I’m a college senior thinking about what to do after I graduate. I’m planning on grad school but want to take a year or two off and live/work abroad. Do you have any recommendations on where to begin the search? I’m open to exploring different options! -Submitted by Hannah
Thank you for your question. Taking some time off after college is a great idea for a couple of reasons:
-When else in your life will you have the opportunity to just take off and explore the world?
-Even though you have your degree, you may not be entirely sure what you’d like to do as a career. Traveling and experiencing the world could help identify a particular area to focus on.
-And my favorite reason (coming from an HR person): when it does come time to interview for jobs or apply for graduate, think of all the cool stories you will have to make yourself sound like the most interesting person in the world? At one interview, I started talking about travel (which can be connected to just about anything) and the interviewer asks me all the places I had visited. I listed those off and I think I impressed them…after all, I did get the job!
Now that you are pumped up, let’s explore some possibilities. Working abroad is a viable option considering having some sort of income will assist in your travel ventures. Additionally, if you go through a program, you are likely going to have a much easier time securing a Visa. Here is our short list of some ideas:
-Work aboard luxury yachts in the Caribbean (a la DIWYY co-founder, Jerri), Au Pair in Europe, or work on a farm in New Zealand. Good sites to check out include Extraordinary Jobs for Ordinary People and Transitions Abroad.
-Teach English Abroad. Endless options can be found online but be sure to thoroughly research a program and check its credentials before signing up. One legit organization we recommend is The Japanese Exchange & Teaching Program (JET).
Volunteering Abroad is also a way to give you meaningful experience that you can take back into your professional life when you go to home. You could do anything from helping at an AIDS Orphanage in Tanzania to working at an elephant rehabilitation center in Thailand. For ideas, we recommend checking sites like VolunteerAbroad.com, Cross-Cultural Solutions, and Habitat for Humanity’s Global Village Program. Like working abroad, be sure to thoroughly research the organization you would be going with. If possible, try to talk with people who have previously participated in the program to get a testimonial.
As a last option, traveling on your own (either independently or with a tour) is easy because you make your own schedule! If you do this method, we recommend getting a “Round the World” or Regional ticket so you have the flexibility to book flights as you go within certain parameters. For this type of tickets, check with your travel agent or the major airline alliance websites (oneworld, Star Alliance, SkyTeam).
