Global Work Experience

Thinking about what’s most important to you helps you to focus your search.

Use the resources in Making Career Choices if you’re not sure what you want to do.

For help with exploring your options, book a guidance appointment via MyCareer.

Thinking about what other people have done can help with your planning.

You can check profiles of alumni on LinkedIn to see where they are working now and their work history. Search by location, subject studied and career area to see if anyone is working in the country you're interested in.

Watch our quick tutorials to discover how to make the most of LinkedIn. Remember to update your profile if you’re using LinkedIn actively.

You can also contact the university’s Global Ambassadors team and speak to a student who has experience of living abroad.

Before you start planning your time abroad, check for government and university restrictions.

• Check the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office’s (FCDO) travel advice for the country you’re interested in.
• Check the University travel advice from the Global Opportunities team.
• Speak to relevant members of staff if you’re planning on doing work experience as part of your studies. For overseas placement years, speak to the team managing your placement.

Research the visa process via the relevant UK based embassy for the country you’re interested in. Contact them directly and try to get instructions or information in writing.

Global Opportunities have listed the entry requirements for EU countries to give you an idea of what to expect. It’s essential you check this information directly with the embassy yourself. Visa and immigration information can change at any time, without much notice.

If you’re planning to go overseas, the earlier you start researching, the better.

It can help to consider:

• what are the language requirements?
• what opportunities are available in your sector?
• what is the recruitment process like there?
• what are employers there looking for in CVs and applications?
• do you know anyone already living there who could help you find work?
• what are the living and accommodation costs?
• what finances will you have access to? Eg are opportunities typically paid? Are there any funding options available?
• what sort of insurance do you need?

Start your research by using the support and information on offer via Global Opportunities. They offer advice about living abroad and information about funding options. For more information and to stay up to date with opportunities you can:

• sign up to their mailing list
• join their Teams group
• attend one of their drop-in sessions

The following resources can also help with your research:

GoinGlobal – country guides include information on job search resources, industry trends, CVs and applications, interviews, networking and living costs. Watch a brief video on how to get the most from GoinGlobal's country guides.

You can also find advice from:

• Prospects: working abroad
• British Council

There are two main ways to find work experience:

• applying for advertised opportunities
• seeking out hidden opportunities by networking and applying speculatively.

Use our resources below to get started with finding opportunities for overseas work experience

Use GoinGlobal to find worldwide opportunities. Their country guides have information on writing CVs for other countries.

For help with finding opportunities, you can book an information appointment via MyCareer.

You may also be interested in term-time study exchanges, short programmes and further study abroad.

Our International jobs pages include information about working overseas and resources for finding opportunities.

• EurActiv JobSite
• EURES – use ‘intern’ as a keyword in your search
• JOE+

• GlobalPlacement
• Blind Applying – international employers offer secret internships worldwide
• ihipo
• Intern Jobs
• StudentJob
• Projects Abroad – volunteer projects for gap years, electives and summer placements

Our Australia and USA sections below have specific work experience resources for those countries.

See Organised programmes if you are considering paying a for an overseas experience.

You can also search for opportunities in specific countries using our international jobs resources.

To find hidden internships, start by identifying companies you would like to work for.

Our guide to finding companies below can help. Then use the following steps to approach them speculatively about possible opportunities:

1. Identify a contact name to address your cover letter to. Call or email to find out who handles recruitment within the organisation. Or, find a key contact in the department you want to work in.
2. Send them a tailored CV and cover letter. Express your enthusiasm for the sector. Show that you have researched the company. Use GoinGlobal country guides to understand CV requirements for the country you’re interested in.
3. Follow up your speculative application with an email, or phone call, around a week later. This shows you are serious and motivated.
4. If your application was unsuccessful, ask for feedback or advice, and keep trying!

For more information read targetjobs’ guide to making a speculative application.

To get started, use the following resources to search for companies:

• Watch a 2-minute guide on how to use GoinGlobal’s employer directory effectively
• Use business directories and links to professional bodies on GoinGlobal's country guides.
• Find organisations by location on MyCareer. Select ‘search' then 'organisations’
• Search our International jobs resources to find companies by region
• Search for companies by location on LinkedIn. The Find Alumni tool shows you where Newcastle graduates are currently working.

For help with finding opportunities, book an information appointment via MyCareer.

You can search GoAbroad for examples of internship providers. If you are interested in using one, find out exactly what they are offering for their fee, eg:

• help to arrange a visa
• accommodation, food and flights
• an internship offer, or access to a database of opportunities
• support when you start the internship

It’s also important to check that they are a legitimate organisation:

• research beyond their website
• look for external reviews or testimonials
• explore related social media accounts

The placement schemes listed below are legitimate, non-profit organisations. They are either government funded or backed, or have an established relationship with Newcastle University:

• AIESEC – student organisation offering paid and voluntary international placements. Opportunities last from 6 weeks to 18 months, in 110 countries. There is an application fee to view available placements.
• RISE – summer internship programme for undergraduate science or engineering students to research in Germany
• IAESTE – global work placements, ranging from 8 to 52 weeks. Most opportunities are in engineering, science, computing and architecture. If you’re a UK citizen you can register your interest as someone from a non member country

The British Council bring together a range of short-term overseas work opportunities on their Study Work Create website.

Opportunities include:

• Generation UK–China – internships, research and teaching opportunities in China.
• English Language Assistants – paid 6-month or year-long opportunities through the British Council. Support English teaching in an overseas school. All countries except China require English and a second language
• Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) – paid work for a year in Japan. Work as an Assistant Language Teacher or a Coordinator for International Relations

The University's Global Opportunities team also organise and advertise short programmes overseas.

If your internship will be included as part of your course, speak to someone in your academic school. Your Degree Programme Director or Placement Officer may be able to sign the agreement for you.

If you need an agreement for your Careers Service Placement Year, please contact the team at cs.placementyear@ncl.ac.uk.

You may have arranged an overseas internship independently, which will not be accredited or form part of your course.

If your employer requests a signed agreement, you can download and use one of the following documents:

• use our Student internship agreement [66KB] if you will be registered as a Newcastle University student for the duration of your internship
• use our Graduate internship agreement [66KB] if your internship will start within one year of graduating from Newcastle University

If you need either of these in an alternative format, or any other adjustments to access our resources, please contact us. You can also convert documents into alternative formats using SensusAccess.

How to use our internship agreement documents

• Fill in all the text boxes of the agreement, deleting any instruction text.
• Include the objectives/responsibilities you have been set for your internship. If you are unsure of your objectives, or any of your working conditions, contact the employer for more information.
• Complete, sign and save the document.
• Send the agreement to the employer to read and sign.
• Email a copy to global.opportunities@ncl.ac.uk. Use “Internship Agreement Form” as the email subject header.
• The relevant member of staff will read, sign and return the agreement to you within 5 working days. 

For additional proof of your status as a student and your programme of study, use the Student Portal to download your official University documents.

For non-accredited internships, we’re unable to sign any documents supplied by the employer, due to insurance and liability. You can contact the above email address if you have any questions about the process.