Travel

As an international student or recent grad hoping to break into the Canadian job scene for the first time, keep in mind that being different is okay, but you should still be prepared to be flexible and understand the unique traits that make Canadian work culture what it is.

Commuting to work can add hours onto your 9-to-5 day and significantly impact your monthly budget. When on the hunt for a job, make sure to keep transportation and living logistics in mind.

An increasing number of Canadian educational institutions are opening up campuses abroad. York University’s Schulich School of Business, for example, has a campus in Mumbai, India, and has plans to open a new campus in Hyderabad.

On an internship facilitated by AIESEC and sponsored by the Shastri Indo-Canadian Institute, Curtis Riep (right) volunteered in Gujarat at the Research Foundation for Governance in India, a non-government organization conducting research on civil rights, proper governance, and other socio-political issues.

Did you know that in Japan, job applications are standard forms purchased from the local stationary store which are completed by hand? Needless to say, job applications can differ greatly between Canada and countries abroad.

Once there, where will you go? What will you do? What will you eat? How will you get around? These questions are some of the challenges you will be faced with as soon as you clear customs to become a temporary resident of the country you’ve chosen.

Erynn Mayes graduated from the University of Waterloo’s honours business and science program last year and has been travelling and working part-time in Australia since last fall.

Andrea Kligman, a recent graduate from Queen’s University’s commerce program, spent nearly a year in Australia on a Working Holiday Visa to gain some international marketing experience and to take in some of Australia’s incredible sights and culture.

There is great deal of experience that can be gained from traveling, and best of all these skills will look great on a resume when you return from your world tour, rested, relaxed and hopefully tanned.

If you’ve read part one and can’t think of a good enough reason not to pursue an international internship (there aren’t many), then it is time to get started on securing yourself a great opportunity. The possibilities are endless and the perfect international internship is waiting for you, if you want it.

Last summer I lived and worked as a marketing intern at a large, international company located in a small wine town in the Alsatian region of Northern France. Believe me, it was every bit romantic as it sounds but, unfortunately, all travel can be fraught with some uncertainty and discomfort.

High school diploma, check. University acceptance, check. Extra-curricular activities, check. Good marks for grad school, check. Degree, check. Now what? Taking a year off was a pipe dream in which I imagined myself backpacking across Europe, but it was never something I thought I would actually do.