Working Abroad

Working Abroad

Working abroad is a great option if you desperately want to go overseas, can’t really afford it and the money you have managed to save won’t cover much more than air fare.

It’s one of the best ways to experience a different culture; you’ll be meeting locals and experiencing what the country is really like in a way that you can’t do as a traveller passing through. Most jobs give you enough spare time, in the evenings and at weekends, to enjoy yourself and make friends.

You don’t have to be tied to one place for your whole gap-year – you can work for a bit and save up for your travels. That way you can learn more about the place and get the inside information from the locals about the best places to see before you set off.

You cover at least some of your costs, and, depending on what you do, the work experience will look good on your CV – but even if you’re only doing unskilled seasonal work, prospective employers will be reassured that you at least knowsomethingabout the basics like punctuality, fitting into an organisation and managing your time.

The most popular jobs that gappers look for includeau pairing,teaching english as a foreign language (TEFL),cookingand household help and seasonal work that might includefruit pickingor farm work.Aninternshipwith pay is a alsogood way to get work experience if you already have an idea about your eventual career.

Volunteering Abroad

Voluntary work can be one of the most rewarding ways to spend all or part of your gap-year.

It's the top gapchoice among the Year Out Group's members, with a 20% rise across all age groups.

The majority of gappers choosing to volunteer overseas are in the traditional gap-year age bracket of 17-23, but we're told by our partners that increasing numbers of career breakers and retired people are exploring this option.

The most popular types of projects overseas involve eitherhumanitarianorconservation work.

Humanitarianwork might include building a school or community facility, teaching or nursing. It may be tough work in extremely conditionsand do beprepared for some culture-shock, but the reward and feeling of accomplishment may be life-changing.

If you're interested in animals,wildlife and ecology, aconservationproject may be for you. There are a hugenumber of conservation projects across the world and some fantastic opportunities to get up close to some of the world's most interesting animals, often in stunning locations.

There are some excellent companies that offer a range of volunteering abroadprojects. You'll find them listed below. To refine your search, type what you're looking for into the search box.

Learning Abroad

If you've just 'escaped' from an intense period of study, you might not immediately be ready to jump back into education.

But a gap-year can be a fantastic opportunity to combine living and studying abroad. You could learn a new skill and gain a qualification; pursue an interest, hobby or passion you haven't had time for before; explore and enrich your knowledge in your own way, rather than following a curriculum; and you could also find you've added a new dimension to your CV. You may also meet some like-minded folk and have a lot of fun.

These are some of the things you could do: learn a language in-country, do a sports instructor course, music or drama summer schools, explore art, music, culture and learn about conservation. If you’re not jaded with study or are at a time of life when a postgraduate qualification would be useful, and a career break possible, you could go for an academic year abroad. Another option for those of you who want to try to earn while you travel is to do a TEFL course.

A good way of getting to know a place and its people in depth is to spend a whole academic year at a foreign school, either in Europe, the USA, or further afield. The options are plenty; and if anything mentioned above appeals to you, type it into the search box below for the people who can point you in the right direction.

Sport

Travelling abroad doesn’t mean that you have to stop playing the sports that you love – sports coaching projects are also a great way to give something back to a community on a gap-year or career break abroad. If you are looking to join a sports volunteer project, there are many different projects and destinations available.

Lots of companies offer you the chance to live, play, train and coach many different sports all over the world. Whether your chosen sport is football, cricket, rugby, netball, tennis, sailing or even polo, you can use your skills to enrich the lives of others by becoming a volunteer coach or use your time to improve your own skills for a career in your chosen sport.

And a sporting placement abroad can seriously boost your personal development – showing your commitment, teamwork and leadership skills to prospective employers.

So whether you want to use your football skills to become a coach teaching children in South Africa, join a cricket club for the season in Australia, experience the challenge of playing rugby in New Zealand or learn how to sail and dive in Thailand, there is definitely a placement out there for you.

Source: http://www.gap-year.com/