Getting Into a Summer Job Abroad

Arranging a working holiday abroad can be frustrating because many countries require a work permit before you go but won’t grant one until an employer offers a job. You can get help cutting through this red tape through a program offered by the Council on International Education.

Last year more than 3,500 students from 1,000 colleges and universities took working holidays abroad through council programs. The council does not arrange jobs. For an $82 fee it arranges legal working permits and support services from the national student travel offices of the country you are visiting.

Six Nations

The programs are open to students 18 and older. Arrangements can be made for working holidays in France, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Costa Rica, New Zealand and West Germany.

After you are accepted into a program you receive a handbook about the country, employment possibilities and contacts and advice on accommodations and travel.

The most popular program is in Great Britain. More than 3,000 students took working holidays there in 1986. Last year two students who obtained jobs with a catering firm found themselves working at the royal wedding.

The British work permit that participants receive is valid for as long as six months. Participants also get one night’s accommodation and assistance from the British Universities North America Club.

Participants in the Ireland program get permits to work as long as four months. Information on the job market and advice on accommodations are provided by USIT, an Irish student travel service. Last year one student got a job in Galway as a bank clerk for $170 a week, another worked as a chef in Clare for $300.

To participate in the French program you must have a working knowledge of the language and at least two years of college French or the equivalent. The permit allows students to work for as long as three months at any time until Dec. 31. Last year one student worked as a waiter in Paris for $155 a week and another was a sales assistant in Val d’Isere for $95 a week.

Insurance Required

To participate in the West German program you must have at least two years of college-level German or the equivalent, proof of language ability and adequate medical insurance for the duration of your stay.

Those who decide to head Down Under will have the advantage of arriving in winter when local students are in school and not competing for jobs.

Participants in the New Zealand program receive permits to work for as long as six months between April 1 and Oct. 31. The six-month period begins when the visa is obtained from the New Zealand Embassy in Washington.

In 1985 the council began its first working-holiday program to a Spanish-speaking country. Students participating in the Costa Rica program can accept employment for as long as four months between June 1 and Oct. 1. Participants must have a conversational command of Spanish.

Information: CIEE, 1093 Broxton Ave., Los Angeles 90024, phone (213) 208-3551.