How Italian Studies Can Strengthen Your Résumé
How Italian Studies Can Strengthen Your Résumé
Studying Italian can provide experiences and skills that are valuable to employers, graduate programs and fellowship committees. When preparing a résumé, students should describe not simply what they participated in, but the skills and responsibilities involved.
Experiences worth highlighting may include advanced proficiency in Italian; study abroad in Bologna; coursework at the University of Bologna; internships and community engagement in Italy or the United States; independent research; conference presentations; translation; tutoring; leadership in the Italian Club; residence in the Casa italiana; honors research; and competitive scholarships or awards.
Students should be specific about what they accomplished. For example, rather than listing only “Study Abroad: Bologna,” a résumé might identify coursework completed in Italian, direct enrollment at the University of Bologna, an internship or community-engagement project, or demonstrated use of Italian in an academic or professional setting.
The Center for Career Development can help students translate these experiences into effective résumé language for particular jobs, internships and graduate programs.
Coursework
- Major in Italian Studies
- Minor in Italian
- GPA (overall and within the Italian Studies major)
- Taking courses at the University of Bologna (specify if courses were taught in Italian)
- Graduating with Italian Studies Honors after successfully completing an honors thesis
- Participating in a Mosaic
- Presenting a paper at an Academic Conference
- Presenting a poster at NeMLA
- Conducting original research in Italian (Independent Research Project)
- Publishing in an academic journal
Study Abroad
- Study abroad experience
- Studying abroad in a full-immersion program such as Dickinson Italian Studies in Bologna
- Taking courses at the University of Bologna (specify if courses were taught in Italian)
- Gaining work experience abroad through volunteer work, civic engagement, or an internship
Experience
- Work experience in any capacity
- Internship experience (specify whether the internship was paid)
- Serving as a Peer Tutor in Italian
- Serving as a tutor for Multilingual Writing Center
- Working for the International open-access, peer-reviewed academic journal gender/sexuality/italy, founded and edited by Dickinson Professor Nicoletta Marini-Maio
- Working as a Dana Research Assistant for an Italian Studies professor (specify that you were selected)
- Completing volunteer work, civic engagement projects, or internships in the USA or in Italy
- Participating in the paid SITE internship after graduation (specify that you were selected).
- Producing and presenting a documentary, podcast, or theatrical performance at Dickinson
- Interviewing Italian film professionals, including directors and actors
- Broadcast Italian-language radio programs on WDCV-FM
- Translating an article or book from Italian into English
Awards
- Fulbright Scholarship
- American Association of Teachers of Italian Essay Contest
- Paul F.M. Angiolillo Prize
- NECTFL Excellence in Language Study Award
- Magliacano-Melchione Internship Fund Recipient
- The Dickinson Italian Department Award for Excellence in Italian Studies
- NIAF Scholarship
- NIAF Voyage of Discovery
- The Order of the Sons of Italy Scholarship
Extracurricular
- Holding a leadership position in the vibrant Italian Club
- Living in the Romance Language House
Skills
- Italian-language proficiency
- Technical skills in filming and recording interviews, podcasts, and videos