International Opportunities
If you are an undergraduate international student studying at Duke, please click here.
Counselor's Perspective
A Day in the Life
Opportunities
Resources
Successful Communication Strategies
Who has come to Duke
Counselor's Perspective
What do international employers really look for in employees and what skills will be needed by professionals to perform successfully in the global marketplace? A study commissioned by the College Placement Council Foundation surveyed 32 international employers and colleges to determine what international employers seek in prospective employees. The three most important skills were cognitive skills, social skills, and “personal traits.” Problem-solving ability, decision making, and knowing how to learn are highly prized generic skills. Social skills were described as the ability to work effectively in group settings, particularly with diverse populations. Personal traits mentioned frequently included flexibility, adaptability, and the capacity to be innovative.
An internship or a stint as a volunteer can be invaluable to recent graduates or career changers. Locate organizations at the local level which have similar goals to those of larger international organizations. Service organizations address issues of health, housing, economic development, and employment—all of which are local as well as global concerns.
Many job seekers mistakenly believe that they can’t begin an international career until their feet are on foreign soil. They overlook their own backyard for resources and training opportunities. Many U.S. cities are becoming global in population and perspective as people with diverse linguistic, national, and cultural backgrounds converge to live and work. Living in these locales can help you acquire cross-cultural competence and find work in fields such as business, cultural exchange, and health and human services with a focus on certain regions of the world. All major cities have world trade centers which support international commerce, as do some mid-sized and smaller cities. If you’re interested in the Asian Pacific Rim, for example, a job with a multinational organization in Seattle, Portland, or San Francisco may be a good starting point. Miami, Houston, and San Diego hold great potential for international trade between the U.S. and Latin America. New York and Los Angeles are centers of international business, diplomacy, and cultural affairs. Washington, DC provides a strong base for finding international employment, particularly in government and nonprofit organizations.Please consider the following items when searching for an internship or job overseas:
1) In what country do I want to work?
2) What do I want to do?
3) How long do I want to be there?
4) What skills will I bring to an organization or company and what makes me marketable?
Returned Study Abroad Students
How do you communicate to employers all the valuable skills and experience you gained on your journey? Come to the Career Center and practice telling your study abroad stories, and learn how to use those stories to the maximum advantage in finding a job and building a meaningful career. [more information]
A Day in the Life
Teaching English abroad through the JET program in Japan
7:00 Get up and get dressed in business casual for school
8:30 Arrive at school
9:00 Begin teaching; travel with a Japanese teacher to different classes and teach English lessons together
12:30 Break for lunch
1:00 Teach more classes (5 altogether)
3:00 Off-period plan lessons with head Japanese teacher, grade tests, write tests, conduct conversational interviews with students
4:30 School is out
5:00 Hang out with students so students may practice their English
5:30 Go home on metro
6:30 Eat dinner
7:30 Prepare for tomorrow's lessons
8:30 Relax, watch movies (Netflix)
10:30 Go to bed
Internship Experience
Service Opportunity in China Building Libraries and Working with Children
7:00 Get-up and get ready
7:30 Walk to local project site
8:30 Meet with project leaders to discuss construction plans for the day
9:00 Meet with building team of 10 people (5 local and 5 volunteers) and decided the plan of action and individual responsibilities
9:15 Began building and constructing--gather materials, nail wood, put up walls, etc.
12:30 Break for lunch
1:30 Continued building and constructing
3:30 End construction for day
4:00 Move to next service project--interacting with local children and teaching them English, reading to them and playing with them
6:00 Have dinner with local host family
7:15 Go out with other volunteers and local service leaders
10:30 Go home and go to bed
Opportunities
The opportunities in the international sector are vast and endless. Students can work for a few weeks in a rain forest in Costa Rica, spend a summer consulting in China, help orphans in Argentina, or teach for a year in the Dominican Republic. International opportunities depend on what type of job or internship they are looking for and in what country. With any international opportunity, students should take into consideration housing and visa issues as well as insurance matters and other logistical items. Students must consider what is included in any international package or job/internship they accept.
Business
Opportunities in international business for U.S. students who do not have authorization to work outside the U.S. are often in the form of internships. If students are interested in international business, they should check out Duke E-recruiting and look at international companies career websites. International companies that have posted jobs or internships for their international offices at Duke include: Accenture, Bank of America, Deutsche Bank, JP Morgan, McKinsey Consulting. Many students and recent graduates find international jobs and internships through the European Career Fair in Boston in February.
Volunteer/Non-profit/NGO
Opportunities in the volunteer, non-profit, or NGO sector are often short-term in the summer or for a year or two after graduation. These positions can include working with children in orphanages, community and public health, community research and outreach, human rights, environmental positions, and more. Many international volunteer opportunities are posted on Idealist.org and other non-profit run websites such as servenet. In addition, several international internships with non-profits or non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are posted on Idealist. Often these positions are unpaid but some funding may be available for room or board or ideas for fundraising, or housing may be provided. Opportunities in this sector include: the Peace Corps, Humanity in Action, Amigos de las Americas (Latin America), Family Health International Fellowship Program in Malawi, and the American Youth Understanding Diabetes Abroad (AYUDA) in Ecuador. It is important to keep in mind that many large international NGOs and organizations such as World Bank or the UN require fieldwork, or additional experience or education. These short-term international experiences are an excellent way to gain exposure and knowledge in this area.
Teaching
Often, the most convenient or best way to get a job overseas after graduation is by teaching English abroad or teaching in international schools. In many Asian countries a teaching certificate is not necessary and students do not need to know the native language of the country. For teaching in Europe especially western Europe or in some international schools, a teaching certificate is necessary. Many TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) or TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) certificate programs exist. Usually these programs will include a placement or career counseling/support component to them. Often teaching programs are for 1 year or require at least a 10-month contract. There are many recruiting firms such as Allestra Recruiting and US-China Educational Exchange who will place you in a teaching position with one of their partner schools. Examples of teaching English or teaching abroad employers include New Horizons program in the Dominican Republic, the English Program in Korea, the JET program in Japan, and TEFL in Prague.
