HOW TO GET A WORK PLACEMENT

Once you have decided what country you would like to go to and you have decided you want to carry out an internship or job for your residency abroad, it is worth thinking about the kind of industry/sector you would like to work in. It is essential you start planning and organising early, the best way to start is by looking at the country’s search engines.

  • Where should I look?

Use search engines in the target language to find jobs available in the country/city you would like to spend your year abroad in. This is a time consuming and exhausting process, setting up Google Alerts can help. The PROSPECTS website contains a section on working abroad, with links to vacancy sources as well as a section on finding employers, the European Job Mobility Portal can also help as it provides vacancies in over 30 European countries. There is also a student-run organisation, AIESEC, which offers help locating posts abroad.

  • Who should I contact?

It is advisable to contact as many organisations, institutions and companies as possible – you can’t be too picky! Contact employers directly because even if they do not have vacancies at the time, they may be able to offer you some other form of internship or work placement.

  • How should I apply?

It is useful to have a CV and covering letter in the target language – the europass© website offers the facility to create a standardised CV in different languages. Modelo Curriculum is also useful to help format your CV in the appropriate style for the country to which you are applying for jobs as the format and style of CVs and applications varies from country to country. Ensure that your CV is up to date and tailored to the job that you are applying for – it may be useful to create an email template which is adaptable for each enterprise.

  • Can my University help?

Your university’s careers service may be able to offer advice on working abroad and it may be worth booking an appointment to see one of the Careers Advisers. The University of Southampton Career Destinations has several working abroad e-books, which can be viewed here and are accessible to students via WebCat. Links, advertisements and tips are posted to the individual language year abroad Blackboard sites for Southampton students.