Home or Away?

NO, WE ARE not talking about football or which question to choose on Question of Sport.  In fact this question is of much greater importance. Many of us, unless we are happily isolated from the news, will be well aware of the dire financial circumstances the UK currently finds itself in. Now, whilst this is not the place to discuss the recession or who caused it, the effects of it will impact upon every one of us. Certainly, graduates in the next two years are going to be faced with a severely restricted labour market as we continue in a deep recession at least until next year.

If this news was not bad enough (and you may be wondering how it could possibly get any worse), most other countries are also suffering from the collapse of the financial sector and the overall fall in world demand.  Therefore, it is not simply the UK suffering in terms of graduate opportunities.

Nevertheless the question of employment opportunities outside the UK for graduates has never been of greater exposure. For there are still opportunities out there, not just for full time employment but also temporary opportunities to expand your CV before returning to the UK labour market when the economy improves.

That said, there are of course still opportunities here in the UK. This is not about persuading you either way, but to clear up any misunderstandings and provide some help and advice during a period of exposure for work abroad.

Moving away is always a very big decision to take and it is certainly one you should not take lightly. There needs to be an in depth consideration of your aims, motives and potential outcomes of any foreign work or study.  Before you even start, you need to make sure you are financially able to undertake such a commitment.

This of course involves future planning to assess your potential outgoings, and is likely to take priority before any active planning of moving to foreign climes. In the current climate, banks will be less willing to lend to students who are planning a knees-up and a quick tan whilst growing forever familiar to Fosters lager.

Finance-wise then, it is worth considering your funding, whether you will try for a loan, sponsorship, or try to undertake some charitable work.
Peter Fox, a Durham careers advisor, suggests that whilst these forms of funding are entirely credible it is worthwhile trying to have some of your own money stored away before travel.  Trying to get some work in the UK before travel would be beneficial says Peter.

Moving away can add to, or give you many key skills as prospects.ac.uk outlines, working abroad can, “provide an opportunity for total immersion into a foreign culture”.  Furthermore, skills such as initiative and determination, communication and flexibility they say can also be strengthened.

When it comes to actually going away there are so many opportunities and areas to try.  The sheer amount of options can be daunting and confusing.  Therefore it is paramount that you try and minimize your options.  For example, deciding whether you wish to go away for a short term project or long term employment would be the biggest decision to make.

If going for employment it will of course be important to search relevant employers and check out their entrance requirements.  Will you need to be able to speak the language for example?  If looking for actual employment abroad a clear decision must be made about which career path you wish to follow and in what way your UK degree is accepted in your chosen country.

It is of course difficult here to talk through the thousands of different career areas you could work in, here it would be easier to alert you to the many background checks you must consider before taking such a big step.  If looking for long term employment one must research the company you are applying to, its history and custom.  The company’s terms of employment will also be very important and it may also be worth considering whether there will be opportunities for you to move back to the UK in your role.

Although there are of course many graduates who go on to work abroad full time, whether in a profession, for charity or to teach; the majority of students who are looking to move away will do so on a short term basis.  This will usually manifest itself via a short term project in which to gain vital transferable skills and commercial awareness or a specific task to train for a chosen area of employment.  Camp America for example can be great for enhancing teamwork skills, getting fit and experiencing a different culture.  Certainly for sports students it can be very beneficial.

Other ‘projects’ would be familiar to most and are run by companies such as Projects Abroad.  Often they involve community or conservation work but can often entail work base projects.  These may involve media work, experience of international law and things such as child care experience.  Often in such schemes you may stay in a hotel or most likely with a local family.  They are not cheap but can provide an array of life experiences.

When it comes to going to foreign lands there are a few obvious things to consider.  Visa requirements are usually a key problem for all travellers;certainly short term ones.  The USA and Australia are especially tough with immigration,as are some of the Asian countries.  Therefore it is essential to check embassy websites for all updated travel information.

The EU however is fairly easy to travel around.  Being a member of the EU, UK residents can travel and work in the EU without too many problems.  If you are looking for work inside the EU a great site to check out is EURES at ec.europa.eu.  The site contains mainly long term jobs but can be of great help in researching the necessary requirements.

Of course any work, even work in hospitality and catering can increase your cultural and commercial awareness, as well as giving you an insight into different cultures.  Although it is incredibly difficult to outline all possible options the aim of this piece is to inform of what is available and make you think about why or even if you wish to take the big step of going abroad.  Yes, you can gain a huge amount from going away whether it be for the long or short term however that does not mean you have to.  Foreign work can give huge advantages however it can also go belly up.

Peter Fox makes it very clear that you should think incredibly hard before deciding to go away.  He wishes to clarify that despite all the doom and gloom in the mainstream media there are still plenty of UK opportunities.  He says, “good quality graduates who have been involved in other extracurricular activities are still encouraged by employers to apply.  They are still keen to recruit the best candidates”.  In fact he also states that it “is more like 20%” of recruiters who have slimmed their intake.

Therefore do not let the current recession cloud your judgement; of course times are tough and it may be in your mind the best time to go abroad.  Try to build your plans into your long term aims and consider why you are wanting to go away, essentially do it for the right reasons.

Of course people are not just packing their bags in the current climate, postgraduate options should also be considered,and many students are in fact taking up this option.  Things in the UK are not apocalyptic, there are still opportunities here for hard, conscientious workers.  In the end it is up to you, plan, take the advice and then decide. Your answer may not be as straight forward as you first thought.