How to find work abroad

by Fiona Christie

I am thinking about moving abroad. I work as a writer and am keen to get a job overseas for a year or so. I was considering the USA or New Zealand, but I don't know where to start to look for jobs. Are there any websites that I should look at? I'm also interested in Spain, Italy or France. Athough, as I don't know the relevant languages very well, it might prove difficult finding a job. Do you have any advice on moving and finding work abroad?

answer

If you are a British citizen it's easier to work within the EU and the EEA (European Economic Area) because you don't need to get any type of work visa. However, it's not quite as simple as buying your plane ticket and setting up residence, and rules vary from country to country. There is some additional administration but it's really just a formality. This website sets it all out for you and even lists job vacancies.

One popular option is to teach English, you can do this privately with no qualifications at all. This will involve trawling all the language schools in the area and advertising conversation classes in local colleges, libraries and universities - it's not guaranteed that you'll find something, but lots of people end up teaching this way. A safer bet is to do a TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) and then find a position at a language school - you may even be able to set this up before you go.

Other options are seasonal work, such as grape picking, or working in a bar or in a resort - where speaking English is seen as an advantage.

As a writer you're in the perfect position to freelance, so you could begin exploring the opportunities for this now. There are several websites where you can advertise for freelance work, see www.freelancers.net and www.journalismuk.co.uk for starters.

If you'd prefer to travel to an English speaking country, New Zealand or Australia are (the rules are pretty much the same) good choices. Both countries operate a working holiday visa, which allows you to work and travel for up to a year. However, there are a limited number available each year, so you need to apply early and they're only available to 18-30 year olds. Visit New Zealand's immigration site for more information. Click here to find out about visas for Australia.

Unfortunately, it's virtually impossible to work in the USA. You must be sponsored by your employer in advance in order to get a work visa. If you don't know someone personally who can do this, there are organisations that offer work placements - or internships, as they're called in the US - but you'll have to pay a fee (usually a large one) for them to organise the visa for you. www.aipt.org and www.alliancesabroad.com are two organisations that offer internships in the US.

Finally, www.goingglobal.com has handy information on working anywhere in the world.

If you have any travel questions, visit our Travelling On A Budget message board and ask the expert.

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How to find work abroad