This chapter picks up on the earlier theme of broadening your horizons, first mentioned in Chapter 2, which suggested keeping an open mind and looking at the whole range of jobs and career paths undertaken by other students who have graduated in your discipline (which is exactly what Chapter 3 does). As the title indicates, one way to broaden your horizons is to consider working or studying overseas, and this chapter will help you to think it through, whether you are setting your sights on global leadership of a multinational organisation, or just wanting to take off on your travels.
The chapter will consider what the demand is for the global graduate and how employer and employee both stand to gain. We look at where you can find opportunities, and cover some of the practicalities involved in travelling and living abroad, drawing on brilliant case studies to show how others have fared overseas. Crucially, we show you how to frame your own overseas experience in terms of adding value to your skillset and mindset, even if that was the last thing on your mind when you headed off, passport in hand. So whether you’re working as a cleaner in a hostel in South America or as a high flier for a multinational, whether you’re about to head off or even if you are reading this now you’re back home, this chapter has something for you.
Demand for global graduates
The concept of supply and demand is an important one for the graduate jobseeker. Chapter 2 explains it in detail but all you need to know here is that you (as a graduate looking for work) are the supply and it is the employers who are the demand. So let’s look at the demand for global graduates.
Employment overseas as graduate choice
The latest published figures confirm that overseas employment is very much a minority destination, accounting for only 3.4% of all graduates across all disciplines. Although that is a very small proportion, it is interesting that this proportion has increased in the last few years, which means more UK domiciled graduates have secured work outside of the UK than before. Roughly four in ten went to Europe, about two in ten went to the Far East and only one in ten went to North America.
Underneath this overall figure are different types of overseas employment, which are likely to include both graduate and non-graduate work. Graduate level entry could be either to a UK multinational company (e.g. Tesco) which then sends the employee to work overseas as part of its international operations, or where a multinational company based outside the UK (e.g. BNP Paribas) takes on a UK graduate and sends them to work as part of its operations which are based outside the UK. Or a graduate might simply seek out graduate work in an overseas location, perhaps to gain job-specific experience, as you will see from our brilliant examples. A graduate may well accept non-graduate work because working overseas is their key driver and the nature of the work is of less importance to them at that time in their career.
Although nobody can predict the future labour market with certainty, it is entirely possible to use economic modelling to get a good sense of how things might turn out over the next few years. Research into future demand across the European Union indicates that between now and the end of the decade, demand for managers, professionals and associate professionals is likely to increase – and these jobs are firmly at graduate level. The same research expects an increase in the employment rates of highly qualified workers within Europe. We need to be cautious here, because this could mean that highly qualified workers (which of course includes graduates) are taking jobs which may not necessarily be at graduate level. Of course that does not mean a graduate stays forever in a non-graduate job; they could easily use the experience of working overseas to develop the skillset and mindset required of a global graduate.
Specific demand for ‘global graduates’
Increasing globalisation and internationalisation of business enterprise and organisations is starting to create a demand for a global graduate. Here’s one definition: ‘A global graduate is equipped with the skills and competence to succeed in a global marketplace and enable them to perhaps one day become a global leader of a multinational organisation’ (CIHE, 2011). Global graduates in this context need to demonstrate that they have all the transferable skills (discussed in full in Chapter 2) but particularly teamwork, communication, resilience and self-management. If we picture a team of employees pulled together from the far reaches of a global organisation for a specific task, then think through what skills they need to work effectively, teamwork and effective communication would of course be top of the list. Resilience and self-management are also going to be in demand for the individuals in that team, because they will be dealing with the new and the unfamiliar, and they are going to have to get on with the job – and with fellow workers.
Multinationals are big organisations and they demand a great deal from their employees, which is why the skillset has to be at high levels; not surprisingly, the multinationals want to attract and retain highly qualified staff so these jobs can be very well paid. Clearly, not everyone is going to fit that specification, and not everyone is aiming for that career goal. Nevertheless, the global skillset is prized by all employers with global connections, not just the big transnationals, which means it is worth considering how you can enhance your total skillset through overseas experience.
