Student Work Abroad Programs

"The bad news about working abroad is that you can’t just hop a plane to any country and start looking for a paid job. To work would be illegal without a permit, which you cannot acquire without a job offer, and—Catch 22—very few employers will offer you a job if you don’t already have a work permit. The good news is that a number of organizations can help you cut the red tape and acquire a legal work permit or place you in a job.

If you’re looking for an inexpensive way to experience total cultural immersion, or to simply earn your way through an adventure abroad, here’s a good place to start. The emphasis is on exchange, since your participation in most of these programs enables someone from abroad to have the equivalent experience in the U.S.

The two main work abroad program types are:

1) The CIEE and BUNAC Work Abroad exchanges, which enable students to get a work permit in advance, then look for a job on site with assistance from overseas offices.

2) Overseas job placement programs offered by a number of U.S.-based work exchange organizations."

* Reviewed by William Nolting, Manager of the University of Michigan Overseas Opportunities Office

Short-Term Placement

Student Work Abroad Placements from InterExchange
InterExchange offers work abroad placements for students and young adults in the U.S. and around the world. We find the position for you! Choose from Au Pair, Internship, Seasonal Jobs, Volunteer, Teaching English and more. Many placements include housing, meals and a small stipend. Over 35 years experience arranging cultural and work exchange programs.

Cost: Varies
Dates: Year-Round
Contact: Interexchange, Inc., 161 Sixth Avenue, New York, NY 10013, USA. Tel. 917-924-0446; fax: 212-924-0575
Email: info@interexchange.org
Website: Placements for U.S. citizens to work abroad www.WorkingAbroad.org; placements for non-U.S. residents to work in the U.S. www.InterExchange.org.

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BUNAC USA
Summer Work Abroad
Full-time university or college students and recent graduates can take advantage of BUNAC's Work Abroad programs to Australia, Canada, France, Ireland, and New Zealand for summer jobs or internships. Program fees range from $250 to $400 and include admin, visa issuance, on the spot help with jobs and accommodation and full support. Volunteer options available in South Africa, Peru or Cambodia. See website for details.

Contact: PO Box 430, Southbury, CT, 06488, USA. Tel.: (800) 462-8622 or (203) 264-0901.
Email: info@bunacusa.org
Website: www.bunac.org

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Internship Program in Germany
Immerse yourself in German culture while gaining firsthand, international work experience! The CDS International Internship Program in Germany offers you the exciting opportunity to complete a professional internship in your field of interest. Your internship will be designed around your strengths and career goals and will give you the perfect opportunity to improve your German language skills while experiencing life abroad.

Dates: Internships start any time of year and can be 3 to 12 months long.
Applications for the Internship Program in Germany are accepted year-round; you should apply 5 months prior to your preferred departure date.
Visit the CDS website for more information and to apply online.
Cost: Paid and unpaid internships are available with supplemental scholarships offered through the CDS International Scholarship Fund.
Contact: CDS International, 440 Park Avenue South, 2nd Fl, New York, NY 10016.
Phone: (212) 497-3500. Fax: (212) 497-3535.
Email: usabroad@cdsintl.org
Website: www.cdsintl.org/internshipsabroad/germany.php

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EMGIP — German State Parliaments Fellowship
Kick-start your career with a paid internship at a German state parliament! EMGIP is a great opportunity for students interested in careers in regional government or specific policy issues such as the environment, education, or healthcare. EMGIP provides you with firsthand experience in government affairs while allowing you to improve your German language skills and enjoy life abroad. Specific job responsibilities vary according to your hosting Landtag, however all positions allow for professional and personal growth.

Dates: Internships run from one to three months and U.S. and Canadian citizens are eligible to apply.

The application deadline for the spring 2010 program is October 1, 2009.

The application deadline for the summer 2010 program is December 1, 2009.

The application for the fall 2010 program is March 31, 2010.

Visit the CDS website for more information and to apply online.