International Education
Many students are discovering careers in international education. International education includes ESL teaching or teaching English abroad, working abroad with the state department or government, or working with international education organizations or nonprofits and more. The Association of International Educators (NAFSA) offers students helpful information about how to search for jobs within international education and describes what opportunities are available and how to find them.
Other
More international opportunities exist beyond these three sectors including working for the state department, working for a technological company, conducting academic research, working in a higher education institution or having an international fellowship or grant such as a Fulbright Scholarship. Many such opportunities are posted at Duke or are available through different resources at Duke such as the Center for Global Studies and Humanities or the Office of Undergraduate Scholars and Fellows.
Resources
Duke has several good resources for searching for international jobs or experiences. It is possible to search the faculty database to see where faculty have done international research. Other good places to check at Duke are the Duke Center for Global Studies and Humanities, the Office of Undergraduate Scholars and Fellows, the International Programs departments, Hart Leadership Program, Center for International Studies, Duke Center for International Development, Foreign Language and Area Studies Fellowships, and the Office of Research Support.
For short-term summer opportunities including visa sponsorship:
BUNAC
CDS International
International Cooperative Education Programs (paid summer internships overseas)
Association for International Practical Training (AIPT)
Council on International Educational Exchange
G3 Visas
For international careers:
International job postings
University of Michigan's International Center
Jobs in Europe
Jobs in the UK
International Career Advice (Transitions Abroad)
International non-profit and volunteer postings (Idealist)
Society of American Travel Writers
For teaching abroad:
Dave's ESL Cafe; : web-based community for people currently teaching or seeking teaching positions abroad
Teaching English in Japan (JET) : popular US-based program for recent grads to teach in Japan
Teaching English Abroad
World Teach
Teaching English as a Foreign Language
University of Northern Iowa overseas education job fair
Teaching English abroad job postings
Council on International Educational Exchange : programs for recent grads to teach abroad in Spain, Chile, China and Thailand
For volunteering abroad:
International Voluntary Service (provides partially-funded opportunities abroad)
Volunteer International
International non-profit and volunteer postings (Idealist)
International Medical Volunteer Association
How Your Salary Translates:
click here for a currency converter
The resource room (Page 106) at the Duke Career Center also has excellent books and periodicals for finding work abroad including The International Educator, Transitions Abroad Magazine, the International Hotline, Teach English as a Foreign Language, Jobs for People who Love to Travel, Getting a Job Abroad: The International Jobseekers; Directory, International Jobs: Where they are, How to Get Them, the Going Global Country Guides and many more. It is very important to do research before obtaining an international job and afterwards before leaving so you know what to expect when you arrive at your destination. Use the resources provided as well as contact faculty, staff, and alumni to learn more about working abroad and what to expect.
The University Career Action Network (UCAN) provides general and career information about various cities and countries:
Amsterdam
Athens
Beijing
Cairo
Dublin
Hong Kong
London
Madrid
Paris
Rome
Santiago
Singapore
Sydney
Tokyo
Successful Communication Strategies
Faculty, staff, and alumni are great resources and can provide useful advice and information concerning working internationally. It is also helpful to get a variety of perspectives as people will have had different experiences and may have used different approaches to acquiring their positions abroad. Informational interviews are an excellent way to learn more about working abroad, what it entails, and how to gain a position internationally. Questions to ask include:
1) How did you obtain your position abroad?
2) Were you able to support yourself on your salary or did you have to pay a program fee?
3) What did you do on a day-to-day basis?
4) Was it easy/difficult for you to find a job when you returned?
5) Do you think working abroad helped make you more marketable coming back to work in the U.S.?
6) How did you deal with visa, insurance, housing, and other logistical matters?
7) Do you have any suggestions on other people I should contact regarding working abroad?
8) What advice do you have for students interested in working abroad?
Also, when looking at websites students should pay close attention to any testimonials or alumni information given so students can find out what alumni are doing now or if students have the option to contact alumni who have completed the program. Check with the Career Center as we can let you know if Duke alumni have completed certain programs and may be able to give their perspectives.
Who has come to Duke?
Amigos de las Americas (short-term work in Latin America)
BUNAC (short-term work opportunities in UK, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Ireland)
Humanity in Action (Human Rights Internships in Europe)
JET Program (teaching English in Japan)
New Horizons (Teaching in the Dominican Republic)
NOVA (teaching English in Japan)
Peace Corps
Search Associates (teaching in independent schools worldwide)
U.S. State Department
World Camp (short-term international work)
World Teach (short-term teaching opportunities)
Several other organizations have posted jobs with the Career Center. These include:
AIPT (Association for International Practical Training)
Accenture (consulting in China)
Alliance Abroad (short-term international work)
CDS International (fellowships and short-term work abroad)
CIEE Teach Abroad Programs
Cross-Cultural Solutions (short-term international programs)
Hart Leadership Program
IAESTE (The International Association for the Exchange of Students for Technical Experience)
ITC TEFL in Prague (Teaching English as a Foreign Language)
JP Morgan analyst internship positions
Mountbatten business internship program in UK
McKinsey (consulting in Germany)
USAID in Europe
UN Watch Fellowship
Many international positions are just in time hires so students might not have a job before they graduate from college. Continue to check the various Duke Career Center resources as well as check websites, talk to alumni and other individuals who have had international experience. In addition, many countries do not have defined international internship programs like in the United States so students may need to work with an employer to develop a work experience into an international internship.