Employment which demands working abroad
For some people, their career goal is to take up a role which will, by definition, involve working abroad. Examples include teaching English abroad, working for the European Union, or simply working in the profession for which they have been trained, but in another country. A growing number of people are choosing to work in international development, an interest that may start through volunteering and develop into a paid role. Our next brilliant example, Rachel, spent half of the second year of her degree as an English language assistant in Réunion and Madagascar. She returned to Madagascar as a volunteer soon after graduation, working on building and reforestation projects. After a spell back home to earn some money, she returned to Madagascar, and she continues her story.
‘I led a community health team in a remote region. I did a lot of translating as I was the only French speaker . . . I followed an ecology course as an independent student, being taught by non-government organisation (NGO) professionals . . . on my return to the UK I applied to an international relief and rehabilitation organisation. After a week-long assessment process, I was offered my present post in the Democratic Republic of Congo. I work in French every day, working in medical logistics.’
Rachel, BA (Hons) French and International Development Studies
Demand for language proficiency
For many people, over and above the desire to travel, learning a language is a big draw. Even language students who have studied a specific language to a high level want to deepen their proficiency and immerse themselves in the relevant culture. There is no doubt that learning a language (even at the most rudimentary level) requires you to see things differently and as such increases your cultural agility and sensitivity. But how highly do employers actually value language proficiency?
Employers canvassed by the Confederation of British Industry (CBI, 2011) for their opinion on key issues to do with education and skills reported some concerns about finding people with appropriate skills levels to fill their professional and managerial jobs in the future. This is encouraging for graduates aspiring to such jobs, provided they are prepared to develop their skills base.
As a population, the British are not known for their language ability and the prevalence of English as a common language in business may well have contributed to this. But that does not mean language proficiency is not needed. When asked specifically about the demand for foreign languages as part of the desired skillset, only 27% of the employers in the CBI survey said they had no need for languages; which means 73% do have a need for languages at some level. Only 8% of employers required language fluency. This is a small proportion but a high skill demand because fluency assumes mastery of spoken and written language, which requires constant upkeep and updating.
Even if your language levels are less than perfect, they are still a useful addition to your skillset; employers see their value in making new contacts and building relationships, and of course for international working. There is one final, very important point to grasp about language ability: although it adds value to a skillset, just on its own it offers very little.
‘I also thought I was always going to get somewhere with the sheer intellectual kudos of being able to speak foreign languages. It might have been useful if someone had encouraged me to see the merits of business and to appreciate the interesting aspects of jobs that may seem quite boring at first glance. But I was far too concerned with analysing French Occupation literature and learning vocabulary to worry about such piffling things at the time!’
Simon, BA (Hons) French and German, MA Translating
‘Working at the anti-landmine charity as a translator, interpreter and administrator was a significant learning experience . . . rewarding and challenging in equal measure. (But) I felt I wasn’t really helping as much as I had hoped and with my lack of medical, psychological or sociological knowledge it seemed to me I didn’t have a place in a charity.’
Claire, BA (Hons) Modern Languages (Arabic and Spanish), MA International Journalism
Looking at travel from the employer’s perspective
Employers value the transferable skills you will develop abroad
Once you’re putting your travels behind you and are applying for work or postgraduate study, it is not about where you went and what you saw: it is about how you expanded your professional repertoire and how you can apply what you learned on your travels to your new work situation. It is highly likely that you develop valuable transferable skills through your overseas experience. Chapter 2 takes a detailed look at what transferable skills are, but the most likely skills you will develop as a direct result of your overseas experience are:
- Self-management: you will have learnt more about yourself, about how you handle stress and being out of the familiar, or being out of your comfort zone. You may also have had time to think through what is important to you in your life and therefore in your career.
- Problem solving: no doubt your overseas experience threw up challenges and problems that you had to solve. Even relatively simple challenges inherent in travel (planning journeys, making connections, getting to the right place at the right time) will make you think through what you are doing and how you are doing it. You may well have found yourself dealing with the unfamiliar and perhaps the unexpected; this in turn demands you find a way through problems.
- Resilience: this is the capacity to keep going even when the going gets tough. Living, working, studying and travelling overseas can all be delightful, but can also be challenging. Resilience is how you handle yourself when things seem to be relentlessly challenging. This calls for hope, optimism and being prepared to re-frame things mentally.
