job Archives - Opportunities Abroad

June 28, 2017 by Edgar

Summer Travelling on a Student Budget

Image courtesy of Jack Snell via Flickr (CC 2.0)

The Long Hot Summer

The one sure thing about university is that you get holidays – lots of them! And summer is the biggest and the best time to set off on some adventures. But they can burn a hole in your pocket too, so here are some tips to keep you on the road…

Make the most of them – plan your trip

Planning your budget for your holiday is of course the most important way to keep costs down. Contingency money and travel insurance(!) are also must-haves. You never know when you’re going to need it and you’ll be glad that you have it when you do. If you travel a lot, think about getting annual cover, as the costs tend to be less.

Planning can also steer you clear of the dreaded ‘tourist traps’ that will quickly see your bank balance go south! Main tourist spots will attract a hike in prices, so be sure you know as best you can before you go what you should expect to pay for food, hotels etc.

It’s a long summer, so working and saving before going anywhere is always a good option for students. It gives you the time to save your pennies and plan your trip before setting out.

Work whilst you’re away

Finding a job whilst you’re travelling can give you a great chance to get to know the people and culture of a place you’re visiting. Best of all, you’ll make friends for life.

It can also give you a base and the money to explore the country from. Your new friends can give you the inside information on the best places to go and how to avoid the tourist traps that will drain your bank account.

Having experience of working in different countries always looks impressive on a CV too.

Use your Social Media

As well as the must-have travel guides in book form, there is a lot you can now research online to find the best deals and most exciting places to go. Social media is also a good way to check what’s going on in certain places and potentially find a job for when you arrive. As ever – be cautious on the internet and never give over your details. Only use it for extra research, as things may be very different when you get there!

Once you’re there, social media can help plug you in to what’s going on in town, and find the best places to explore

Festivals and Camps

Festivals and camps that only exist in the summer will often be looking for employees, so can be a great way of having a cheap holiday. Camps like Camp America will pay for your room and board, and you’ll have extra money to spend as you see fit.

Again, this type of work will look great on your CV and you’ll have made great friends whilst enjoying yourself – that can’t be bad!

Failing all of that, you can start saving now and travel the world next year!

January 26, 2017 by Edgar

How Work Experience Can Transform Your Prospects

Image courtesy of Matthew Ragan CC 2.0 Flickr

Work experiences can vary greatly – sometimes you’ll be thrown right in at the deep end, and others you’ll have to seek out challenges. Wherever you find yourself during university or after graduating, here are four things to remember to make work experience work for you.

Contacts

Make contacts. Lots of them.

Work experience is your opportunity to meet those people who might be hiring you one day. If you show willingness to learn and enthusiasm for the line of work, your employer will remember you as a safe pair of hands – someone reliable. So, you’re increasing your employability with every good impression you make.

Learn the ropes

Being able to try your hand at the job is unquestionably good. Ok, you might not be performing surgery or presenting a case in court just yet – but being in that environment (hospital or court) will expose you to how things are done and the different expectations there are on different roles.

Even if you are only supporting someone else’s work, or shadowing them, being familiar with the surroundings will make future employers more likely to look favourably at your application.

This is particularly good for when you’re interviewed for that dream job. If you can back up your grades and enthusiasm with evidence that you have worked in the field in some capacity, the interviewer will see that you are serious about your chosen career.

See if it’s for you

Work experience isn’t just for the opportunity to break into a career; it’s your chance to see if the work is something you’d enjoy doing long-term. It’s a good idea to speak to the people who are doing the job already, buy them a coffee and take five minutes to ask them about the drawbacks as well as the advantages. You’ll be getting a clearer picture of whether the career is really for you or not.

What you still need to learn

There will always be a gap between where you are now and where you want to be in the future. You’ll not have all the skills or knowledge to just walk into your dream job. So use work experience to get a picture of the things you can do to improve and then go away and work on them.

GLOSSARY

To throw somebody in a the deep end
Form	:	Phrase (refers to the deep end of a swimming pool, as opposed to the shallow end)
Meaning	:	To make someone do something difficult, especially a job, without much help.
Example	:	“On my first day at school I had to present to the whole class. Talk about being thrown in at the deep end!”

A safe pair of hands
Form	:	phrase
Meaning	:	Someone who can be trusted to do a good job
Example	:	I left Sandy in charge of the shop while I’m on holiday – she’s a safe pair of hands.

(Learn) the ropes
Form	:	phrase
Meaning	:	To become familiar/skillful at doing something
Example	:	It took me a while to learn the ropes, but now I’m a skilled photographer.

Try ones hand at something
Form	:	phrase
Meaning	:	To have a go at something (new)
Example	:	I’d like to try my hand at sailing one day. I’ve never done it before.

A drawback
Form	:	noun
Meaning	:	A disadvantage. A feature that makes something less appealing.
Example	:	The main drawback of working in a bar is the unsociable hours.

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