goals you had for going abroad. Again, you might refer back to the personal statement you wrote for your CIS application. Which goals did you meet? Which ones were you most proud of? As you relate this to the interviewer, you might express it by…

1. Explaining the goal you had for traveling abroad.
2. Describing how this goal was accomplished.
3. Sharing what you learned along the way
4. "What did you learn overseas that will help you do this job successfully?"

Answering Strategy: Think about the ways in which you have changed. You might have learned to be more flexible, adaptable, tolerant, open minded, patient, etc. You may have gained specialized skills or knowledge from your classes, an internship or volunteer opportunities. Think about how some of these changes and skills might be useful on the job.

Other Advice

Interviewers these days are asking more behavioral questions intended to assess how you respond in certain situations or how you act in certain roles. For example, an interviewer may have you describe a situation that shows your leadership style or how you deal with conflict. If you have a relevant experience from your time abroad to share, share it. This is a great opportunity for you to show how you react in a cross-cultural setting.

In answering these types of questions, the acrostic, STAR is helpful for formulating an answer…

S = Situation: Describe what you were facing
T = Target: Describe what you wanted to achieve
A = Action: Describe what you did
R = Results: Describe what happened, how things turned out, what you learned, and optionally what you'd do differently if presented the same circumstances


General Interview Information

For more general advice about interviewing try WetFeet.com. This is a great site that covers many different aspects of the interview process.

International Resumes

Resumes in different countries may call for a different format than one for a position within the United States. In Sweden, for example, the resume includes a date of birth. A personal photograph paper-clipped to the right-hand corner is included in the German or Japanese resume. In the United States, on the other hand, one should never include a date of birth or photo. It is important to be aware of these different practices when preparing a resume. The following sites are helpful guides for understanding the differences in resumes and cover letters

EUROPE
Eurograduate - Excellent resource with a country-by-country explanation of the different styles of European resumes. Includes sample resumes.

AUSTRALIA
Bond University Career Development Office - A good guide to Australian style cover letters and resumes. Includes a resume template as well as links for job listings in Australia.

NEW ZEALAND
University of Auckland Careers and Employment Office - Follow this link and click on "CV Advice" for an excellent pdf guide to cover letters and resumes. There is also a link for interview advice. (both require adobe reader)

Can’t stop talking about your experience abroad? Become a CIS campus representative! You can talk to anyone who will listen about your time overseas and help students find out about these opportunities.
Who we’re looking for:

Campus Representatives will be recent CIS alumni who are enthusiastic about their international experience and:

• commit to a full semester/quarter (though a year is preferred)
• participate in on-campus activities
• are comfortable with public speaking and talking with faculty and students about their experience abroad

What you’d be doing:

Campus Representatives will help maintain a campus presence throughout the year by:

• Attending and/or initiating campus events:
• Volunteer, Internship, Study Abroad Fairs
• Panel Discussions
• Student Organization Events
• Classroom presentations
• Career Center, Study Abroad Office, Community Service Office, faculty
• Stories in campus newspaper, campus radio station
• Communicating regularly with CIS representative and other alumni:
• Submit photos to alumni photo contest
• Join facebook group for campus representatives, report on campus events
• Regular campus postering

Campus Representatives should plan at least one event per month including setting up a table on campus, giving a classroom presentation, putting up posters, planning an international movie night, telling the study abroad office about your experience with CIS, etc. You will receive help and guidance from a CIS representative.

What’s in it for you?

• An introduction to the field of international education, great resume-builder, reference for future jobs
• Priority to apply for all open CIS full-time jobs
• A free spot on any custom group program that signs up from your initial introduction,with a minimum enrollment of 10 students (airfare not included)
• Prizes for each successful semester as a Campus Representative:
• Discounts on future CIS programs ($250-$1000 off!)
• Personal Letter of Recommendation for future jobs

Additional prizes are available if higher expectations are met:

• $50 Amazon or Apple gift certificate
• Digital camera OR $150 Apple or Amazon gift certificate
• US domestic round-trip flight to anywhere in the United States (max: $400)

Have you already been on a CIS study abroad program, but you have the travel bug and can’t wait to leave the US again? We’ll help! Go on another CIS program, and you’ll receive a $500 grant for a semester program or a $250 grant for a summer program. It's that simple!

Please see our Financial Aid and Scholarships section for more information.

If you enjoyed the challenges and rewards of studying abroad, you might be interested in returning overseas to obtain a master's or a Ph.D. CIS has services to assist you with this complicated process. What's more, we offer these services to you absolutely free of charge.

Visit DegreesAbroad-CIS.com to learn more.

