To get our participants ready for summer, the first 50 complete applications we receive for the Volunteer and Work & Travel programs will receive a $50 Barnes & Noble gift card! 

Get all of your travel guides and summer reads for free just by applying to go abroad!

Visit our website for more information about volunteering abroad and working abroad.

Allie, our Ambassador, in front of the Sydney Opera House!

With summer just around the corner, you may be itching to go abroad soon. The months in between your school semesters are the perfect time to test the waters and experience living in a different country and culture for a shorter amount of time.

But, many students (and new grads) need to earn money to be able to afford to live abroad. One of our programs that gives participants the freedom to live where they want and travel how much they want, all while earning a living wage, is the InterExchange Working Abroad Work & Travel program.

Opportunities in a variety of industries are available in Australia and New Zealand. Participants receive housing assistance, cultural and social activities and job placement assistance after an orientation held by our in-country international cooperators.

For the adventurers out there, this is the perfect program for you. Discover the magical countries of Australia and New Zealand and earn money to travel as much as you want while abroad!

Visit the InterExchange Working Abroad website for more information or email our team with questions!

I recently went to the San Bernardo Annual Cueca Festival and had a blast! The cueca is a traditional dance in Chile that showcases a male rooster pursuing a female chicken. It is the traditional game of chase and is an energetic and fun dance to watch. I even tried to dance a little!

Watch my video below to see what cueca dancing is all about!

But a lot of those added skills can be more “big concept” ideas. These benefits of working and volunteering abroad can be difficult to verbalize or break down into “real world” scenarios for the people interviewing you. Attributes like flexibility, open mindedness and independence sound great in an interview or cover letter, but may need some finessing to really convey how you can use these newly-acquired skills in a position you’re applying for.

InterExchange Working Abroad programs do give you that important real world professional experience as well. Education and childhood development majors who au pair abroad or teach English will have months of hands-on experience to add to their resumes. Volunteers who participate in projects pertaining to their majors will have direct experience working on a non-profit project. And Work & Travel participants in Australia and New Zealand have the freedom to work in a variety of jobs, often involving skills that relate directly to their chosen careers.

Those “big idea” benefits of time spent abroad, which Working Abroad believes are some of the most important skills to gain, need a little bit more to be as marketable to a human resources staff member at the company you want to work for.

How to Use Your Working Abroad International Experience to Stand Out in the Job Market:

1. Highlight the tangible skills first on your resume and in cover letters: If you took a foreign language class, improved your second language skills, worked/volunteered directly with a company or non-profit or had to plan and schedule lessons or other tasks, include abbreviated descriptions when applying for jobs. These experiences show HR people that you added skills they can actually hear and see. Make sure to have language school certificates, fluency tests and copies of work or lesson plans on hand when going in for an interview.

2. Move on to the “big idea” skills you can add to your resume: Skills like adaptability, strong communication, ability to work in a multi-lingual and multi-ethnic environment and being able to deal with stressful situations are very important to include in the short description of your international experience on your resume. Bullet points or a double column (unlined) table would be a good way to organize things. Think about how you’ve changed the most from your experience abroad and use keywords that the job you’re applying for used in the description of what they are looking for in a candidate. Look at examples of resumes and cover letters to find the right fit for your experience.

3. Turn “big ideas” into examples in your cover letter: You’ve already addressed the “big idea” skills you’ve added to your professional repertoire on your resume. Your cover letter is your chance to really show how this particular skills set make you the right person for the job. Making sure to address the qualifications outlined in the job description for the position you are applying for, describe specific examples you had to use adaptability, for example, in a work situation while abroad or after you returned. If the job description states the company wants a candidate who has strong communication skills, relay a time on your Working Abroad program that could have been stressful, but because you were accustomed to dealing with groups and working with multi-lingual people, you were able to handle the task at hand.

You may not have thought that time spent teaching English abroad for three months in Europe could be used on your resume, but employers love seeing international experience from candidates and you can leverage that interest for your benefit!

The University of Virginia wrote in an online article, Marketing Your Study-Abroad Experience to Employers, that the National Association of Colleges and Employers, in a yearly survey of national employers, found that HR departments are looking for the very skills time spent working and volunteering abroad foster in our InterExchange Working Abroad participants. 

