International placements can be undertaken as part of the placement year, year in industry or year abroad programmes and they offer a unique opportunity to pick up substantive work experience while experiencing a new culture.
If you are thinking about working abroad as part of your degree, have a read of these guides for inspiration and research.
If you decide that you would like to pursue a placement outside of the UK, here are some tips to help with your search:
The world is a big place! Here are some questions to ask yourself to help focus your search:
It may cost more to work abroad. Think carefully about your financial situation and explore funding options available, such as:
Here are a few suggestions of websites that advertise international vacancies. They are not all bespoke to placement years or internships, so amend your search filters accordingly:
The University of York has no particular relationship with any of the above organisations. Any opportunity that you may find through them will require the approval of your University Placements contact and is not guaranteed to be appropriate.
There are companies that can help with finding work experience abroad. These may be of interest to you, so it’s important to do your research carefully as many of them will charge for their services.
Remember that your placement needs to be approved by the University, so talk to your departmental placement contact before making any payment to one of these companies.
Have a look at the International Placements page for a list of placement providers that students have used before.
In the UK employers are bound by law to provide employers and public liability insurances for their employees. Outside of the UK this may not be the case, however we would expect an equivalent offer. Insurances will form part of the placement approval process, so it’s worth asking your employer if you would be covered for accidents in the workplace and legal costs if you are involved in a claim made by a client.
Travel insurance will be provided by the University, subject to your placement being approved and on completion of the Travel Log and risk assessment. There are some countries to which the University of York does not permit travel.