Cost: Fellowship highlights include monthly stipends of up to EUR 500 for U.S. citizens.
Contact: CDS International, 440 Park Avenue South, 2nd Fl, New York, NY 10016.
Phone: (212) 497-3500. Fax: (212) 497-3535.
Email: usabroad@cdsintl.org
Website: www.cdsintl.org/fromusa/emgip.htm

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Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange Fellowship Program
The Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange for Young Professionals is a work/study scholarship program. Funded by the U.S. Congress and German Parliament (Bundestag), the program consists of two months of German language instruction (no prior German knowledge required), a semester at a German university or vocational school, and an internship in the participant's career field, all while living with a German host or in a shared-apartment.

The CBYX program is intended primarily for young adults in business, engineering, technical, vocational, and agricultural fields, though participants from all fields are encouraged to apply.

Dates: 12 months beginning in late July. Application Deadline: December 1.
Cost: Fellowship.
Contact: CDS International, 440 Park Avenue South, 2nd Fl, New York, NY 10016.
Phone: (212) 497-3500. Fax: (212) 497-3535.
Email: cbyx@cdsintl.org
Website: www.cdsintl.org/cbyx

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German Internship for Community College Students
The Work Immersion Study Program in Germany (WISP) is a 3-month scholarship program designed exclusively for U.S. community college students. During their stay in Germany, WISP participants complete a 1-month intensive language course in southern Germany and a 2-month professional internship related to their field of study. The program runs from June to August.

Dates: June - August. Application Deadline: December 15.
Cost: $300; Scholarships Available.
Contact: CDS International, 440 Park Avenue South, 2nd Fl, New York, NY 10016.
Phone: (212) 497-3500. Fax: (212) 497-3535.
Email: usabroad@cdsintl.org
Website: www.cdsintl.org/fromusa/wisp.htm

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Summer Internship Program in Spain
Immerse yourself in Spanish culture while completing an exciting summer internship in Madrid, Valladolid, or Palma de Mallorca! The CDS International Summer Internship Program in Spain provides you with firsthand, international career experience as well as the perfect opportunity to improve your Spanish language skills and enjoy life abroad. Customized internships are designed around your personal strengths and previous work experience.

Dates: Internships start in late May and end in early August.
The application deadline for the Summer Internship Program in Spain is January 15.
Visit the CDS website for more information and to apply online.
Cost: All internships are unpaid, but funding is available through the CDS International Scholarship Fund.
Contact: CDS International, 440 Park Avenue South, 2nd Fl, New York, NY 10016.
Phone: (212) 497-3500. Fax: (212) 497-3535.
Email: usabroad@cdsintl.org
Website: www.cdsintl.org/fromusa/sipsp.htm

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* AIESEC
AIESEC is a worldwide student-run organization which generates over 6,000 paid internships each year in nearly 90 countries. The internships range from those with a business or technical focus to teaching English. You can only apply through campus chapters.

Contact: aiesec@aiesecus.org; www.aiesecus.org

* American-Scandinavian Foundation
Offers placements in Finland for teachers of English as a foreign language. Teachers work in public schools, private institutes, or private firms. Time commitment is from 2 months to an academic year. Eligibility: native English-speaking U.S. university students or graduates age 21-30 who have completed at least their junior year in college. Salary: FIM5,000-8,000 per month ($900-1,550). Housing is arranged but participants are responsible for rent. Application deadline: March 1. ASF also offers placements for engineering, business, and agriculture students throughout Scandinavia (apply by January 1). ASF can also assist with work permits for those who have a job offer.

Contact: trainscan@amscan.org, www.amscan.org.

* BUNAC Work Abroad Programs, (for Ireland, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and volunteering in South Africa). Nonprofit organization provides a work permit and job-hunting assistance. Program fee of $275 (Britain) or somewhat more for Australia or New Zealand. U.S. college students and recent grads (within 1 semester) eligible for Britain. Non-students aged 18-30 eligible for Australia and New Zealand. No other program makes it as easy for U.S. citizens to work in Britain.

Contact: www.bunac.org.

