Do you wish to travel the world in search of work you really enjoy in a new and different environment? Finding it difficult to know where to start and which country to choose? Don’t worry, the Careers Service can help!
The world is a big place and the excitement of working abroad may be great, yet when faced with the reality of starting your search, it can seem like trying to find a needle in a haystack. The Careers Service has created a ‘How to’ guide for finding work abroad to get you started. Use this and follow the steps below and you will be jetting off around the globe in no time!
1. Use the Careers Service resources
Our International work and study pages provide lots of links and information related to international work abroad. For a more detailed selection, you can search by region and country.
Some useful resources include:
• Going Global:
Going Global provides detailed country guides with a large range of information about working in individual countries – from industry and employment trends to interview advice and CV guidelines. It also includes advertisements for jobs or placements and a directory of employers (which allows you to identify potential companies of interest in exact regions/sectors).
• Prospects country profiles:
Prospects country profiles provide lots of useful advice about applying for jobs and working in individual countries, including where to find those opportunities and some key job vacancy sites you can use.
• Finding work abroad event:
Presentation slides available to download from a recent event on finding work abroad run by one of our Careers Advisers and Information Specialists.
2. Search for employers
To help target your research, it is helpful if you have some ideas about the type of work you are interested in pursuing. Once you have a particular sector in mind, you can start searching for employers within that sector. You can then see whether they have offices abroad. Have a look at our ‘How to research employers’ page for some ideas to get you started.
3. Network
The University has over 130 different nationalities represented in the student body. Interaction with fellow peers from around the world can provide you with valuable cultural insights and increase your cultural awareness. Make the most of your time at university by socializing with different people from all walks of life. You can join a variety of cultural societies and attend meetings and talks throughout the year which will help you to start to build a picture of which country you may like to work in; as well as increasing your worldwide network.
Another approach to finding work abroad is to identify people working in certain parts of the world who you can contact for advice. If you are a current Bristol student then a good starting point is to search our Careers Network to find Bristol graduates who are currently working abroad, or who have worked abroad before, and have volunteered to be contactable.
You could also use the professional networking site LinkedIn to identify contacts. Bristol students can join the University of Bristol Alumni LinkedIn Group to browse members by location, occupation and employer. You can also identify relevant groups for the sector you want to work in or your country of interest.
And finally…
4. Use the help available
Come and speak to one of our Information Specialists on the Resources Help Desk for further information about the range of resources on offer to students and how to use them effectively. For advice and guidance on approaching firms, drafting international CVs and submitting applications, come in and book an appointment with one of our Careers Advisers.
If you are successful in finding work experience abroad, come and let us know! You can enter the Overseas Internship Competition where you could win some funding towards your experience once you return.
Bon voyage!
Lydia Murphy, Information Assistant
[Image sourced from morguefile.com]