Final year in college can be a stressful time when looking for jobs. There are so many to choose from and you still might not know what profession you want to get into. Having spent your whole education in one country, you might think it’s finally time for a change. Taking a gap year immediately after you graduate might be financially difficult for you as it is for most of us so that probably puts you as one of the 92% of students who would like to work abroad once you graduate. Right now, it may seem like a bit of a pipedream. However, there are so many routes you can take in order to be living the life abroad you’ve always wanted while at the same time acquiring a skillset that will have you in demand for a global workplace. So, don’t give up on your dreams so soon!

Graduate Programmes

I’ll briefly discuss some graduate programmes that may appeal to you, keep in mind though that these tend to be highly competitive. The Jameson graduate programme is usually the one that appeals to most graduates. In this programme, you can travel to almost anywhere in the world engaging in marketing and sales. This programme requires a lot of field work physically going from bar to bar selling Jameson’s products so this can be a great way to learn a lot more about the local culture and the people there. 

Enterprise Ireland’s Graduates 4 International Growth is another way of getting involved an international market. It is an 18 month programme with a minimum of 12 months overseas.

Bord Bia’s international graduate programme offers invaluable market experience to graduates, giving them a solid foundation for a career in the food industry. Not only do you get to travel abroad and get paid to do it, but you also acquire a Masters in global business practice from UCD Michael Smurfit.

These are just a few of the many graduate programmes there are on offer. You can find more like them here.

You may have already looked into these graduate programmes and been put off by the sheer ferocity of the competition compared to the few places there are on offer for each programme. So now I’ll discuss some of the less competitive routes.

English Teaching

The most common route people take to work and travel abroad is teaching English and as a graduate you are almost fully qualified. This is a great way to immerse yourself in another culture without even knowing the local language. In fact, some employers prefer that you can’t speak the language as this gives the students full English immersion. Teaching English abroad can give you a great skillset that is underestimated by a lot of people. It will greatly improve your confidence by teaching in front of a class of 30 and even up to 50 students. All of your fellow teachers will more than likely be locals which shows you are very adaptable in a foreign workplace and can find ways around dealilng with cultural differences and you may even pick up a new language. A study conducted by Business News Daily found that this one skill is the first to be recognized by those who have moved abroad in the past. Next come engineering, IT and the sciences. All you need to do now is get TEFL certified and you’re ready to go. If you’re looking to get certified, we recommend https://tefl.ie/.

You may wonder which countries would be the best for you. First of all, if you know a language already, going to a country where that language is spoken would be beneficial to you even if it is just for buying daily essentials or directing a taxi driver. Secondly, if your biggest concern is about pay, many countries offer different salaries and benefits. However, you must keep in mind the cost of living for each country. Japan and United Arab Emirates tend to pay the most, but the cost of living would be much higher compared to Vietnam or China. For first time English teachers, we recommend looking at going through a programme such as the JET or EPIK programme. These programmes are quite similar and are located in Japan and Korea respectively. 

They are both government sponsored, offer accommodation (Japan doesn’t, but the wages are enough to cover it), insurance, training and pay you enough to have sufficient funds left over to pay back student loans, travel or put a nice amount away into savings. They require you to be an ALT (Assistant Language Teacher), usually in middle schools or high schools. Even though the programme says ALTs are expected to work a 35-40 hour week, only 20 hours of that is class time. The rest can be spent on learning the language, class prepping or ‘desk warming’ as it's also called. The holidays in these programmes (winter and summer) allow for more travelling and really experiencing the culture of the country you end up in. Here's what a day in the life of a JET ALT would look like:

Work abroad programmes

If you can’t imagine yourself teaching English for a whole year or living in a country where you can’t speak the language might seem a bit intimidating, maybe a work abroad programme would be more suited to you. Popular destinations include Canada and Australia where you can get a visa from anywhere between 12-24 months. Then, you can move over there and work in any profession in which you can find a job. Many people work in hospitality, but there are also many opportunities for people looking for something a bit more suitable to their degree.

So, don’t worry if you’re desperate to leave the country but are worried your grades aren't high enough. There are many different routes to take and if one doesn’t suit you, another one will. If you really want to enroll in one of the international graduate programmes, why not take a look at this final year study tips blog to give you that competitive edge.