An increasing number of US students are interested in hands-on experience abroad, either as a way to immerse themselves in the local culture or to prepare for an international career. You can get this experience through:

• An internship
• Participation in a voluntary service project
• Paid work abroad programs
• Teaching English abroad

The main questions you need to ask are whether you are looking for credit or not, whether you want to be paid or not, or whether you are looking for an internship. Some work experiences will be offered as an integral part of a study abroad program and include credit while others may not. If want to be paid you will need a work permit, which is much easier to obtain if you are going abroad with an officially-recognized work exchange program. Internships may give you the perfect foundation for an international career with direct experience in your field of study and can vary in length and whether or not they are paid. For more information on all of these opportunities, search our database for "internships" or "volunteer/service opportunities".

Another option may be to volunteer. This gives you a wide range of options as voluntary service projects may be sponsored by NGOs, religious organizations, or government organizations such as the Peace Corps and could involve a variety of activities such as building a school in rural Senegal, planting trees in Brazil, or taking care of children in a Russian orphanage. Search our database for "service-learning" study abroad programs or explore the list of options in this Student Guide.

Return to FAQs Page

Copyright © 2008. EducationDynamics All rights reserved. Updated and reprinted with permission for inclusion in the IIEPassport Study Abroad Directories.

The contents of this handbook are intended for the use of students, advisers, and administrators. The contents of this handbook are the property of EducationDynamics and author Bill Hoffa, and are protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America.