Securing a work placement abroad

Margaret EvansCareers Adviser, Northumbria

UniversityLuke James, Scott Oakley

Working abroad

• Why do it?• What do you want to do?• How do you go about it?

Living, breathing and loving a different country shows that you are adaptable, responsible and ambitious. Being able to speak a second language doubles, even triples, your options of job location. You could work in a café in Italy, be a personal assistant in Strasburg or a holiday rep. in Spain.

Rosie Shimmin, German and Politics

Why bother?

• Self-motivation• Drive and determination• International outlook• Confidence• Resilience• Flexibility• Problem solving• Negotiating

What do you want to do?

• What do you want to achieve?• Where?• When and for how long?• What kind of work?

Where can you go?Spanish

Algeria, Andorra, Argentina, Belize, Benin, Bolivia, Chad, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Rep., Ecuador, El Salvador, Eq. Guinea, Guatemala, Honduras, Ivory Coast, Madagascar, Mali, Mexico, Morocco, Nicaragua, Niger, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Spain, Togo, Tunisia, United States, Uruguay, Venezuela

 German

Austria, Belgium, Bolivia, Czech Rep., Denmark, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Kazakhstan, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Paraguay, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Switzerland

 French

Algeria, Andorra, Belgium, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Chad, Comoros, Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, France, Gabon, Guinea, Haiti, Ivory Coast, Laos, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Mali, Mauritania, Monaco, Morocco, Niger, Rwanda, Senegal, Seychelles, Switzerland, Togo, Tunisia, Vanuatu, Vietnam

 Italian

Croatia, Eritrea, France, Italy, San Marino, Slovenia, Switzerland 

Consider…

• Course requirements• Skills you offer• Skills to be developed• What sector• What job role• Large or small• Location• Payment/costs

Finding your placement• Plan ahead!• Network• Agencies• Advertised opportunities• Speculative approaches

My networkFamily

Parents

friends

Partner

work colleagues & contacts

Siblings

friends

friends

family

friends

Work colleagues

work colleagues

family & friends

Neighbours

Family friends

work contactsPrevious placement

students

Uni staff

Summer and short-term

• Summer jobs worldwide• Work your way around the world• www.anyworkanywhere.com• www.jobsabroadbulletin.co.uk

Internships – via organisations

• www.internabroad.com• www.highflyersweb.com• EU internships http://europa.eu/epso

- useful links

Internships/Jobs – DIY

• Exodus

• Going Global

• Prospects Country Profileswww.prospects.ac.uk – Career Advice

• www.europa.eu/eures

• www.transitionsabroad.com

Graduate vacancies

• www.eurograduate.com• www.careers.lon.ac.uk/ijo• www.jobsabroad.com

Volunteering

• European Voluntary Service http://ec.europa.eu/youth

• VSO youth programme• Gap year organisations• European Volunteer Centre

www.cev.be – You want to volunteer• www.worldwidevolunteering.org.uk

Making applications

• CV in the format and language of the country

• Letter - address the right person• Who you are• What you want• Why them?• What you can offer

Telephone interviews

• Be prepared• Body language• Voice• Anticipate

questions• Questions to ask

Enjoy!