Pieter Kriel, South African student working in Britain
Pieter, a law student from Stellenbosch University, had always wanted to see
Britain and, although he was concerned about leaving his familiar surroundings,
he has absolutely no regrets about spending time working abroad. He worked as
an office assistant within a law firm in central London and was satisfied that
this short-term job would benefit his future career plans. "A lot of personal
development took place thanks to all these new experiences, the year off overseas
added to my career prospects tremendously". Although Pieter was anxious
to travel beyond the UK he viewed London as " a good starting point for
world travel". His six months in Britain were just the beginning of his
adventures
Rob Stapley, British Student working in Ghana
Rob graduated from Brunel University with a degree in Leisure Management and
then set off for the "most challenging and fun four months of my life".
He worked with the Ghana Tourist Board in Cape Coast, which was arranged through
the cooperating organisation in Accra. Whilst in Ghana, Rob worked as a hotel
consultant and was responsible for researching hotel facilities in the local
area. His local employers even gave him a new nickname, Kwame, meaning Saturday,
the day he was born. Rob feels that the Work Ghana Programme "really broadened
my outlook on life and introduced me to a vastly different culture…working
alongside Ghanaians was a terrific experience". "The market in Accra,
the walking safari in the north of the country and travelling on to the Ivory
Coast are all fantastic memories of this exciting experience."
Eoin Keating, Irish Student working in the US
Eoin attended Dublin City University and spent his summer on the USIT/Council
Work and Travel Programme in the USA. "A cool experience" is how he
describes his summer job of working for an airline which had the added benefit
of some free travel around the US. "With the security and freedom of a
programme like this, I would recommend it as an exciting and affordable way
to see the United States and learn more about the country and its culture."
Myung Jin (Jinny) Yu, French-speaking Canadian student working in France
While attending Concordia University in Montreal, Jinny chose to return to her
roots for her SWAP (Student Work Abroad Programme) experience. She had always
been eager to learn more about French culture and particularly about Paris.
SWAP presented the ideal way to get acquainted. She got her teaching job by
sending off her CV and covering letter to the American School in Paris. As a
Fine Arts student, she was delighted with her position of "teaching ceramics
and other arts and crafts to children aged 11 to 16". Located in the heart
of Europe, Jinny took the opportunity to travel further a-field and visited
six other European countries before returning home. "I learned so much
and I met great people…Bon Courage!"
Andrea Arni, American student working in Ireland
As a fashion and merchandising major at the Fashion Institute of Technology
(FIT) in New York City, Andrea was delighted with her job at Makullas, a trendy
fashion outlet in Dublin. She was able to get involved in all retail aspects
of the business and so not only satisfied her desire for travel but also gained
valuable work experience. She enjoyed the laid back atmosphere of Ireland, away
from the "rush of New York City" and travelled extensively around
Ireland as well as further a-field. She found that working made integration
into Ireland so much easier than she expected. "I couldn't have worked
with better people. They made me feel part of the team…it really couldn't
have worked out more perfectly!"
Mayumi Uchida, Japanese student working in Canada
Mayumi Uchida worked as a layout designer for the Japanese weekly newspaper
published in Toronto for the city's thriving Japanese community, called The
New Canadian, during her time as a work abroad student in Canada. As a visual
design student from Kuwahara Design Institute in Tokyo, this was an ideal career
opportunity for her. To experience some local flavour, she also worked for a
local trading company buying cosmetics and assisting in the Accounts Department.
Participating in the SWAP programme "gave me a new insight and broader
perspective on life and work outside Japan and fulfilled my desire to travel.
It was a memorable experience that I would recommend to anyone".
