10 Popular Types of Jobs Abroad for Recent College Grads
Finding your first job after college offers a world of possibilities. Here are popular types of jobs and career paths for recent college grads looking to work overseas!
Graduating from college can seem both liberating and overwhelming. So much freedom, but where will your path take you? Instead of rushing into a standard 9-5 office job, why not take the opportunity to work abroad? After all, you’re young, and you wouldn’t be here on Go Overseas if you didn’t have the intrigue of traveling the world!
Read on to find out how to work abroad after college, the best international jobs for college graduates, and their numerous benefits!
Benefits of working abroad after graduation
While some people may want to work abroad to facilitate traveling, there are so many more benefits to be had. Working abroad after college can bring life changing experiences and help you become a better version of yourself.
Here are some of the benefits of working abroad after graduation:
- Gain international experience: In today’s globalized world, international experience is more valuable than ever. Cultural immersion and working abroad demonstrates to employers that you’re proactive, daring, and can thrive in unfamiliar environments.
- Earn a high salary: Travel the world, and earn a salary? It sounds too good to be true, but the truth is that there is a high demand for foreign workers across the globe. If you want to break even on your travels or save up while working abroad, there are many high-paying jobs abroad for recent college grads.
- Develop a global perspective: Working and living abroad will make you a more open-minded person. It doesn’t matter if you head to Thailand, Germany, or Tanzania, you’ll develop a greater appreciation for foreign cultures inside and outside the workplace.
- Network: Working abroad allows you to expand your reach and network tenfold. You’ll meet local and international businesspeople in a range of industries, and even the friends you’ll make may carry valuable contacts and insight which can benefit your career!
- Travel!: Remember, life abroad, not just work abroad! The benefits of working abroad go far beyond professional development. Traveling can offer the opportunity for spiritual nourishment by experiencing new cultures and developing understanding and appreciation for foreign countries.
1. Teach English as a ESL teacher
Teaching English abroad is the jack of all trades when it comes to international jobs for college graduates. As an English teacher, you can reap the professional, financial, and spiritual benefits of working abroad. Earn a salary, gain international work experience, and not only travel but become a respected member of the local community! English teachers are in a fantastic position to learn just as much as they teach by interacting with their students and the local culture.
Teaching abroad is viable as a gap year style experience or a long-term career. TEFL is particularly popular for recent college grads who want to travel without leaving a gap in their resume. Certain providers like CIEE, The Fewer Things, and International TEFL Academy cater to college graduates by offering TEFL courses with guaranteed job placements for entry-level teachers, regardless of their major.
Read more: 10 Best Countries to Teach English Abroad
2. Au pair
One of the best ways to immerse yourself in another culture is to live with a host family. Working as an au pair or nanny is a fantastic opportunity to learn the local language while also gaining experience in childcare, education, and forming a strong relationship with locals!
English speakers are in exceptionally high demand from families hoping that their children will learn English at a young age. As a reward for your language teaching, housework, or inspiring care of family members, au pairs often receive free accommodation, meals, and also a monthly stipend.
In addition to being adventurous, experience working as an au pair will highlight your caring qualities, communication and organization skills, and can help you progress into fields such as childcare, education, hospitality, travel, and so on!
Read more: Best Countries to Au Pair Abroad: Free Housing and High Pay
3. Agricultural worker
Seeking something vigorous and polar opposite to working in the office? Consider becoming an agricultural worker! From working on a vineyard in Italy to beekeeping in Greece, farmwork comes in many forms. Not only will you work in the fresh air, but it allows you to develop practical skills, learn about eco-farming, and meet like-minded and adventurous travelers.
WWOOFing is a popular way to find farm work abroad. Stays can vary from a few days to months, and there’s always the potential to work directly with land owners following the volunteering period which can lead to paid work. If not, you now have more experience and you’re ready to continue traveling! Be sure to research whether your destination allows you to do farm work on a tourist visa, or whether you’ll need to obtain a specific visa (e.g. working holiday) to take part.
Read more: Top 5 Countries to WWOOF on a Vineyard
4. Digital Nomad
Becoming a digital nomad offers all of the flexibility in the world. As a digital nomad, you can take your work with you anywhere as long as you have a stable internet connection! Popular digital nomad jobs include teaching online, travel writing, photography, and much more.
While freelancers typically have more freedom in where they work, it’s not impossible for full-time workers to work and travel. One thing that the pandemic taught is that many jobs can be completed from afar, whether it’s business, administration and virtual assisting, software, accounting, translating, and so on. As long as your company and employer allows it, you can work while traveling the world, too!
Outside the workplace, you’ll also need to consider how you’re taxed and which visa you’ll need to live and work in another country. Once you figure out how to become a digital nomad, you can travel the world and take your work with you!
Read more: 15 Best Fully Remote Digital Nomad Jobs
5. Travel content creator
Want to specialize in travel? Travel content is always in-demand as people are constantly looking for sources of inspiration on where to go, what to eat, language tips, and more!
Although it can go hand-in-hand with digital nomading, travel content creators often rely on location-specific work to produce content. As a travel content creator, you might share your experiences and insights through a blog, YouTube channel, website, newsletter, or even contribute to publications. Whether you're a photographer, food critic, travel writer, or vlogger, your location-specific content can inspire and guide future travelers around the world.
