JOBSHOP
Working Overseas Introduction There are a number of factors to take into account when deciding whether to work overseas. You will need to consider where to work, the type of work you want /can undertake and how long you will be working abroad.
Type of job Non-specialist / Non-experienced jobs For most overseas employment you will need experience even if you are qualified. If you do not have much experience there are still a number of options open to you. Casual work
Finance a year off or a trip around the world by finding short term casual work, usually in developed countries
Voluntary work
Voluntary Service Overseas - www.vso.org.uk Login to the Jobs+ Vacancies Board to search for volunteer opportunities Factsheets – available from the Resource Centre or online Vacation/gap year job hunting available https://issuu.com/bgcareers/docs/vacation_and_gap_year_job_hunting Teaching English as a Foreign Language https://issuu.com/bgcareers/docs/tefl
Specialist Areas Professionally Qualified Such as teaching are normally available from the companies themselves or through management consultants. Experienced teachers
Experienced Teachers are often recruited to teach the normal range of subjects at primary and secondary level; these jobs will often be advertised in the TES.
Voluntary Work Volunteers are needed in a number of areas including education, social / community work and business development. www.vso.org.uk www.concern.net
Voluntary Service Overseas Concern Worldwide (works with local agencies in 18 developing countries). Two year placements are available for professionals, though usually two years post qualification experience is required.
www.wse.org.uk
World Services Enquiry (Christians Abroad) - a number of vacancies available through this website.
https://issuu.com/bgcareers/docs/vacation_and_gap_year_job_hunting vacation/gap year job hunting (factsheet)
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Further Training If you intend to move overseas on a permanent basis it may be worth considering the needs of the country you wish to move to and train appropriately. Business Schools
For High flyers a possible route to working abroad is a course at one of Europe’s business schools either a short executive programme or a full MBA. It is possible to take a six month Open University course on a distance learning basis see www.open.ac.uk. INSEAD is the most widely recognised business school and is highly competitive, though most teaching is in English you will need a good standard of French and a third language is also required usually German or Spanish. www.insead.edu/home/
(TEFL)
Teaching English as a Foreign Language You will need a teaching EFL qualification see www.cambridgeesol.org for a breakdown of the various qualifications available. See the TEFL factsheet http://issuu.com/bgcareers/docs/tefl See www.prospects.ac.uk for more information on postgraduate courses
FINDING A JOB Newspapers The national and Sunday newspapers often advertise overseas vacancies. For overseas teaching posts see TES, Times Higher and The Guardian. See Websites to view links to national and local newspapers The Internet § Major employers will advertise overseas jobs on their own website such as www.shell.com or www.ibm.com. § See www.europages.com - Europe Business Yellow Pages and www.yell.co.uk - UK Yellow Pages for company
contact details. § www.monster.com allows you to search by country for jobs.
See Websites at the end of this factsheet for more internet links. Job Centre It is now easier for British Citizens to get work in Europe with the introduction of EURES (European Employment Services) computer network which has advice and vacancies, this can be accessed from The Job Centre or online at www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk. Also see www.eures-jobs.com to view vacancies and post your CV details Employed from a UK base It is normal to expect to spend two to three years working in an organisation in this country before being posted abroad. Some companies, usually engineering and accountancy have a policy to give newly recruited staff overseas experience. These can sometimes be two or three year placements. There are some graduate opportunities available, though these are usually specialised and often require experience. Jobs will be advertised in the national press and specialist publications. You could send a speculative application directly to a company. See Websites for company information.
