Working in different countries

You may decide to work outside your home country as part of a career with international postings, as time out after your studies, or as a planned longterm emigration. Opportunities are numerous and many Oxford graduates work internationally at some point in their career.

Consider your motivations carefully and research your options thoroughly to understand what opportunities are available. You will need to be aware of requirements in terms of languages and qualifications and to investigate any work restrictions. Visa options for working in the UK are outlined in the next article.

Jobs with international opportunities

Multinational companies, multilateral organisations, international development agencies and diplomatic services may all offer secondments or transfers to their international offices after a period of time, or as part of graduate training. Talk to organisations of interest to assess your chances of gaining an international posting if you work for them. If you have wanderlust, a range of organisations have graduate programmes that are explicitly intended to give international experience. Often these require fluency in more than one language,

and/or extreme flexibility regarding job location. Examples of such recruiters can be found in many different sectors, and includes BMW (automobiles), Aviva (insurance), Unilever (fast-moving consumer goods), TUI (travel), Airbus (aerospace), Pandora (retail), and the Overseas Development Institute (ODI).

If you are seeking short-term work in another country and an opportunity to experience international environments, the Careers Service’s Summer Internship Programme provides opportunities across the globe.

Time out after your studies

Taking some time out to travel after graduating can often be funded by working simultaneously. Depending on your nationality, there are a number of visa schemes to help you gain short-term employment outside your country of citizenship. Check with the embassy of your destination to find out more, and see the website Anywork Anywhere for many examples and further resources: www.anyworkanywhere.com.

People who are fluent in English are in demand as teachers all around the world, and Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) is a popular option for experiencing life in another culture. TEFL can also become a longer-term international career. Certain schemes and some schools will provide training and others will require further qualifications. Read our online advice about TEFL teaching for full details.

Other options exist for volunteering/work experience where you receive bed and board: eg. teaching positions brokered by the British Council; VSO; WWOOF; Work Away. See the advice on Gaining Experience and Developing Skills: Volunteering for details.

Employers at Oxford and beyond

Many multinational firms visit Oxford’s career fairs. If you are interested in working for one of their global offices, ask their UK representatives how you can apply to work for the firm in a different or your home country. Some international employers also visit Oxford to give recruitment presentations (and may conduct interviews here), so check CareerConnect’s online Events Calendar regularly for details.

Many other fairs organised by international recruitment organisations take place throughout the world: some in London, while others are ‘virtual’ and held online. Look out for details of these on the Careers Service’s blog and weekly newsletter.

International networking

Make the most of opportunities, while you are in Oxford, to develop your language skills and intercultural awareness by joining relevant international student societies. Employers may contact international student societies to advertise in-country roles. Alumni from Oxford live all over the world, and are often happy to give advice to current students. Use ‘My Oxford Network’, your college alumni office, or LinkedIn to connect with them, or contact international alumni branches via their websites or Facebook groups. See the earlier article on Ethical Networking in this Guide.

If you are an international student looking to work at home, maintain links with your home country. For example, keep in contact with friends at university there and join your national student society at Oxford for networking opportunities. Use the resources and tips described above to research your options and stay in touch with relevant opportunities and developments in your home country. Remember that the recruitment cycle and processes may be different to those in the UK.

Online resources

Online databases provide a vast array of resources to aid job-seeking in most countries. Many are referenced on the Careers Service website. Some examples you can search for include: • The Careers Service’s vacancy database on

CareerConnect frequently holds job postings placed by international recruiters. • GoinGlobal – an external resource accessible via the

Careers Service website with your Oxford Single Sign

On, featuring profiles of 42 countries, a directory of employers, as well as international vacancies and internships. • Our online briefing on finding work outside the UK contains links to a number of national and regional jobs boards. • GradLink – advice and job boards for graduates looking to work in China, South-East Asia, the Gulf,

Canada, Central and Eastern Europe, Africa and India. • EURES – a website listing private and public job opportunities across all member states of the

European Union. • If you know your destination, search for ‘expat’ websites which may offer great advice and opportunities to meet others who have made the same transition.

More information

www.careers.ox.ac.uk/goinglobal www.myoxfordnetwork.com www.gradlinkuk.com www.ec.europa.eu/eures www.graduateland.com