useful way of getting a foot in the door of particular occupations. This has become almost de rigueur in glamorous or competitive fields like media, museums, fashion and wildlife conservation.


Destinations for Interns


For certain professions—from hospitality to medicine—work experience can be especially valuable if undertaken abroad. Overseas placements for a few other careers, like international development and tropical marine conservation, are almost compulsory. Some countries are an obvious fit with specific vocations, for


speakers. Even in Europe, language requirements may be minimal; for example, trainee exchange programmes for Finland and Switzerland accept students and young professionals with no facility in local languages. Similarly, internships in Asia through companies like Junior Expat and Next Step Connections carry no language prerequisites.


Placement Agencies Work experience is one of the fastest


growing sectors in the youth travel industry. An international association of work experience providers called WYSE Work Abroad (wyseworkabroad.


and provide local backup, possibly including weekly visits. For these services, agencies charge a substantial fee, normally between USD$700 and USD$1300 for a placement lasting four to six months; this will not include living or travel expenses.


Do-It-Yourself Internships


No agency can guarantee a challenging and appropriate placement for everyone—often the most rewarding internships result from private arrangements. Much can be achieved by confidently and persistently asking for the chance to help out for free in a chosen workplace.


Overseas placements for careers like international development and tropical marine conservation are almost compulsory.


instance New Zealand and recreation, fashion and Italy, or Hong Kong and finance. Anyone looking for hands-on experience in teaching or social work can choose from most countries of the world.


One of the key determining factors is language. A placement at a museum in France or a marketing company in Chile will be open primarily to candidates with a confident mastery of the language. Applicants for these internships may need to submit their documents in the target language, and may be tested verbally as well. Predictably, Australia, New Zealand and the U.K. are popular for English


vergemagazine.com


org) has more than 150 member organizations. Many are affiliated with language schools, which provide a preparatory language course before assignment to a workplace.


Agencies in Canada that place interns, such as Globetrotters Education and Horizon Cosmopolite, often work closely with university and college advisers, finding course- related or co-op placements. They also place individuals from a range of backgrounds. Mediating companies work with partner agents in the destination countries who typically conduct telephone interviews with applicants, customize work placements


Smaller companies are more likely to look favourably on a foreign candidate than large corporations. The endless Googling of words like “journalism internship” and patient follow-up may bring results. The fact that internships do not involve a salary can often simplify the visa situation. Even work shadowing can be instructive and look impressive on a resumé. The possibilities are as endless as your imagination.


Susan Griffith is a freelance editor and author of numerous articles and books about travel, including the classic, Work Your Way Around the World, and more recently, Gap Years for Grownups.


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