A toolkit for recognizing international competences for students in vocational education and training

Today’s labour market requires curious, resilient and productive workers. People acquire competences in a variety of ways, sometimes even without realising it. Some of your competences can easily remain hidden from the employer when you apply for a job.

The following questions and examples will help you describe your competences, particularly from an international perspective. For example, what kind of competences have you acquired during an on-the-job training or a traineeship period abroad? A mere mention of your exchange abroad is not enough; the
employer will want to know more about your competences.

The questions and examples are divided into different categories. They will give you ideas for different stages of the job-seeking process whether you are writing a job application or a CV or preparing yourself for a job interview.

Remember that you may have acquired international experiences in your home country and through the Internet, too!