Top five reasons you should work abroad

20When you are young is arguably the best, and almost certainly the easiest, time for you to uproot and go and live abroad for a while. This is probably why our paid work programmes are so popular amongst our gap year and career break participants.

Deciding to go and live in a different country is a big decision and it can be nerve wracking. There is a lot to think about with regards to tying up your life at home, organising work permits and jobs but it is so worth it in the end. To try to reassure you that the effort will be worth it, we have  put together a list of reasons why you should definitely take the plunge and choose to work abroad for a while.

1. You will fully immerse yourself in the culture and live as a local

Normally when you are travelling or on holiday you are just passing through the country and rarely get the chance to really appreciate what it is like for the people living there all the time. By choosing to stay in one place for a period of time and secure a job, you will very quickly become one of the locals and be accepted as part of the community. This makes working abroad even more attractive as you are able to call another place home. If you feel at home, this will make any potential home sickness less of an issue! As a local you will learn where the best places to go are and be able to get off the beaten track on days you are not working.

2. Working abroad means you can afford to stay somewhere longer and explore a new area

Many seasonal jobs abroad tend to offer staff housing or at least can help you with getting somewhere to live. By having a base you will be able to explore the area cheaply, coming back to your accommodation each day. Even if you wanted to travel a little further afield, the cost of travelling should be less than travelling from home. For example if you work in Australia you could take the opportunity to travel to New Zealand or Asia which might be far away from where you normally live. You can also afford to stay in a place for longer than if you are a tourist as you will be earning money to pay your way. This is certainly something that those of you with the travel bug will find hard to pass up.

3. You will grow in confidence

Settling in to life in a new country is challenging, but once you settle in you will almost certainly feel a huge sense of achievement. You will have to ask people how things work and figure some things out on your own to begin with. You will have to make new friends and try things that you never thought you would. Challenging yourself and succeeding will make you feel more confident in your abilities.

4. It looks fantastic on your CV

We hear all the time just how important it is to do things that make your CV stand out from the crowd. Showing that you have worked abroad is certainly one of the things that can give you an edge over other people who might be applying for the same job. Not only will living abroad show that you are independent and capable of rising to a challenge but also that you have held down a job in a completely different country.

5. It will broaden your mind

Before you start rolling your eyes, just bear with me. Whether you go and work somewhere totally different to home or whether you decide to go somewhere that is far away but has a number of similarities, you will learn new things and meet different people. Doing this will undoubtedly open your eyes to alternative ways of doing things. You are also likely to try new things, develop new interests and get a better understanding of different cultures.

At Oyster we offer paid work abroad in a number of destinations and across a number of different industries. Take the plunge and check out our offering of paid work programmes overseas on our website. If you’d prefer to speak to someone, give us a call on +44 (0) 1892 770771.