Features: A world of experience

As the incessant rain and wind sets in, it’s worth noting there are thousands of work experience opportunities across the world. That means you can get great experience, discover another country and culture and not end up with Seasonal Affected Disorder, so what are you waiting for? 

 

Experience down under

According to Ivan Wise, Head of Volunteering Project Managers at Worldwide Volunteering, the benefits of getting experience overseas extend well beyond mere sunshine:

‘Most young people have only ever lived in one country, they might not even have been abroad for any great length of time and the main advantage of working abroad is you have a role in the society you’re visiting. Rather than just travelling, where inevitably you’re treated as a tourist, as a volunteer you’re treated as part of the community.’

For Alistair James, a computer science graduate from the University of East London who has spent the last six months creating a website for a Portuguese travel agency, the experience taught him to view his degree and experience with newfound respect.

‘It’s amazing the way that a degree from a British university is viewed overseas. People really respect your qualifications and skills. They wanted me to do the whole project myself, which was incredible. The advantage was I got to do something from scratch and you do not get that kind of experience on a big system like that in UK placements. Here everyone seems to be a bit more cautious.’ 

What’s on offer?

There are several different ways of getting overseas work experience. By far the most common source is through one of the many volunteering projects that exist, with charities and organisations such as VSO (www.vso.org.uk).

Worldwide Volunteering (www.wwv.org.uk) provide information about thousands of these schemes and also give advice about how to arrange funding. Other projects capitalise on the skills that students have, such as the TEFL schemes (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) and you don’t need to have specific teaching experience before applying for such placements as training is often provided. For those who want a similar work experience placement to what’s offer in the UK, organisations such as United Euro Bridge (www.unitedeurobridge.org) match students’ skills with relevant projects across EU countries.

A world of choices

‘It’s worth thinking quite ambitiously for your destination, says Ivan. ‘Think big and don’t be put off by cost because there are a range of organisations who can help. Australia is probably the most popular place to go, because it’s somewhere far away but with no language or cultural barriers. Then it’s the South American countries but European countries are very popular too.’

Alistair says there are surprisingly few obstacles to working in a foreign country. ‘If you’re struggling to get the sort of placement you want in the UK, think about what you could get abroad. Don’t even worry if you don’t speak the language - I don’t speak Portuguese and it worked fine for me and now I’ve got some great experience and I had a brilliant time.’

Getting practical

As issues of security and language barriers can crop up, arranging work experience overseas is likely to be logistically more complex than work experience in this country, although the organisations you travel with will often do much of the groundwork for you.

‘With United Euro Bridge the placement was all sorted out,’ says Alistair. ‘The company found the placement, booked the ticket, provided me with money for living expenses. We had phone numbers if we had any problems. The employers were welcoming and after a week it was really straightforward.

‘It helped that beforehand they sent me a whole bunch of DVDs and literature and maps on the country. Obviously with the internet you can get amazing information about anywhere before you go. You could go on forums and build contacts, so doing some research is definitely a good thing and helps you to settle in quicker once you’re there.’

Ivan says that before you go there are two main considerations. ‘The main practical issue is cost, as it’s unlikely on overseas placements that you’ll get paid and sometimes you might have to pay to set them up. However, one way around that is that there are a number of grant making trusts that will give bursaries to young people in these situations.

‘Then it’s a case of practical issues such as visas and complying with the health advice that you’d have in certain countries such as malaria and that sort of thing. Then the second consideration is safety concerns. A lot of the young people we deal with probably don’t give enough thought to their safety, whereas their parents probably give it too much thought!’

Making it work

For students who manage to overcome the practical considerations, overseas work placements arm them with plenty of ammunition when it comes to facing employers in the battle for full-time work.

‘Aside from the confidence you get from using the skills you got from your degree, one thing that it shows an employer is commitment,’ explains Alistair. ‘It was a six-month placement and I completed the project to a high standard. That shows that I can go into a new situation and last. The employer also gives me really useful feedback that I can show to a potential employer. If you go abroad it proves you’re open to new challenges and are not scared of taking a harder option.’

Ivan agrees that overseas experience offers students a chance to impress employers: ‘Research has shown that people who’ve volunteered and done work experience are much more likely to stick at a job. It teaches them the skills to get on with people better and deal with new situations. There are also a huge number of skills that you can get from a placement abroad. Skills like organisation and confidence are enhanced by an overseas project and that’s going to impress employers.’

Further information

• Work experience