Getting off to a flying start
As globalisation brings us closer together and cheap airfares make it easier to travel, the chance to work in a foreign country is now within the reach of many graduates. According to the World Bank one in six UK graduates are now working overseas, that’s well over a million people! At the same time, the UK is encouraging high fliers from abroad to work and study here.

Japanese graduate, Yosuke, says he wanted to work in London after graduating because of its rich blend of cultures, ‘it’s given me a wider view of the world, I’m no longer constrained by one nationality and my career now has an international edge.’ Getting her career off to a flying start was also a big factor in Elsy’s choice to move to the UK. After graduating in Mexico she took up work as an architect in Hertfordshire, ‘I’ve worked on some fantastic projects, gaining a higher level of experience in a much smaller period of time than I would’ve done as a new graduate in Mexico.’

Settling in
However, the practicalities of landing a job in the country of your dreams aren’t always straightforward. Getting a work permit can be a problem, and even once this obstacle is overcome settling in can also be tricky. Anna, who came to work in the UK from Germany, says she found having to speak English 24 hours a day really exhausting, ‘in the first two months I had real problems keeping up with people because of all the different accents and colloquialisms. Some people actually thought I was shy and reclusive because I didn’t speak much!’

A life-changing experience
But despite the challenges many graduates find working abroad extremely fulfilling. Rosie is working as a dance teacher in Dubai, ‘now that I’ve seen the opportunities for teachers abroad I’ve realised the potential longevity of my career.’ Rosie says that having the right attitude is essential, ‘you have to go into a new place thinking positively and embrace the different experiences, give yourself time to really settle in and discover new things.’

It seems there’s no looking back once you’ve taken the plunge.

Louise
November 2006

This one and the 4th overlap. I prefer the 4th to this one. — Xiaodan