Please contact the issuing authority, which is the local embassy, consulate or application centre for that country, directly, to find current and accurate information about getting the necessary legal authorization (visa / permit). You are responsible for arranging your own visa / permit. You and your employer are expected to do your research on the documentation required for procuring the necessary visa / permit.

For co-op work terms: Please state clearly that this work term / internship is a necessary part of your degree requirements. However, CEE does not consult on the legal process as the type and class of visa / permit is determined by the issuing authority based on your individual circumstances. It is also your responsibility to ensure that the visa / permit you have been provided by the issuing authority allows you to stay legally in the country for the entire length of your work term / internship. Read the instructions on the visa / permit carefully, and ensure you take necessary steps to legally maintain your presence in the country. If you are NOT a Canadian Citizen or Permanent Resident, or you are a citizen of COUNTRY, please contact the issuing authority directly to confirm the correct process and documentation information and timeline based on your citizenship status, as the above may not apply to you. CEE and UW will provide required documentation that needs to be issued by the university as part of the visa / permit process.

USA

Here are some helpful sites that provide information on types of permits, eligibility, and how to secure permits. Be sure to conduct thorough research and verify your findings through the U.S. Consulate.

• Cultural Vistas
• Intrax Global Internships
• U.S. Consulate General Toronto

For specific information on University of Waterloo co-op work terms in the USA, please visit this site.

Register for the “Getting a U.S. Work Permit” workshop delivered by a U.S. immigration attorney here.

Book a one-hour “Work Search Abroad” appointment with a Career Advisor here.

Outside USA Legal Authorization

There are various ways to obtain legal authorization including employer sponsorship, government partnerships, and through organizations whose main purpose is to provide permits for a fee.

Here are some helpful sites that provide information on types of permits, eligibility, and how to secure permits. Be sure to conduct thorough research and verify your findings through the appropriate consulate.

International Experience Canada (IEC)

• Secure a work permit through this government sponsored program which has partnerships with 32 countries — Canadian citizens only

Sponsoring Organizations (Note: co-op work terms should not be facilitated via these sources)

• SWAP Working Holidays
• AIESEC

Foreign Representatives in Canada: Consular Offices’ Addresses

Register for the “Thinking about an International Experience” and “Working Effectively in another culture” workshops through the Centre for Career Development’s workshops site

Book a one-hour “Work Search Abroad” appointment with a Career Advisor here.

How will you finance your international experience? The Budget to Travel (PDF) guide from MyWorldAbroad has some tips on how to prepare for your travels and the potential financial impacts.

The University of Waterloo also encourages students to pursue international opportunities by providing International Experience Awards through the Student Awards and Financial Aid office.

Résumé and cover letter

Résumés and cover letters differ from country to country. The structure, length, formatting and information included in a document may vary significantly. For some countries, you may need to include your age, marital status, national origin, photo and other personal details that are not included in the Canadian context. You may also be required to provide additional documents as part of the application process.

It is important that you research what is required in a résumé and cover letter in the country you are applying to. See the following resources for tips on preparing your application package:

• Your International Résumé and LinkedIn Profile
• Sample Application Documents
• Writing an Effective Cover Letter
• Sample Cover Letters from Students

If you have experience that is relevant to an international environment, it may also benefit you to include an international skills and experience section on your résumé and/or cover letter to highlight transferable skills such as flexibility, resourcefulness, independence, and adaptability, all of which will be useful in an international environment. For more information on building an international experience section for your international job search, please refer to the following resources:

• Selling Your International Skills
• Highlighting Your International Experience

It may be important to include your eligibility to work in a specific country in your application package. If this is not stated early on in your documents, employers may disregard your application because hiring international workers is often an onerous and costly process.

Online presence

Many employers use social media as part of their recruiting practices; it will benefit you to have a professional online presence. This can include professional networking websites such as LinkedIn, as well as general social media platforms such as Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

Research the popular social media platforms for the country in which you are applying and build your online presence accordingly.

• Your Online Presence
• Social Media for Career Success

LinkedIn is a platform that is used in over 200 countries. Many recruiters use LinkedIn to search for talented candidates, many of whom are students or recent graduates. If you choose to use this platform here are two resources to get you started:

• LinkedIn Profile Checklist (PDF)
• Your International Résumé and LinkedIn Profile

Since employers are now likely to look at a job candidate’s social media before making an interview or job offer, it’s extremely important to check your social media for any information that may be deemed unprofessional. If you are concerned, consider modifying your privacy settings for each social media account to control what information employers can see.

References

It is common for employers to require references when considering candidates for a job. In North America, references are collected during the final offer stage of an interview process. However, in some countries you may need to have references prepared prior to, or during, the interview itself.

It is important to research the specific type of references that you will be expected to provide (e.g. personal reference/professional reference) and when it will be required for your country of interest.

There are a number of ways to conduct your international work search, including:

• Country specific: Search for a variety of jobs that are of interest within a particular country
• Job specific: Search for jobs in a profession of interest across a range of countries
• Global organizations: Join a global organization in your home country in which there will be opportunities for international work and/or travel
• While abroad: Seek international work while travelling, volunteering, studying, or working abroad

Local recruitment practices

It is important to understand the local recruitment practices of each country of interest. A few considerations include:

Terminology: The terms used to describe recruitment processes may differ between countries. For example, the term CV and résumé could be used interchangeably or could refer to different documents.