After experiencing the exhilaration of living and studying abroad, many CIS alumni ask us how they can go abroad again or work in a field that involves international interaction. We hope the following is helpful!

Career Sites and Search Engines for Jobs abroad

www.allianceabroad.com-Work, travel, teaching and volunteering abroad.

www.backdoorjobs.com-Unique jobs, internships and work experiences abroad

www.bilingual-jobs.com-Great resource for bi-lingual career professionals

www.bunac.org.uk-Working adventures world wide

www.careerbuilder.com-International jobs search engine

www.earthwatch.org-Jobs and internships with Earth Watch.

www.escapeartist.com Int'l-The international site for escapeartist.com

www.globalvillage.com-Career opportunities in China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and beyond

www.idealist.org-Careers and volunteer opportunities with non-profits. You can also search for non-profit organizations and get their profiles through this site.

www.internationaljobbank.com-Links to jobs and employment sites.

www.internationaljobs.org-International careers including international development

www.irishtimesjobs.com-Job opportunities in Ireland

www.jobs.ac.uk-Job opportunities in the UK

www.jobsabroad.com-Extensive search engine for jobs abroad.

www.overseasjobs.com For int'l professionals, expatriates and adventure seekers www.planetrecruit.com - A career website based in the UK.

www.rotary.org-Opportunities with Rotary International

www.state.gov-Information on employment opportunities with the U.S. Department of State as well as international organizations such as the UN.

www.workabroad.monster.com

Resources and advice for jobs and careers abroad

Teaching Abroad Alliance Abroad Group - This organization helps individual find work, travel, teaching and volunteer opportunities abroad.

Japan Exchange Teaching Program - JET is a program sponsored by the Japanese government. Positions are available as an Assistant Language Teacher

(ALT) or Coordinator for International Relations (CIR). The salary is sufficient to cover personal expenses for living in Japan, and round-trip air transportation is provided. Japanese language not required. Contracts are for one year with extensions available.

Dave's ESL Cafe - An extensive list of English teaching opportunities around the globe with a special section devoted to teaching in Korea. The site also offers an abundance of resources and ideas for ESL teachers.

Department of Defense - Teaching opportunities in the Department of Defense school system.

ESL World Wide - Extensive search engine for international English teaching positions

TeachAbroad.com - Directory for teaching positions around the world Joy Jobs - International vacancies for teachers and administrators

TIE Online - Ads for hundreds of overseas teaching positions

Grants and Scholarships Fulbright Opportunities 

 Sponsored by the United States Department of State, Fulbright provides funds for students, scholars and professionals to undertake graduate study, advanced research, university teaching and teaching in elementary and secondary schools.

Rotary International - Provides scholarships for overseas study. These are excellent scholarships for those wanting to to pursue a master's degree overseas as these are normally one-year programs.

International Education Institute for International Education - Information and resources for students, scholars and international education professionals.

IIE is also the administrator of the Fulbright program.

NAFSA - The association of international educators. An excellent page to learn the landscape of international education in the US. There is also a job registry which lists employment opportunities in study abroad and international student advising at US institutions of higher education (job registry).

NACAC National Association of College Academic Counseling The National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC), founded in 1937, is an organization of 8,000 professionals from around the world dedicated to serving students as they make choices about pursuing post secondary education.

International Volunteer Opportunities

Alliance Abroad Group
AFS Intercultural Programs
HUMANA
People to people Cross Cultural Solutions
Directory on International Volunteer Service
 Global Service Corps Global Volunteers
Habitat for Humanity
Peace Corps Volunteer
Africa Volunteer International
Volunteers for Peace
Voluntary Service Overseas
World Teach
Intercultural Service in the
US AmeriCorps
Teach for America

General Information and Resources

Transitions Abroad - Information about working and volunteering abroad. You can find extremely useful articles and resources at this site including the highly useful Work Abroad (4th Edition)

The Complete Guide to Finding a Job Overseas.

USC International Resource Page - This page offers an incredible list of links to resources for those traveling, studying, working, volunteering or interning internationally. It includes everything from an ATM and cyber cafe locator to advice on what to do if you are arrested abroad (hopefully you won't need this one!).

University of California, Irvine Int'l Programs Site - The University of California, Irvine, has an excellent site with information about organizations that offer international internships, work abroad and volunteer abroad opportunities.

University of Michigan Work Abroad Site - An excellent source for information and advice about working, interning and volunteering abroad.

Expat Expert - Resources and information for those living abroad.

World Time Server - One of the most accurate and comprehensive sites for finding out what time it is around the globe.