Increasing mobility in the employment market creates a greater degree of competition as well as opening up opportunities, so an international outlook can give you a sharper edge in your personal and career development.

Opportunities are out there for students and graduates of all disciplines, even if you do not yet speak a foreign language. Sensitivity to other cultures - particularly an understanding the workplace culture in a given country, your attitude, mindset and enthusiasm are just as important as linguistic ability, if not more so in some respects. You can apply your professional or technical skills abroad while learning a language at the same time.  English does often tend to be the main working language of business but nevertheless, even if it’s your first language, don’t miss out on opportunities to learn a new one and impress your employer.

Similarly, skills that linguists possess, including communication, networking and analytical thinking, can help them to break into many different professional areas in the UK or abroad – management consulting or tax consultancy, just as a couple of examples. Graduate employers look for a range of high-level transferable skills beyond the specific knowledge gained from your degree subject, so think creatively and laterally – ideas about options with your subject on the Graduate Prospects website.

Starting points for information on living and working abroad:

• The EXODUS online databased published by Careers Europe can be accessed through the Interactive Career Planning course in Blackboard.
• Working abroad section of the Prospects website - covers application procedures, vacancy sources, visa and immigration regulations, together with many other contacts and resources. 
• See the Foreign and Commonwealth Office website that offers comprehensive travel advice and country specific information. 
• The Directgov public services website also offers advice about travel and living abroad.
• Monetos provides practical guides on living in different countries.
• International JobOnline, developed by the Careers Group at the University of London, aims to  bring together UK educated International Students (European & Overseas) and Graduate Employers.  It carries EU and overseas graduate opportunities within a range of industry sectors.  Furthermore, the site has a detailed Careers Advice section along with country specific labour market information.
• EURES - network linking the public employment services in Europe
• Eurograduate - graduate job opportunities in Europe, together with advice on job hunting and working in the EU.
• Europass - take your skills with you. The Europass initiative was designed by The European Commission to help people to make their skills and qualifications easily understood in and around Europe. See the UK National Europass Centre's website for information on the Europass documents and the UK NEC's services.
• Teaching English as a foreign language (TEFL) is an increasingly popular option, and therefore it is becoming harder for those without formal qualifications to get jobs, especially in the UK where a qualification is almost always essential.
  
  • Certificate in English Language Teaching to Adults:  English Language Training Services at Swansea University offers CELTA courses that will enable you to start a career teaching English Language either abroad or in the UK.  TEFL certificates and Diplomas are offered by Cambridge ESOL, and also by Trinity College London. 
  • See detailed information in the TEFL section of the Graduate Prospects website.
•   More sites to help you find TEFL training and opportunities and jobs:
  • British Council :  If you're looking for challenging opportunities, including internships, the British Council has a range of jobs across the globe, including language assistants.
  • IST plus
  • EL Gazette
  • JET - The Japan Exchange and Teaching Programme.  See also two online magazines from the Japanese Government - Highlighting JAPAN through images and Highlighting JAPAN through articles.  Themes covered include politics, international cooperation, the economy and trade, science and technology, the environment, lifestyles and culture.
  • International Association of Teachers of English as a Foreign Language.
  • Careers Service Jobs page
• jobs and internships in the USA:
  • The Mountbatten Internship Programme
  • BUNAC
  • Camp America
  • CCUSA
  • IST plus (also jobs in Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Thailand and China)
• OverseasJobs.com - jobs for professionals, expatriates and adventure seekers
• Anywork Anywhere.com
• Monster.com - worldwide career network
• Charities and volunteering - includes development and humanitarian work, education, conservation, healthcare, community work and many other job types.
• Expeditions and travel – mostly self-funding opportunities (dynamic resources page).
• Elite International Recruitment - jobs in Gibraltar and Southern Spain covering a wide range of commercial employment sectors including financial services, accountancy and legal services.
• Further tips on finding a placement abroad 
• GRADChina is an online guide that is only partly in English, but is of value to students seeking opportunities back in China.

Swansea University’s Internationalisation Programmes

All students at Swansea University, whatever their degree discipline, are encouraged to take opportunities to study and/or work abroad. These include programmes that form part of degree courses as well as other short-term programmes; see www.swansea.ac.uk/internationalisation.

The University engages strongly with European initiatives to encourage mobility in the graduate employment market. It has therefore adopted the principles of the European Credit Transfer system, and Swansea was the first university in Wales to provide all its students with the Diploma Supplement developed within the European Commission to increase the transparency and recognition of academic and professional qualifications: http://www.swansea.ac.uk/diplomasupplement/.  The Diploma Supplement is provided in addition to the academic transcript that all students receive on completion of their studies. It not only gives information about the level and nature of your qualifications and skills, but also indicates where your qualifications fit within different national qualifications frameworks, which is very helpful in demonstrating your experience and skills to potential employers in other European countries.