Page |3 Permanent Employment Overseas The Diplomatic Service, The British Council and some major firms such as ICI, HSBC will recruit specifically for overseas posts. Competition is often high for these posts. You can find jobs at The Job Centre, through recruitment agencies, newspaper advertisements or a speculative application directly to a company. Speculative Approach In most countries you will need to have a job in place before you are able to get a work permit. You could consider approaching major companies regarding jobs abroad. If you decide to send your CV with a speculative letter you will need to research the company you are writing to and consider what you have to offer as a graduate and the possible needs of the company. You will also need to demonstrate experience and ability to do a job. The BG Futures module of Blackboard has information on CVs and applications. You can also contact bgfutures@bishopg.ac.uk if your require help putting together a CV or need a CV checking. COMPARING QUALIFICATIONS UK students wanting to compare their UK qualifications with that of another country should contact the National Information Centre for Academic Recognition and Mobility in that country for more information. UNESCO has a World Directory of National Information Centres for Academic Recognition and Mobility. They can be e-mailed at bpiweb@unesco.org. The following web-sites also give contact details: European and North American countries view: www.enic-naric.net. POSSIBLE RECRUITERS British Council www.britishcouncil.org promotes Britain abroad. It is an independent, non-political organisation which manages a huge range of activities covering the arts, science, technology and education. Vacancies include teacher trainers, curriculum designers and British Studies specialists. Commonwealth Development Corporation Group (CDC) www.cdcgroup.com. Crown Agents www.crownagents.com runs a graduate recruitment scheme for those who want to gain experience and skills in the field on international development. Posts are advertised in the national press. Department of International Development (DfID) Work in developing countries, the DfID manages Britain’s programme of aid to developing countries. Minimum requirement is usually a professional qualification and two to three years’ relevant experience some in a developing country. Also see the EURES network at the job centre, www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk and The European Yellow Pages, www.europages.com for company information. VISAS / WORK PERMITS Europe You should be able to work in most places in Europe for three months without a work permit. However before the end of the three months workers should apply for a residence permit, showing their passport and job contract at either the Local Police or Local Authority. Contact the relevant countries consulate/embassy for specific regulations. www.fco.gov.uk/travel Outside Europe www.uk.cibt.com
Search by country for visa requirements
www.statravel.com
Information and advice
www.anyworkanywhere.com
Guides on visas, travel, health, work and insurance
Page |4 For information on work permits in a selection of countries see these websites: WEBSITES Overseas Job Search http://bishopg.prospects.ac.uk
Select Job Vacancies for up to date overseas job opportunities
www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk www.all-acad.com
International Jobs Board (Includes UK jobs)
www.hotrecruit.co.uk
Search for jobs both in the UK and worldwide
www.jobmonkey.com
Search by country, location and job type, particularly good for North American holiday jobs, but can search worldwide
www.toplanguagejobs.co.uk
overseas job search
www.europelanguagejobs.com
Jobs board for multilingual jobs
www.industryrecruit.co.uk/overseas/ www.britishcouncil.org
Links to countries worldwide
www.teacherhit.com
Teaching jobs in Europe
Newspapers www.wrx.zen.co.uk/britnews.htm or www.thepaperboy.com this site has links to national and local newspapers Company information www.europages.com
Europe Business Yellow Pages
www.yell.co.uk
UK Yellow Pages
www.britcouncil.org
British Council
www.cdcgroup.com.
Commonwealth Development Corporation Group (CDC) recruitment
Voluntary www.vso.org.uk
A variety of volunteering opportunities
www.concern.net
Works with local agencies in 18 developing countries, 2 year placements for professionals, 2 years post qualification experience usually needed.
www.wse.org.uk
A number of vacancies available through this website
Overseas Jobs Guides www.prospects.ac.uk
Select Jobs and Work Experience, then working abroad
www.anyworkanywhere.com
For guides on visas, travel, health, work and insurance as well as job search.
www.statravel.com
for information and advice
Visas / Work Permits www.workpermit.com | www.skillclear.co.uk | www.prospects.ac.uk | www.fco.gov.uk/travel
for links to embassies and consulates
www.uk.cibt.com
search by country for visa requirements
www.statravel.com
for information and advice
www.anyworkanywhere.com
for guides on visas, travel, health, work and insurance
BG Futures: Careers, Employability and Enterprise operate in accordance with the University Diversity and Equality Policies. If you require this document in an alternative format, for example in large print, please email us at bgfutures@bishopg.ac.uk For more information go to our module on Blackboard or www.bishopg.ac.uk/careers