Working holidays

What is the Professional Internship Program?
An internship program is a temporary job placement within an industry that is related to your career goals. Usually connected to your academic major, internships taken internationally offer you the chance to see different business practices within other countries and cultures. You get to forge those international network ties and make all-important business contacts, all while adding weight and value to your CV! While some of these internships are paid stints, some are not. Contributing factors include the country that you choose to intern in, the internship field that you are entering into, and the duration that you wish to intern for. In all, just remember that the main purpose of an internship is for the chance to equip yourself with refined skills, invaluable knowledge, and practical work experience. Don’t forget, an internship is also a great way to get an inside glimpse of a company, an industry, and a particular occupation!

What is a Working Holiday Program?
A Working Holiday, otherwise known as the Work and Travel program, aims to encourage students and youths to travel overseas to explore the world while earning money at the same time. Through short-term casual employment, participants can experience life overseas as more than just a tourist. You can also use your earnings to travel about the country and immerse yourself in a different culture while developing life-long friendships with people of other nationalities. A unique opportunity? Check. A CV boost? Check.An enriching experience? Check, check, check!What can we say? A working holiday is a fantastic and smart way to fund your travels while traveling!

So why work abroad?
We all know that today’s job market for graduating students is extremely competitive. You are not just competing for jobs with students from your university or your country, but also with students from over the world. As such, preparation to enter the society does not entail paper-chasing alone anymore. Besides looking and playing the part that you want well, distinguishing yourself from the rest of your peers through your CV might just give you that extra edge. How so? Well, besides coming across as someone who is well-travelled, your overseas working experience would also hone your skills in interacting professionally in the global community. Traveling in itself brings one out of their comfort zone to broaden the mind, stretch the options, practice introspection, and experience a myriad of new sights, scents, and sounds. Now, you will get all of that on top of personal fulfillment and weight added into your CV. When you travel, you explore, dream, and discover.

As the Greek playwright, Euripides, once said, “Experience, travel – these are as education in themselves”. Believe him.