“In the recent NACE Job Outlook April 2011 survey (PDF), employers ranked the following as the top four key skills for new college hires:

• Ability to verbally communicate with persons inside and outside the organization
• Ability to make decisions and solve problems
• Ability to plan, organize, and prioritize work
• Ability to obtain and process information

 You possess these qualities to varying degrees and will continue to develop them throughout the course of your life. Studying abroad provides additional opportunities for you to hone not only these skills, but other key competencies such as leadership, adaptability, flexibility, time management, open-mindedness, and the ability to deal with ambiguity.”

If you’re ready to jump in and have the adventure of a lifetime, while adding life-long skills to your resume, visit our website for more information about InterExchange Working Abroad programs. Do you have questions about how to work abroad or how to volunteer abroad? Email us with questions!

The beautiful harbor of Valparaiso

From InterExchange Working Abroad Ambassador Charisse, Teach English Chile:

Early Saturday morning, I woke up for my day trip to the beautiful Valparaiso and Vina del Mar. Included with me were three other volunteers from the UK and two program staff. We all met and set off for the car ride to the enchanted city. When we arrived, the first thing we did was take a boat ride around the city. I saw all of the ports where they docked cargo and imports into the city; also seals and other wildlife. It was so beautiful—the atmosphere, weather and vivid colors, what more could you want for a Saturday?

After the boat ride and the sailor playing Bob Marley to get us in the relaxing mood, we docked and headed to the mountain top via a little, old, rickety rail. This train is several hundred years old and has survived many earthquakes in the region, however it still manages to work efficiently. When we arrived at the top of the mountain you could see the entire city, which was captivating.

We continued to walk throughout the town, learning all about the city’s history and present state. The streets could be very steep at some points and felt like a gym work out. At one point, another volunteer and I stopped and agreed, “Sheesh, this feels like that button on the treadmill that says hill that you try NOT to press too much!”

After the boat ride and walking tour, we settled to have dinner at a local restaurant. The food was really delicious—different types of fish, seafood and spices from the sea that I had never tried before. Mixed drinks and desserts were also a plus. Bellies full and smiles big, we ventured off to Vina del Mar, which isn’t too far from Valparaiso. We took a moment to relish in the sun before sunset and enjoyed the activities on the boardwalk, including a very talented puppet master show.

Before we left, we climbed over the high rocks of Vina del Mar—took some fun pictures, saw some adventurous sand surfers and then headed back to the car. It was such a fun day, filled with laughs, fun, food and beautiful scenery—I wish every Saturday could be this marvelous and complete.

Gain valuable skills and go on the adventure of a lifetime!

With an increasingly difficult job market for recent graduates in the U.S., any way to differentiate yourself from the crowd is important. A couple of years ago, the people were talking about the importance of raising the numbers of young Americans who study, travel and participate in some type of experience abroad.

Well, in 2013, the number of college students going abroad has increased exponentially. You may have already gone abroad and you probably know a lot of people who have as well. So, how can going abroad really help you in your career goals after you graduate?

There is no question that any experience abroad is an important component of a professional skills set in our very global world today. Studies, surveys from executive search firms and researchers from the last decade have all endorsed the benefits of experience abroad.

This article from Florida State University is just one of a long line of resources that say going abroad will benefit you when looking for a job, continuing your studies after graduation and with your overall interpersonal communication skills.

From Florida State University News article:

A recent study shows that students who have studied abroad in college find jobs related to their majors faster following graduation—and sometimes get paid at higher salaries. In the International Education of Students (IES) Abroad survey, all but 10 percent of graduates who had studied abroad became employed within six months of becoming alumni, and over half of the jobs received related to their college majors.

Most of these young adults also received jobs that were full time rather than part time with starting salaries of $35,000. Meghan Greene, the marketing director for FSU’s International Programs, said international study may be the deciding factor for hire.

“Often, employers are looking for candidates with international experience, or when they are comparing candidates, those with international experience will help them stand out,” Green said. “Having that on a resume really can boost its quality.”

But, and this is an increasingly important aside, it is recently more important to not just study abroad and travel, but to have a meaningful experience that will add directly to your skills set that sets young graduates apart from the rest.

In August 2012, NPR featured an interview with Mark Salisbury called, The Chronicle of Higher Education. In it, Salisbury stresses the importance of more targeted, educational programs abroad.

Many young people study or volunteer abroad with a group of other North Americans who speak English, are in the same age group and have very similar backgrounds. Often times, this happens with a group from the same college or university, religious group or association or club. These experiences can be fun and enlightening. But, it is also hard to really get out of your comfort zone and experience all a new country has to offer when surrounded by a large group of your peers.

