Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Going Global

Yes, the thought of going abroad can be exciting, but once you sit down and think about how you ought to prepare yourself it can be very overwhelming. You'll have to arrange work-permits, passport documents, insurance coverage and on top of that, condense your packing list - let's face it, you don't really need five pairs of shoes.

Career Services has created an account with Going Global to help you prepare with the latter. By signing in with your Brock ID, you have a world of information available at your fingertips!

The country guides are broken up into categories:
Job Search Resources - find government, internship and other job positions with agencies
Resume/CV Guidelines - other countries have their own expectations of resumes for example, China requires photo identification.
Work Permits & Visas - depending on  your situation (holiday vs work vs student) you can find the document that's right for you.
Interview Advice - learn the differences between Canadian and International interview expectations
Top Companies
Industry & Employment Trends - focuses on popular job categories within the country
Cultural Advice - embrace a new culture
Financial Considerations - your main costs will consider housing, food and transportation
Business & Networking Groups
Embassy Listings - handy in case you run into a bit of trouble *knock on wood*

This is a great tool to begin your research and decide where's best for you to travel in consideration with your goals. There is an extensive employer directory and they've also created USA/Canadian city guides.

I encourage you jump with excitement throughout your planning process but strongly advise to remember the little things. Being on your own in a new territory is thrilling but anything can happen. Look-out for yourself, be aware of your surroundings and always have a back-up plan for situations ie. stolen passport, lost luggage, getting sick etc. At the same time, no matter how prepared you are, it doesn't mean it will stop things from happening but it will assist in overcoming those situations.
In a nutshell, have fun and be smart!

Another website I'd recommend to help decide where to go: Lonely Planet


Leaving on a jet plane; don't know when I'll be back again...
Samantha Del Duca

No comments:

Post a Comment