Paid Work Abroad

Working abroad is a great opportunity to work and live among local people to learn their language, cultures, traditions, and politics, as well as make new friends.  You can’t truly experience a foreign country in a few days.  Living there will be a time of personal growth, as well as add valuable job experiences and qualifications to your resume.  Most of the jobs available are short term, for a few months to a year.  

Who works abroad? 

• College students who want to experience another country while on summer break. 
• College grads who want to travel before settling down to a full time job at home, known as a gap year.
• People wanting to earn their way, so they can stretch out a vac
• People who are looking for an inexpensive way to experience another country
• Retirees who want to experience other cultures during their retirement.
• Students studying a foreign language
• People looking for employment free from income tax

Depending on what country you will be working in, you need to get a residency permit and work visa/permit.  Unfortunately, you can’t get a work permit without a job, and you usually can’t find a job without a work permit.  Depending on the type of job, there are programs available that can assist you in finding a job and obtaining the necessary paperwork.  If you are between 18 and 30 you can apply for a working holiday visa in New Zealand or Australia.  These two countries are among the most popular for working abroad.  Wouldn’t it be fun to work on an Australian outback farm doing anything from cattle mustering to fruit picking? 

What other jobs can you expect to find in other countries?  Teaching English is one of the most popular and is booming.   Speaking English is usually the only qualification needed however there are courses that offer you certification.   This link will provide you with some information on these. Online TEFL and TESL Courses

Below are links that provide information on each country that offer teaching jobs:

Argentina	Australasia
Italy	Chile
Africa	Mexico
Brazil	Spain
Japan	Latin America
Asia	Czech Republic
Canada	Taiwan
Korea	Middle East
China	Russia
Thailand	Ecuador
Guatemala	United Kingdom
France	Costa Rica
Europe (Central and Eastern)	Europe (Western)

Positions are available in the hospitality industry and in retail stores, grocery stores, resorts, and restaurants.  There are positions in farming, office work, medical field, banking centers, engineering, advertising, at tourist destinations, and in schools.  There are many tourism jobs available.    If you like sports consider jobs coaching sports and introducing children to community sports.

Your salary or pay will depend on the job.  You can make anywhere from $300 to $2300.  Corporations in Germany and Belgium are known to pay the best.  Some will pay a reduced salary but provide you with room and board.  Sometimes you make enough to earn back any program fees and travel expenses.  China pays a low salary, enough to get by during your stay in China, but usually not enough to earn back your costs.

For students, two of the main programs are BUNAC Work Abroad Exchange, and overseas job placement programs offered by U.S.-based work exchange organizations. These programs emphasis exchange because in most cases someone from another country will come to work in the U.S.   Bunac is the most popular program because it’s not necessary to apply far in advance.  You can get a work permit without having a job. 

If your job does not include housing, check out Hostelling International USA for accommodations.  Most programs require you to have health insurance. 

If you’re a single man over 50 and know how to dance, you might want to travel abroad as a cruise ship host.  Your main duties are attending dances and dancing with single women.  During the day you go along on shore excursions with groups of single women.  If there is no shore excursion, you are available for midday dance lessons.  If there are card games, you might be asked to fill in as a fourth player if needed.  Cruise ship positions are not just for single men.  There are hundreds of positions available for both men and women.  You’ll meet many wonderful people of different nationalities and countries, and enjoy many ports of call.  You can check out information on jobs available and more at Cruise Line Jobs or Cruise Ship Jobs.

There is another concept for working abroad, “the expatriate advantage”.  Head overseas to a low or no tax jurisdiction, such as Dubai, and you’ll earn enough in a few years to kick start your savings.  If you leave your country of domicile and become a resident, employed in one of these tax free employment hubs, you will earn dollars tax free.  You’ll be in a position to save and invest more disposable income into offshore investment accounts.  Do this for a couple years and not only will you have all the other benefits of working abroad, but you’ll also have a healthy nest egg or retirement savings.  Most of these tax free hubs are located in the United Arab Emirates, so not every place will be as cutting edge as Dubai.  Transitions Abroad has information on this growing trend. 

 

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