- Foreign languages: frankly, if you come back from an overseas experience with absolutely zero development in your language ability, that’s disappointing. Even if you have mastered nothing but very basic language (greetings, thanks, requests) you will have had the valuable experience of realising how limited you are without language. And for many, the overseas experience allows you to develop fluency and understanding of the language in question and, through that, to develop an appreciation of that country’s culture and customs.
Employers value subject-specific skills
Our next brilliant example is interesting because she already has a job, as a lecturer in animal management at a college of further education. She is travelling in order to enrich her subject knowledge.
‘During the summer I plan to travel to Africa to work on an animal conservation project. I am so excited! I look forward to visiting this extraordinary country and working with fellow conservation lovers, caring for wild animals and helping to maintain their environment. I can put my passion into practice and continue to learn in breathtaking surroundings with some of the most magnificent animals.’
Katie, BSc (Hons) Animal Behaviour and Welfare
What opportunities are there abroad?
Erasmus+: short-term study abroad as part of your degree
Erasmus+ is arguably the best-known university exchange programme: over one million students have participated in the last 20 years. Under the Erasmus+ scheme, students spend at least one semester studying in a different university in another country. The scheme has operated in at least 28 countries across the European Union (EU) and Switzerland and has expanded beyond the EU to other countries all over the world under the Erasmus Mundus scheme.
Erasmus+ eligibility requirements
In order to participate, you must be: enrolled as a student (undergraduate, postgraduate or doctoral); eligible to participate (which means broadly speaking that you should have the right to study in the EU); and your home university (here in the UK) must have a bilateral agreement with the host university (overseas). Your course tutor would know if a bilateral agreement with another university is already in place for the course you are on. Your own department might also have some information, but do look both at departmental and university level for the fullest possible information. Even if nothing is in place for your course, your university might already have a bilateral agreement with another university for other courses, and it could be possible for your subject simply to be added to that bilateral agreement.
So if you are interested, the best place to start is the international office or possibly the Erasmus+ office in your own university. They should be able to advise you on what you can study where, and whether you can apply for a grant. Of course, what you make of those opportunities, and how you transfer your learning to your brilliant jobsearch is very much up to you. Most of what we discuss in this chapter would apply to people taking part in an Erasmus+ programme: studying abroad gives you a unique opportunity to learn another language, to learn about another culture and to broaden your outlook.
Work experience as part of your degree
Some courses, especially language degrees, include a chance to spend a year working abroad in a role which will complement the academic content of the course, for example as an English language assistant in a school or college. Others may offer a shorter period of time – the kind of experience Joanne talks about.
‘One of the modules I undertook on my course was called experiential learning. I had the opportunity to work in Romania, delivering drama workshops in communities and schools there. This opened my eyes to all sorts of valuable experiences and taught me so much about education in another country.’
Joanne, BA (Hons) Drama and Theatre Studies
Vacation work while you are a student
Most students need to work in the summer vacation, so why not think about working abroad? There are useful reference books on the subject which you will find in your university careers service or library, and some employers come onto campus to recruit.
‘The university careers team were instrumental in helping me secure a vacation job coaching football in the USA for the summer of my first year, something which undoubtedly benefited me and increased my employability.’
Phil, BA (Hons) Business Studies
How to get what’s out there
Check if you are allowed to work
You can either secure employment and then travel to your new job – or travel to your destination first, then sort out employment. In some cases, you’ll have to get the job first because that’s what the law requires. You will find there are restrictions to employment depending on the country of employment and the nationality of the employee, so your normal country of residence is important.
There are, however, many opportunities: European Union (EU) nationals are free to live and work anywhere in the EU; some labour markets allow fixed-term work visas for temporary work, or specialised work which can’t readily be filled by a local employee; and some international employers can secure work permits for employees who need them.
European Union nationals are free to live and work anywhere in the European Union. In addition, temporary work visas are sometimes available for specified workers, either with key skills or in hard-to-fill sectors.
Before taking on employment you will need to check (a) if there are any restrictions and (b) if these restrictions apply to you. This information is readily available by country – though of course it may not be available in English. The best source of reliable information is the Embassy or High Commission of the country you are interested in. There are also compendium books which pull together a number of destination countries. Your university careers service should have these for reference.
