Thursday, July 21, 2011

Anywhere But Here: Work Abroad

Many graduating students find that they aren’t quite sure what to do once they get their degree. It is a challenging decision, one that can make or break the start of your career. It would have been common place years ago to take a year off to travel abroad, and the trend is now starting to gain popularity again as many alumni are realizing the opportunities available to them overseas. It’s not for everyone, but if you like to travel, immerse yourself in new cultures, meet new people and make money at the same time, working abroad might be right for you.
 
There are tons of websites offering work exchanges and internships to Canadian students to places like Korea, Australia, the UK and the US to name a few. You are wrong in assuming that working abroad only involves teaching English. It is easy to find international positions that incorporate many of the degrees offered at BrockU. Companies around the globe are looking for new talent, and if you are willing to travel and have the qualifications it would serve you well to bring your Canadian work ethic to their attention.

Just like international students that come to Canada to study, working abroad means that you are now the foreigner and have to fill out a lot of paperwork! Things to consider would be documents you need to work in another country. Visa’s change depending on where you are traveling. The Going Global website mentioned this week is a great resource for finding out what you need in order to work in the country of your choice. Housing is always a costly experience you have to factor in before getting a job as most companies will not include this in their offer.

Career Services is jam packed with information regarding work abroad. We have so many resources, I can’t mention them all! First of all, I would pick up a copy of Verge Magazine which we have on our magazine wall in the Resource Centre. It is full of job postings and interesting articles about other’s experiences overseas. The Career Services website also has a slew of websites and job boards giving you all the information you could ever need before making this life changing decision. The International Student Services department at Brock can also help you with any questions you might have.

Happy job hunting!
Rachel Mills

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