A summer abroad: London, New York, Berlin, or perhaps Tokyo or St Petersburg. Hands up anyone who has never toyed with the idea of working abroad, if only for a summer.

In this article we will run through the reasons for having this wonderful experience, but above all we will give you our pointers for making the most of your temporary spell of work abroad.

Why choose a summer job abroad

There are many reasons behind a decision like this, and they depend on your own circumstances. These are the most common:

To learn a new language, or to polish one you already know

A few months spent abroad give you a fluency that is hard to reach studying at home, and are therefore highly recommended for anyone wanting to strengthen and refine their command of a foreign language.

If the point of the trip is learning the language, though, we would advise against packing your bags while your level is still too basic, for several reasons:

• A trip like this involves a series of practical chores (finding somewhere to live, sorting out permits, fitting into the workplace) that have to be dealt with the moment you arrive.
• Finding any job at all without speaking the local language is very difficult, wherever you are heading.
• Without solid enough foundations, you are not really in a position to take on the more advanced aspects of a language — with the difference that the foundations can be learned in your own home town, whereas the advanced aspects cannot (or only with far more difficulty). And since trips like this take some organising, it is better to plan it for when you can get the most out of it.

To build up your CV

You are unlikely to find skilled work when looking for a summer job: more often you will end up in a seasonal tourism role or as a babysitter.
Even so, having a spell of work abroad on your CV — unskilled though it may be — gives you an edge. It is a marker of adaptability, open-mindedness, curiosity and enthusiasm — as well, of course, as of at least a reasonable command of the language of the country you visited.

That is the general rule; in practice, especially through specific schemes such as university work placements abroad or the Erasmus+ programme, it is possible to gain experience that counts in strictly professional terms too. It is therefore worth asking your local authority or the institutions responsible for education and training how to apply for these opportunities.

Naturally, the higher the position you are applying for, the better your command of the foreign language needs to be before you leave.

To find out whether a permanent move would work

Anyone thinking of leaving Italy for good might want to have a trial run of a few months first, to check that the place they have in mind really does hold good opportunities for them.

Summer is the best time for a trial run of this kind, because it lets you use the summer break without disrupting your everyday life too much until you are sure of your decision. It will also be easier to find seasonal work.

As a personal learning experience

Having spent a summer working abroad is a marker of adaptability, open-mindedness, curiosity and enthusiasm (as we wrote when talking about the benefits for your CV) precisely because it is the kind of experience that develops those very qualities.

It is a valuable moment of growth at any age, and all the more so while you are still very young.

Practical advice for preparing your stay

Knowing the local language

As we have already said, we recommend that by the time you leave you already have a good command of the local language.
The better it is, the easier you will find it to handle the organisational side of the trip and to spot the best opportunities on the work front too.
What is more, by already knowing the language well you will be able to refine it and acquire that ease — that fluency — which is very hard to achieve studying in your home town.

If that sounds right to you… get in touch with us for the right language training ahead of your departure!

Looking for work

You do not have to have a job lined up before you leave, but it can help (especially when the stay is going to be a short one).

Places to look for adverts and openings before you even set off:

• local public advice centres (Informagiovani youth information points, employment services, universities), which can tell you about any calls for applications for placements or work schemes abroad.
• Anyone wanting an au pair experience with a family (babysitting and a little help around the house in exchange for board and lodging) will find specialist agencies offering this kind of service. A quick internet search will turn up plenty of results.
• Finally, do not overlook the larger, better-established recruitment agencies. Some (such as Adecco or Manpower) have offices in practically every part of the world and can therefore also consider applications for jobs abroad, or at the very least point you in the right direction for when you arrive.

The paperwork

Identity documents, health insurance, work visas, whether your driving licence is valid… this kind of trip cannot be improvised.
To be sure you have not forgotten anything, contact the embassy of the country you are heading to. Do it a few months in advance so you are not caught out.
Take care even if you are moving within the European Union: movement is free for all citizens of the member states and healthcare is guaranteed (albeit with limits that vary from country to country), but the right to work is not automatic.

On your own or with company?

These trips are often taken together by pairs of friends, family members or partners. That choice too has its upsides and downsides.

On the practical side, being two helps. It is easier to deal with the red tape, to find a small flat to share, to handle the inevitable hitches, and to go out in the evening to see the city and have fun together even before you have made friends with the locals.

When it comes to learning the language, though, the ideal situation is to have no fellow native speakers around you. So make your choice with your own priorities in mind.

European School is here to advise you and, of course, to get you ready!

To close, we wish you all a good trip.