* Camp Counselors USA, Outbound Program
Offers programs in Australia and New Zealand which are similar to those of BUNAC and Council. The Australian program requires student status while the New Zealand program does not. Program fee is $365. An “educational work-travel program” in camps and orphanages all across Russia and countries of the former Soviet Union. Placement in camp with full room and board and a symbolic stipend (not enough to cover program fee). Minimum requirements include experience with children, knowledge of the appropriate foreign language desirable but not always required, and teaching/coaching experience. Fee of $1,600 includes roundtrip airfare from New York, visa, travel insurance, orientations (not training) in New York and Moscow, and support during the 4- or 8-week program. Application deadline: April 1.

Contact: www.ccusa.com.

* CDS International, Inc.
CDS offers many different paid internship programs in Germany, Singapore, and Turkey (unpaid internships are also offered in Argentina). For programs in Germany, at least some knowledge of German is a prerequisite upon start of the program. Check the CDS web site for most updated listings of program offerings.

Contact: info@cdsintl.org, www.cdsintl.org.

* Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange for Young Professionals
Consists of 2 months of intensive German, 4 months attending a technical school, and a 5-month internship. All expenses paid; no application fee. Specified age of participants is 18-24. Application deadline is mid-December for the following academic year. 60 participants are selected.

Contact: CDS International, info@cdsintl.org, www.cdsintl.org.

* Center for Interim Programs
The Center for INTERIM Programs was founded in 1980 to match clients’ interests with a database of over 3,000 non-academic but structured opportunities worldwide (from art to zoology, Australia to Zimbabwe) many of which provide room and board. They have arranged such opportunities for some 3,000 people between the ages of 16 and 70 over the past 15 years. I

Contact: www.interimprograms.com.

* IAESTE
Offers paid internships in 70+ countries for students of engineering and science. Application deadline January 1. Lowest fees of any placement program.

Contact: info@iaeste.org, www.iaeste.org.

* InterExchange
InterExchange was founded in 1971 and has official non-profit status. InterExchange offers the following kinds of placements. Contact the program for more specifics.

English Teaching in Spain. Those with experience teaching or tutoring English as a foreign language are strongly preferred (volunteer experience usually available in your community). Only room and board or small stipend provided in Spain. Apply at least 3 months prior to desired starting date.

Work in rural Australia or Norway. Work 2-3 months year round on family-run farms. Stipend is provided. Apply at least 4 months before preferred starting date.

Au Pair. Placements in France, Germany, Spain or Holland for those with some knowledge of the language of the host country. No foreign language necessary for placements in the Netherlands. Women only eligible for most positions. Summer placements possible in Spain but at least a 6-month commitment wanted elsewhere. Apply at least 3 months prior to desired starting date.

Unpaid internships in the South of France or Costa Rica. Apply four months before preferred starting date.

Volunteer in Peru, Costa Rica, India or South Africa. Volunteer placements in education, social work, health care, conservation, environmental affairs, cultural affairs, museums, hospitality, tourism and media projects.

Contact: workabroad@interexchange.org, www.workingabroad.org.

International Cooperative Education Program
In existence since 1971, this program places several hundred students each summer into paid, not-for-credit internships. This program is more structured than most and seems to take care to provide individualized placements. Some of the jobs pay well enough to allow modest savings, and others pay enough to cover living expenses. ICEP internships last 2-4 months and are offered in Switzerland, Germany, France (Bordeaux region), Belgium, Argentina, Chile, Japan, and Singapore. Type of work ranges from ordinary jobs to demanding internships in retail sales, supermarkets, hotels/restaurants, agriculture, offices, hospitals, banks, computer science, engineering and many more areas. Applicants must have studied the appropriate foreign language for at least one academic year—note that ICEP’s director interviews you in the foreign language! Relevant foreign languages include German, French, Italian, Dutch, Finnish, Chinese or Japanese. Participants must be between the ages of 18-30. Citizens of most countries are eligible. Best to apply in the fall, or no later than February. Fees: After the initial interview, there is a $200 fee for the extensive application process. The application fee is refunded if no placement can be found, but you forfeit the fee if you turn down a placement offered to you. There is a $600 participation fee if you accept the placement (i.e. fees total $800). Airfare, health insurance, and $800 reserve are the participant’s responsibility.

Contact: ICEmenlo@aol.com, www.icemenlo.com.