Getting a Job Abroad

I have had a very extensive “study abroad experience” you could say. When people ask where I go to school I usually tell them I go to Marist college out of New York, but I’ve never been there. I go to Marist, Italy, and study as a full-time student at their campus in Florence. I spend 4 years abroad to get a degree from an American school without ever going to America. My study abroad experience in this way has been slightly more “broader.” 

This being said, I have had a lot of experience doing many things abroad, as my whole college experience has been abroad. One thing that allows me to sustain myself while abroad is having a job. I work everywhere I go, and I have gained a sense of how to get a job abroad. 

Getting a job in a country that speaks English is slightly different from getting a job in a non-English speaking country. Unless you know the local language in a non-English speaking country, I have found it very hard to get work. In Italy, and I assume other developed non-English speaking countries, I would say the best bet is to look for jobs as an Engish teacher, babysitter, or tutor. Often times middle to upper-class parents are looking for mother-tongue English speakers to work with their children. Also, as it is everywhere in the world, knowing people and having good connections can get you very far as well. The tourism industry could also be a potential place to find a job if you do not speak a local language. However, I have found that even in tourism, both languages are often required.  

Finding work in a country that is English speaking while abroad is much easier than in a non-English speaking I can confirm. I am currently studying abroad in Sydney Australia and I have had gotten many job opportunities. In Australia, I used Facebook groups and an Australian website called Gumtree to first apply to jobs. I also had a couple of days where I printed out a bunch of copies of my resume and walked around major city areas just passing out resumes and talking to different people. I am currently working as a social media assistant/photographer/sales associate for a clothing store that goes to festivals all around Australia. I get to move and travel through the country at the same time as working. It is one of the best jobs I have ever worked and I could not be happier.  I got this one by simply walking into a clothing store and befriending one of the girls that was working. She is now one of my best friends in Australia and I love my life and work here. 

All in all, I have learned so far that culture, language, skill-set, etc aside, the most important thing that will determine if you get a job anywhere in the world is your attitude. It is about having a pleasant and hardworking attitude, and not being afraid to try new things and hustle for opportunities. It is about being yourself and getting opportunities in line with who that is.