Focus on Work, Internships, Volunteering and Jobs Abroad

The romantic image of Tuscany is everywhere, images of golden hills lined with cypress trees, romantic gardens, and huge meals eaten around a communal table. However, this image area can seem unobtainable for those with a backpacker's budget; but if you have a sincere interest in organic farming and sustainable agriculture, and can commit to working on a farm for three months, interning at Tenuta di Spannochia provides an opportunity to spend three months living, working, enjoying, and falling in love with Tuscany...

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The current economic crisis sweeping the globe is raising questions around our planet about the continued viability of many careers that were once considered stable. One profession that will always persist, regardless of the economic situation, is that of the teacher. Education is a prerequisite to almost any field of endeavor and teaching abroad is an increasingly viable option for educators. The primary characteristics a successful applicant will possess are the heart and dedication required by the profession, as well as the ability to meet a given country's requirements for employment...

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I came to Valencia, Spain in 2008, qualified in IT but "unqualified" in Spanish. Naturally my first thought was that I could teach English for a few months until I had learned the language and could get another job. This ended up becoming a little trickier than I had expected, but in the end I managed. This article tells you what you need to know about the possibilities of getting a job in Spain in the current economic situation (2009)...

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In Europe they are misunderstood, shunned by independent travelers for their tourist resorts and tacky reputation. In North America and the Antipodes they're hardly known at all. Although officially part of Spain, the Canary Islands ooze their own style, their own character and claim as much in common with Latin America as with Europe. These seven islands and half a dozen islets, lie 50 miles off the northwest coast of Africa and boast one of the finest climates in the world...

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I registered for TEFL Worldwide Prague's certification course in July, sitting behind the desk of my dull office job back in the U.S. Once bitten by the travel bug, resistance is futile, and looking back, it is surprising that I lasted as long as I did behind the desk. Seven months later, I was living and teaching in one of the world's most beautiful and interesting cities — and learning even more...

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I moved to London to participate in the Mountbatten Internship Programme, a 12-month work-study scheme for recent American college graduates. The Programme is just one of the many options that you have likely considered while researching opportunities to work, live and study in London or abroad. If, like me, you are interested in gaining a year of full-time substantive international business experience in a dynamic European city, then the Mountbatten Internship Programme may be right for you...

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What job integrates you into a new culture, helps you make friends, and assists others in bettering their lives? Teaching English abroad is one of the few careers offering such bonuses, and many more. And it is a thriving career base for many expatriates in Argentina...

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As an enthusiastic admirer of Brazil, I always look for ways to stay as long as possible in this wonderful country. Usually money is the determining factor in the length of time I can spend overseas. However, on my most recent trip to Brazil, I was able to stay three months longer than planned due to my luck in finding rewarding employment.

Typically, Rio de Janeiro is among the most expensive places in South America. In particular, Ipanema tends to be the priciest neighborhood in the city. Due to some luck in finding a job at a local hostel, I was able to stay just one block from Ipanema Beach while spending nearly nothing...

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What job integrates you into a new culture, helps you make friends, and assists others in bettering their lives? Teaching English abroad is one of the few careers offering such bonuses, and many more. And it is a thriving career base for many expatriates in Argentina...

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Do you daydream of a carefree life where you are meeting interesting people, seeing new sights and taking each day as it comes? The idea may provoke a mixture of excitement and uncertainty, but such an experience is now easier than you think. With the announcement of the work and holiday agreement between America and Australia, you too could be experiencing life on the other side of the world...

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...I eventually chose to go abroad with a program called Volunteers in Asia (VIA), a small, non-profit organization based in San Francisco which sends about 40 individuals to China, Indonesia, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar (Burma), and Thailand each year. VIA offers several programs, including short-term volunteer programs for American college students, long-term volunteer programs which last for 1-2 years for anyone with a college degree, and programs which bring students from Asia to study in the United States. I was interested in the long-term volunteer program which placed volunteers in positions such as English teachers in Universities or at English language assistant posts where the volunteer helps provide necessary English skills and training at a non-profit...

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As someone who has recently made the enormous leap all the way from U.K. teaching to international teaching in the tiny sultanate of Brunei, I find it interesting to retrospectively read the endless questions cluttering expat and education forums across the internet, such as, "Where do I start when it comes to finding a job in an international school?" In my opinion, the most important place to start is by asking oneself the fundamental question, "Why do I want to teach internationally in the first place?"

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Although there are three basic roads to teaching in Japan most recent graduates use to start their teaching careers, the destination in terms of salaries and working conditions are fairly similar.