Check out job opportunities
Chapter 1 takes you through the process of finding out what jobs are on offer in great detail, and everything in that chapter applies here. Broadly speaking, you need to look at what’s on offer in terms of paid work, and you need to let employers know that you are available for work. You can use printed media (newspapers, bulletins and directories) and online (websites, social networking). Online is particularly useful for overseas work.
Make full use of online resources when looking for work abroad. Use websites, including national newspapers which publish job adverts online. Use social networks to find out about working abroad.
You can also look for work on location. If, for example, you are an EU citizen you can travel anywhere within the EU and then look for a job. You can try the usual labour market channels: local newspapers; employment agencies; speculative applications (i.e. going into an organisation and asking them if they have any vacancies) or word of mouth. It is worth expanding your jobsearch to include some sectors and occupations you wouldn’t normally think of; this is particularly useful if the experience of living and working abroad is more important than developing a particular set of job-related competencies.
The problem with looking for a job once you’re abroad is that you’ll need to stay somewhere, and to fund yourself during your period of jobsearch. This takes money – almost always more than you expect. And it probably takes a fairly good idea of the local job market, and maybe even a bit of luck once you get there to secure the kind of job you want, as shown in our brilliant example.
‘I started off looking for a job on the Mediterranean coast, because I’d got the chance of accommodation there. So basically I got a load of CVs and went round pretty much every restaurant; that was where I had had most experience, through my Saturday job and work experience at school. It was horrible, really scary, because I didn’t really know what I was saying. One place phoned back, invited me for an interview, and gave me a job as a runner.’
Hannah, (Undergraduate) Economics, Politics with International Studies
Check out whether casual work is worth the risks
Beware that you might be offered casual work that is not legitimate. This can be very tempting: often the pay is cash in hand, and at first sight it does look so much easier to get started working straight away, rather than wade through the hassle of bureaucracy. But working illegally can end up being way more hassle. With no legitimacy and therefore no employment rights or protection, you would be on your own if you had to deal with some of the potential problems of unregulated employment: under-payment; accidents at work; bullying or discrimination.
Take the bureaucracy of labour laws (work permits) seriously: protect yourself from the potential problems of unregulated work.
What you need to know before you go
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) spearheads the ‘Know Before You Go’ campaign, which aims to help British nationals be safe (and in good health) when abroad. It covers a number of key areas – some of which could save your life:
- get adequate travel insurance;
- check the FCO’s country travel advice: this is updated very frequently, to take account of emergency situations, e.g. natural disaster or political unrest;
- research your destination – know the local laws and customs;
- visit your GP as soon as you know that you are travelling;
- check your passport is in good condition and valid and you have all necessary visas;
- make copies of important travel documents and/or store them online using a secure data storage site;
- tell someone where you are going and leave emergency contact details with them;
- take enough money and have access to emergency funds.
Use the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) website (www.gov.uk/knowbeforeyougo) for good information and advice about your destination.
Once you’re away from home
Enjoying the overseas experience
‘I eventually decided to do TEFL in Germany, especially as I had missed out on the country during my uni year abroad (I had only gone to France) and saw it as a great opportunity to learn the language properly and get some teaching experience. It went really well for me. I really took to teaching and was extremely enthusiastic about living abroad. The Business English context I teach in in Germany has given me a great and interesting insight into so many different companies. I’m very positive about my time in Germany. I’ve done translating and proofreading work here also, helped set up a website and have worked for a disabled foundation. I had initially thought I could never move back to the UK but lately I’ve felt more open to it.’
Simon, BA (Hons) French and German, MA Translating
You might find the whole experience of working and living away from home is enjoyable from day one: that’s brilliant! However, you also might have to put a bit of work into making the experience enjoyable. Having some language is going to help – and acquiring language once you are there will help even more. Being ready to try new things, eat new food, do things in a new way is also going to help you adjust quickly and fit in. You might also need to make more of an effort to make new friends than you would do at home, just carrying on with your normal social circle. People may well make the first approach to include you in what they are doing, but you’ll need to show that you are interested in what’s going on and are prepared to fit in. So, try to say ‘Yes’ to any invitations – even if they turn out to be a less than brilliant time, you will at least have clocked up one more experience.