However, be wary that you won’t necessarily earn a stable salary as a content creator (unless you’re hired by a company). Freelance and independent travel content creators often get paid through sponsored content, affiliate marketing, advertising, and there is plenty of competition out there. So be sure to offer something unique that others don’t!
6. Hospitality worker
Working in hospitality is a convenient way to work abroad because of the high demand for workers. Especially in popular tourist locations, businesses like restaurants, hotels, and bars are always striving to keep up with the influx of guests..
Becoming a hospitality worker is popular among young travelers due to the low job entry requirements and budget-stretching potential. Some countries in particular, such as Australia and New Zealand, are very popular destinations due to the convenience offered by their working holiday visas. With a working holiday visa, travelers can conveniently pick up short-term work wherever they are.
If you’re working in a hostel, you may receive free accommodation. Bartenders, waiters and waitresses may earn extra tips on the job! If you’re an extrovert, it’s also a fantastic way to make friends on the job with people who may become future travel companions!
7. Summer camp team member
Working at a summer camp abroad is a great way to gain experience, make new friends, and gain cultural insight in an active capacity. Summer camps often last from 2-12 weeks, making it a convenient option for those who want to gain work experience right after college without committing to something long-term.
Summer camps can come in different forms. You can teach English at a language camp through task-based learning, or you can lead adventurous team-building activities in inclusive environments for children. Ultimately, you’ll have a positive influence on the children, and your roles will include helping children foster their independence, make friends, socialize, and have fun!
Often, team members can progress into other roles within the company or industry. If you have aspirations of working abroad at a summer camp in a more administrative role, or you want to become the camp leader, it can offer great potential for career progression.
8. Research
College graduates who want to get experience in research for graduate school can find paid opportunities through research and study abroad. Programs such as Fullbright, DAAD, or the Gilman International Scholarship Program offer stipends and grants for students who want to study abroad and obtain their doctorate or PHD.
These programs are mostly catered to recent college graduates as well as master’s, and doctoral-degree candidates who don’t have much work experience. Although you won’t earn a salary, these scholarships and grants aren’t required to be paid back! Combine this with low cost of living countries, or low or even free-tuition countries such as Germany, Argentina, Brazil, Iceland, or Greenland, you can make your grant stretch while you study and work abroad.
9. Sailing crew member
Why not find work abroad which allows you to visit multiple countries? As a sailing crew member, you’ll gain unique work experience while traveling the world by boat. Sailing crew members will often be required to complete duties whether it be steering, maintaining the hull, cooking, cleaning, entertainment, and so on!
While many positions require certification, there are also opportunities to volunteer and receive training on sailing gap year programs and also websites such as Seashepherd, Workaway, and Crewseekers. Often, you’ll receive meals, accommodation, and of course free travel for your efforts!
Read more: How to Sail and Volunteer Around the World for Free
10. Travel coordinator
Love to travel? Of course you do! Why not share some of your specialist industry knowledge with others who need help planning their ideal vacation? As a travel coordinator, you can plan itineraries, book flights, arrange accommodation, and more to plan the logistics of customers travelling stress-free.
Coordinator jobs aren’t limited to travel agencies. Travel coordinators can work for study abroad companies, university departments, internship firms, or teaching abroad companies! Like travel agencies, you’ll be planning and ensuring that applicants can get into their destination country with ease. This means processing documents, supporting visa applications, and providing in-country support by hosting orientations.
How to work abroad after college
With so many options and different paths to take, it can be overwhelming getting your foot off the ground. When asking yourself how to work abroad after college, you’ll need to break down your path into smaller steps:
- Identify your skills: Understand whether you’ll need to first gain experience through volunteering or interning to land your dream job abroad. Or, maybe you’re happy to venture outside your comfort zone by developing entirely new skills?
- Choose an industry: Would you rather work in hospitality, teaching, childcare, marketing, or something else? There are so many industries to choose from, consider what industry and job sounds most rewarding to you!
- Pick a destination: From sophisticated Spain, alpine Switzerland, to awe-inspiring Japan, there are no shortage of amazing countries to work abroad. Consider what region, culture, or climate appeals to you, the job accessibility in your desired industry, and what visa you'll need.
- Search for jobs: Once you’ve narrowed down the industry and destination, begin your job search! You can search for work abroad using Go Overseas’ jobs board or job listings such as Indeed, Workaway, and more.
- Apply: When you’ve found the perfect role, apply! Be sure to tailor your resume specifically for this job, even if you don’t have direct experience. Gather your documents in advance and check that your passport is still valid. When it comes to your job and visa application, planning ahead prevents issues further down the line.
Read more: How to Apply for Jobs Abroad
Find jobs abroad after college!
Graduating can be bittersweet. While you’re moving on from some of your best years, you also have the opportunity to do almost anything, including working abroad after college! Regardless if you’re looking for a short-term hiatus or you have your sights set on permanently relocating abroad, international jobs for college graduates are in abundance, and will help you become a more confident and capable version of yourself.
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