With international work and volunteer programs for North Americans, like the ones InterExchange Working Abroad offers, participants can put their interests or career goals to good use, as well as gain more structured and targeted experience.

For example, if you are interested in journalism or media, doing the Working Abroad Volunteer Argentina program, with options to work with a community newspaper, would be a great way to expand your skills, travel, learn Spanish and live in another country.

Education majors can teach English in Asia and Europe to gain classroom experience, earn money and learn about another country’s educational system.

If you want to work in the service or hospitality fields, the Work & Travel Australia and New Zealand program gives participants the freedom to find a position that fits their needs while providing living and job assistance support.

So, if you want to stand out from the crowd when looking for your dream job after graduation, go abroad—with a purpose! Find out more about the great international work and volunteer programs InterExchange Working Abroad offers!

So many mountains for a city girl to take in!

So I officially made it to Chile, or as it is properly pronounced “chee-lay.” I landed in Santiago on the first day of orientation, which as you can image, was very hectic. My first impression of Chile was amazement. When I was flying over the Andes Mountains, headed to the central region of Santiago, it was unlike anything I had ever seen before. It was a breathtaking sight; for a city girl like me, the view of mountains this large was truly a beautiful sight.

After getting through customs and being transferred to the orientation site, I was simply trying to take it all in and take things one step at a time. It was a bit overwhelming to have traveled almost 15 or so hours between connecting flights, going through processing and baggage claims then to finally be brought to a class to have to absorb new material. I was surprisingly alert and awaiting the next set of directions—it must have been my “new country” feelings. These are feelings most people get when they are traveling to a new place for the first time. No matter how bad the circumstances are, they somehow smile and await further instructions to go to the next new task. So no matter how jetlagged or weary I was, this “new country” captivated my interest.

The orientation was informative. The cultural shock began when we realized that Chilean Spanish is spoken differently than standard Spanish. Although, I thought my Spanish was descent, apparently to Chilean standards it needed lots of work.  This, of course, came as a shock to me because in Spain, I spoke fairly well and was complimented by the Spaniards for my Spanish speaking abilities.  But a common lesson to be learned—“when in Chile, do as the Chileans do”—so I learned that Chileans cut a lot of their words when they speak and use other words to describe things.

For example, normally to say ‘more or less’ would be “mas o menos,” but in Chile, we say “maomeno.” I realized that I had to be patient with myself, considering this is a new experience and only about 10% of the country speaks English, which came both as a shock and a challenge all rolled into one.

The in-country cooperator for the Working Abroad program took us to Santa Lucia for a field trip. I loved the streets and parks in the square and it was so active and lively. There were street performers, singers, comedians, painters and lots of people enjoying the weather and atmosphere. The weather made me want to find a nice long hammock, stretch it across two trees and lay in it—this is where the jet lag started. It actually was perfect timing, because I was being taken to my host family’s house after the trip. On the way there, I did fall asleep and awoke to meet my host mom and brother. They greeted me with smiles, hugs and of course, the proper Chilean greeting of a kiss on the cheek.

As I considered the reality of living with no English speakers, my anxieties increased but then slowly dissipated once we sat down and used gestures and basic sentences to express emotions. It became clear to me that this was going to be one of the most amazing and unique journeys of my life and I was ready to embark on it.  

The French Riviera or the day shift at Dairy Queen? A Roman holiday or sunburns at the public pool? Cheering on a matador in Spain or sitting in the bleachers at the ballpark?

If you are a North American citizen and want to go abroad this summer for an adventure of a lifetime, apply now for a short-term position teaching English in one of 10 countries.

Our Working Abroad programs offer meaningful opportunities to experience another country and culture while gaining international work and volunteer experience.

And if you submit your online application by 3/31/2013, we’ll waive the $75 processing fee. Think about all the gelato you can buy with $75!

One incredible perk of being an au pair in Europe is being able to partake in the local festivals of your host country. The Carnival (spelled Carnaval in Dutch) in Maastricht is comparable to Mardi Gras in New Orleans, with slightly fewer beads. There are parades, people dressed in outrageous costumes, and you’ll find yourself singing along (despite not knowing the words) to the raucous songs as you walk down the street!

Enjoy the highlights of my Carnaval experience below: 

Find out more about the new Volunteer Bolivia program and apply online!