Surviving the overseas experience
Thanks to social networking sites, you can learn a huge amount, both positive and negative, from other people’s experiences. Use them to post questions in advance of your trip, and once you get to your new place. And once there, you can readily tap into the online community, which itself can be a mixture of local people and a more international crew. Your new work mates may also have good advice, which can cover really basic stuff (where to buy food at local supermarkets or markets) to blending in as a local. See what Claire has to say on this:
‘Before I went to Damascus people asked me if I’d have to wear a hijab (headscarf) in order not to offend, or to try and fit in. But I didn’t want to wear one, I felt it would be somehow lying, so I decided I wouldn’t, and it was absolutely fine that way. The main thing is to dress conservatively, covering elbows, knees and chest, but in a comfortable way. It’s important to maintain a level of confidence in how you dress and it’s really good to have clothes that suit you and that you like, even if they’re not what you’d wear at home. Having said that, even covering yourself from head to toe will not prevent the comments and the staring. It’s just something that you have to put up with, walking around as if you’re no longer anonymous. Once a young girl of about 10 tapped me on the shoulder and asked incredulously, “Are you from here?” So whether it’s men or women doing the staring, it’s best to assume it’s a harmless sense of wondering.’
Claire, BA (Hons) Modern Languages (Arabic and Spanish), MA International Journalism
Bureaucracy and accessing key documents wherever you are
Once you are away from home, there are a number of really vital documents which if lost, you would have to replace. Some of these are official: National Insurance documents; passport; visas. Others are personal but equally important: insurance policies; tickets; bank details. You can easily create a document which records all the detailed information you would need if the worst were to happen. It will help enormously if you have someone back home who can access the things you need which you have forgotten to bring: your contact lens prescription; your birth certificate; your European Computer Driving Licence certificate. You could also scan these, and other important documents, and save them on an Internet-accessible website account that you can then access from an Internet connection anywhere in the world. Here’s Hannah again.
‘The bureaucracy (for working abroad) was tedious, but not impossible. Both my employers did what they could to help. If I needed something I didn’t have with me, I phoned home and got it faxed out, or went to an Internet café and accessed stuff that way.’
Hannah, (Undergraduate) Economics, Politics with International Studies
Keeping going when the going gets tough
Even if you have really been looking forward to going abroad, you will have difficult times, when you might feel lonely or homesick. You might feel you have made a big mistake and just want to go home. You might feel you are doing everything you possibly can to get work, make friends and join in with people and it’s just not getting you where you want to be as fast as you want to get there. This is perfectly normal, and part of any successful transition from one phase of your life to another. Here is another brilliant example: Claire spent six months in Africa before going to university (three months working in Uganda followed by three months travelling in East Africa), a whole year abroad between her second and final years of undergraduate study (six months at Damascus University and six months working in Colombia for an anti-landmine charity) and now works in Cairo. She shares her experience of feeling low, and what works for her.
‘I learnt to deal with homesickness (in Uganda) – there was just one bout of it, about a month and a half in, and I found the best thing was to go and see friends, or acquaintances, and do something local. To live in the moment and the place, and try and detach. But there’s also an element of riding it out. Certainly having had that introduction to living far away from home comforts helped a lot on my (undergraduate) year abroad though. I settled into life in Colombia without too much trouble, and by the time I went to Syria I was a pro at packing and dealing with airports, visas and foreign currency. Settling in, for me, comes with a routine, and I think it’s important to feel settled in order to get the most out of a place.’
Claire, BA (Hons) Modern Languages (Arabic and Spanish), MA International Journalism
Positive steps to take
Try to keep a sense of perspective: is the setback you’re experiencing going to be such a big deal in five days’ or in five months’ or even in five years’ time? When you feel you’ve had a really rubbish day, just take five minutes on your own and identify three positive things that have happened. These can be quite small steps, for example:
I got off the bus at the right bus stop/I understood my colleague when he asked me to do something.
Positive things can also be outside of work, for example:
I smelt the gardenia in blossom/I felt so warm in the heat of the day.
It can help to write these moments down in a notebook, so that you build up a store of positive experience, which can help to give a sense of perspective when you’re feeling down. Try to keep going: put a bad day behind you and rather than starting the next day convinced things are going to keep going wrong, try to be positive and open to this day going a little bit better.
Try to put negative experiences and feelings to one side and focus on the positive. Take five minutes, each and every day, to identify three positive experiences, no matter how small they may seem.
