No one wants to spend their summer holidays at home, begging their parents each night for a tenner to go down the pub and being told to ‘go and get a job!’ It’s never too early to start thinking about your summer, whether you’re a first year undergraduate or even completing your final year, there are international work opportunities available for everyone. LSi give you the top five ways to spend your summer.
Teach English Abroad
Teaching English abroad is no longer a possibility reserved for the privileged ‘gap yah’ student. There are now ample opportunities to teach English in countries all around the world, from Chile to China. As well as being given the chance to carry out rewarding work with young children, teachers are often well paid and in some cases, even offered accommodation. Whilst a TEFL qualification is often required, this can cost as little as £99 to complete online. There are some travel companies such as STA travel, which offer cheap packages including a teaching placement, a TEFL qualification and even the flights to your destination. What’s better is that there is currently a phenomenal demand for native English teachers in China and other parts of Asia. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) have advice on specific countries and on travelling abroad so check out their website if you’re struggling to decide which country to pick.
Who wouldn’t want the chance to work in America this summer? The general rule of thumb is you get your food and accommodation included, you get paid a fairly decent salary and on your days off you then spend time travelling the states before returning to Uni (or hopefully a job). What’s not to like? Although the lengthy application process and its various fees may seem daunting, it is certainly worth it in the long run. Although Camp America is the largest organisation responsible for placing students in summer camps all across America, there are several other companies which all offer their own perks and benefits. If you’re keen on spending your summer in the States, I’d recommend working out what’s the biggest priority for you, be it salary or time off, and then search through the numerous companies to work out which is the one for you.
Volunteer at a Music Festival
If you’re an avid festival goer, but also fancy spending some time in the sun this summer, why not combine the two? Let’s face it, there’s now an abundance of European festivals, most of which are significantly cheaper than their English counterparts and offer more appealing line-ups. Unless you’ve managed to get hold of a Glasto ticket, it’s time to wave goodbye to Reading and Creamfields and start looking for cheap flights to Eastern Europe. After spending two weeks in Croatia last summer at two music festivals there’s no doubt of a return trip this year. My only regret is paying for a ticket. I had friends who volunteered at both festivals; they worked scarcely any hours and spent most the time ‘patrolling’ the beach. Small festivals are springing up every year. Have a look at Outlook/Dimensions, Garden or other Croatian festivals. Croatia is cheap to fly to (take a coach transfer via Italy) and most importantly, hot. There are plenty of websites that offer further advice depending on the country you are thinking of.
Internship
I spent three months in Paris last summer interning at a small mobile application marketing company, being paid 750€ p/m. Although paid internships are difficult to come by, they are the perfect solution for the ambitious and motivated penultimate year student looking for relevant work experience, whilst also being able to go abroad. Do not fear if you’re not a language student, as there are plenty of internships available for native English speakers who do not have a secondary language (I had forgotten nearly all of my GCSE French before heading out there). I found my internship on Student Beans, but there are plenty of websites offering internship opportunities and I’d recommend speaking to the careers centre or heading onto their STARS website if you’re interested.
Eurocamp
There are plenty of campsites all over Europe looking for help during the summer months. Whilst the pay may not always be great, it’s still a great chance to experience working and living abroad. You can also be sure that there will be plenty of other young people in the same situation from all around Europe. Whether you fancy being a cook or even a holiday rep, there are plenty of jobs available so get applying now.
Joshua Julien