The lure to Japan is profound. Many board their planes fueled by hopes for a spiritual experience or a simpler life. Others buy their tickets having heard tales of the big money and the gracious and gentle nature of the Japanese. Still others have a flat-out fascination with Japan that they cannot even explain. And finally, there are many who want to perfect their Japanese speaking skills-they see doing a "stint" in the land of the rising sun as the high-road to this achievement...

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In today's climate of financial uncertainty, where layoffs are rife and jobs are increasingly hard to find in many Western countries, more and more people are looking to Asia for employment.

Different countries in Asia attract different types of workers. Taiwan is an especially attractive locale for recent graduates with student loans to pay and travelers looking to make a quick buck. There are several reasons for this. Jobs for English teachers are abundant, the requirements are minimal, and the pay is generous. The cost of living in Taiwan is low, the climate is very pleasant, and the people are very welcoming to foreigners...

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The weather is not the only thing that is smoldering in the Philippines. The nation's heart-pounding political landscape, frenetic energy, and complex past are just some of the reasons to dive into the local scene as an expat. And with its endless surf, hot nights in the city, or blood-orange sunsets, there is a lot to fall in love with in this land of extremes. With the haves and have-nots living side-by-side, the remnants of a colonial history, and a struggle to carve an identity of their own-there are also a lot of contradictions and complexities to grasp. Yet, it is precisely this unique and strange brew that makes the country so intriguing. If the chance to explore 7,107 islands, a rich cultural mix, and a passionate people has you yearning to make your move to this South East Asian pearl, then read on for a handy guide to finding work in the Philippines...

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Although microfinance has been around since the 1970's, its prominence as a tool in international development has skyrocketed over the past couple of years. Microfinance's unique structure of providing a true "hand-up rather than a hand-out" through dispensing small, low-interest loans creates a long-term poverty-reduction system which promises the sustainability that eludes most aid programs. As cynicism and pessimism towards traditional approaches to international aid increases, the microfinance industry has boomed worldwide...

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After having volunteered in France, Hawaii, and Australia-where each experience rivaled for the title of the highlight of my life-I had no qualms about blindly heading to Central America for this 2-week stint. At their core, all the programs seemed similar; volunteers pay airfare and a small fee to stay on location, and a group of volunteers from all over the world work and play together. But being at Wildlife Sun Sanctuary made me realize that the idealistic notion of voluntourism was not always to satisfying. Seeing these four projects in hindsight, I suggest anyone looking to volunteer abroad consider the following tips before committing to a project:..

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English is a major language in the world today. Some reports say that the number of people speaking English as their first language is equivalent to the number who use it as their second language, and that their combined number is equal to those who speak it as a foreign language. Furthermore, as many as 75 countries consider English as an official language used in social and business circles. This means that there is high demand for people from traditionally non-English speaking countries to learn the language to be able to increase their competitiveness. Teaching English as a second language (ESL) or English as a foreign language (EFL) in non-native English speaking countries is even more challenging and it requires teachers to have excellent classroom management skills to ensure a successful learning process...

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I have written previously about the rewarding and varied lifestyle of an adventure tour leader in “Work Abroad Leading Adventure Travel Tours: How Make Your Trips Pay.” In the article for Transitions Abroad, I described how I had found the job I love and how it had taken me to over 15 countries in four continents that many people only dream of visiting.

The article has generated an enormous response. My inbox has been flooded with emails from individuals on both sides of the Atlantic looking for more practical advice about tour leading jobs, and more specifically, how to find one for themselves..

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...I am the leader of an adventure travel operation. On the eve of our first expedition, I am paired with my co-lead Shanon (a SCUBA instructor from Texas) and we are briefed on our 13 students. Our itinerary will see us away from St. Martin, unsupported, for three weeks, stopping at several of the neighboring islands and sailing, hiking, diving, exploring, culturally interacting, and altering our perspectives about life...

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We are proud to launch TAzine as a monthly Webzine which continues the 31-year tradition started by Transitions Abroad magazine. TAzine features many of the same columnists who wrote for the magazine, a growing group of new columnists, while featuring many freelance writers who wish to share their experiences and expertise within the context of our innovative alternative coverage of work, study, travel, and living abroad.

Founded in 1977 by Dr. Clayton Allen Hubbs, Transitions Abroad magazine was the only print publication dedicated to work, study, living, volunteering, and immersion travel abroad. Its purpose — in print and now as a Webzine — is the dissemination of practical information leading to a greater understanding of other cultures through direct participation in the daily life of the host community.