Returning
Securing something to come back to: study or work
Update your CV in the light of your experience abroad
Try to capture, on your CV and in your job applications, the ways in which you have expanded your skills and competence. If you have been working, your new skills may well be specific to the work you did, for example.
I learned to speak fluent Spanish; I can cash up a till; I can operate tools and/or machinery and/or programmes.
Have a look at the kind of employability skills all employers want, but also look at anything an employer specifies in a job advert or person specification.
Rethink your CV in the light of your travelling experience. Think it through from an employers’ perspective so you are ready to explain how your travels have added value to you as a prospective employee.
Include soft skills: look at it from the employers’ perspective
You may also have developed the so-called soft skills, which are just as sought after by employers. These include:
- communication;
- problem solving;
- self-management and resilience.
It is highly likely that you will have found yourself in situations abroad where you had to be flexible, and perhaps also where you had to keep going when things weren’t plain sailing. Teamwork skills, such as persuading/negotiating and respecting others are undoubtedly skills you had to develop for a good experience abroad. Try to sell your experiences in terms that are of interest to an employer.
Foreign language ability
Many employers are not satisfied with foreign language fluency in graduates. But before you claim you can negotiate high-level deals in another language, appraise your language levels. And if your newly polished language is restricted to ordering food and drink, you might think about picking up some more commercial language applications as part of your jobsearch.
Get your return destination sorted before you go abroad
Securing a job or place on a postgraduate programme to pick up on your return is exactly the same procedure you followed to get your job abroad – but in reverse. You might be able to get this all sorted before you even go off on your travels, which means you don’t have to think about it at all once you’re away from home. Or you might decide to apply from abroad before you return. This is certainly worth exploring for postgraduate programmes, as an interview is not always necessary.
How to be interviewed at a distance
Even if you are expected to have an interview you could explore the possibility of doing the interview at a distance – by Skype, for example. This would mean you would miss out on the chance to visit the campus and to meet other people applying for your programme, so it does have its drawbacks. But the distance interview does have the major advantage of sparing you the expense of travelling a long way. If you do manage to organise a cyber-interview, treat it exactly as you would a face-to-face meeting: prepare for it thoroughly, and present yourself well. Dress formally, look professional. You can always head for the beach once the Internet interview is over.
If you need to be interviewed while you are abroad, ask if an online interview is possible, e.g. using Skype. Remember this is still a formal interview, so dress professionally and present yourself well.
Aftermath
Don’t be too shocked if home seems unfamiliar when you first return: you will adjust to the way of life here, just as you did abroad!
Reverse culture shock
Coming home after a spell abroad might seem like the easiest thing in the world. But you need to be aware of reverse culture shock. Quite simply, what has always seemed familiar becomes unfamiliar when you go back to it, having experienced something quite different. You might even feel a bit homesick for your life abroad. This can come as something of a shock, and although it’s not something people talk about very much, it is quite common. You can draw on the same techniques as you did when you were away: look for the positive in your experiences, however small they may at first appear. You will adjust, and in time, things will fall into place again. Just hold on to everything that was good about your experience. Here’s a final word from Hannah.
‘The best thing about working abroad is when you realise that this is your life. You really do have friends here that you care about. You can go out with them and you can really talk to them in French. And it’s as real a relationship as if it was in English. It’s just very satisfying, and it’s what I wanted. Would I recommend working abroad? Yes, definitely, one hundred per cent.’
Hannah, (Undergraduate) Economics, Politics with International Studies
- Working abroad can be both enjoyable and useful.
- Just a few simple steps will help you to be safe and healthy.
- There are opportunities before, during and after your degree course.
- Make sure that you show clearly how your experiences add value to you as a prospective employee, using the language of employability and skills.
What to do next
Have a look at the Erasmus+ programme (https://www.erasmusplus.org.uk/about-erasmus) to get an idea of what it does. You could also find out what your university offers under the Erasmus+ scheme, by talking to your course tutor, or the international or Erasmus+ office in your university. Use social networks or ask friends who have worked abroad what they made of the experience. Ask employers (at job fairs or alumni events) whether they value overseas experience. Simply think about travelling to enhance your employability, and keep it in mind as a possible option.