Speed of recruitment process: The speed of hiring may vary greatly between countries. You may need to be prepared to relocate on short notice, or it may take a few months for a final hiring decision.

Contract type: In some countries, it may be more common for employees to work on temporary contracts. In other countries it may be more common to hire for long-term or permanent roles.

Résumé/cover letter: The documents you submit will need to be modified to meet the local document requirements. For example, you may or may not need to add a professional photograph of yourself on your résumé.

Method of job searching: Personal relationships are highly valued in some cultures and networking may be essential to a successful job search. Organizations in other countries may primarily use recruitment agencies or online applications as a source of talent.

Interviews: The style of interview, best practices, and types of questions will vary from country to country. It is important to do your research and be prepared.

Online job applications

There are a variety of methods and platforms you can use when searching for an international experience:

1. Internationally relevant job/volunteer boards: Popular websites such as LinkedIn Jobs, Indeed, Monster, and OverseasJobs can be used across multiple countries
2. Country-specific job/volunteer boards: Each country will also have its own unique local job boards
3. Industry-specific job/volunteer boards: Using job boards that span multiple countries but are specific to your industry is an effective way to search for professional roles
4. Local recruitment agencies: Sign up with international recruitment agencies that are aware of the most up-to-date jobs
5. Company websites: Target companies with international offices and apply to their international branches
6. WaterlooWorks: WaterlooWorks contains international job postings from employers specifically looking to recruit University of Waterloo students and alumni from regular and co-op programs.

Networking

You may be able to apply similar strategies for networking in Canada to networking outside Canada, keeping in mind that there may be important cultural norms and expectations to consider (e.g. religious, cultural and gender behaviours). To get you started, review the best practices for networking in Canada.

When networking, it is particularly important to consider communication styles. Research the particular communication styles of the country you are applying to, paying particular attention to professional greetings and the preferred mode of communication (i.e. phone versus email). Research the particular communication styles of the country/countries you are applying to paying particular attention to professional greetings and the preferred mode of communication (i.e. phone versus email). For more information on communicating with employers directly on the international stage please refer to Contacting Employers Directly (MyWorldAbroad).

Finding an international experience while abroad

There are many ways to conduct an effective job search while abroad.

• Obtain a short-term volunteer position while travelling (e.g. a 1 day event)
• Obtain a short-term volunteer position while studying (e.g. 1-2 days a week)
• Obtain a job through an initial volunteer position with an organization

Work search while travelling: Is it possible to conduct a job search while visiting a country as a tourist? Yes! With careful planning, you can arrange to network with professionals in your field, visit a job fair, and sign up with a local recruitment agency, all during a short vacation.

Work search while volunteering: There are volunteer opportunities to suit everyone’s preference. These can come in a wide variety of opportunities such as:

• Spending a day helping a global organization through Give A Day Global
• Giving a few weeks towards building decent housing around the world through Habitat for Humanity
• Contributing your time to an organization’s volunteer project through Go Overseas

Work search while completing an internship: Perhaps you have already managed to secure a short-term internship but want to stay in the country longer; you can continue your job search while you are working. Use this time effectively to network and apply for additional roles within or outside of your current organization.

Work search while working: A popular method of searching for work while working abroad is to teach English as a Second Language (ESL) in your new country. This could be a path into a number of careers abroad.

Note: To teach English as a Second Language you may need to complete a short course and obtain a recognized international certificate. The type of qualifications may be different, depending on your country of origin or study and where you plan to teach. For information about ESL qualifications offered at the University of Waterloo.

Safety

The University of Waterloo continues to be concerned with your health and safety while you are traveling to an international location / participating in your work term abroad.

Visit the UWaterloo International Travel Safety and Security page for knowledge and resources to mitigate risks and to experience peace of mind before, during, and after your trip.

For destination specific travel information or to learn about countries or regions to avoid during your international experience search, visit the Government of Canada’s Travel Advice and Advisories page.

Finding and applying for an international job is the first step, but for some roles it will be equally important to demonstrate your value as an international candidate when competing with local candidates.

It is important to understand recruitment from the perspective of a recruiter or hiring manager. Recruitment processes can be long and expensive. Additionally, there are many considerations when hiring an international candidate, such as relocation. You should address these potential concerns for the hiring manager by demonstrating that you are already fully prepared to move and live in a foreign country for the duration of the employment.

In order to do this, be prepared to demonstrate knowledge or experience in the following areas:

• Company/industry knowledge: Understand the specific company goals, local opportunities and challenges and country specific job knowledge and regulations
• Interest and enthusiasm: You must be able to demonstrate your interest in and enthusiasm for the country and industry
• Legal authorizations: Know your short- and long-term options for obtaining authorizations for employment
• Long term plans: Prepare to discuss your long-term plans. Convincing an employer that this opportunity aligns with your long-term goals will strengthen your candidacy
• International experience: Be prepared to clearly articulate the success you have had with international experiences
• Challenges: Know the specific challenges you may face when adapting to the new environment
• Professional cultural awareness: Research local behaviour in the professional environment to demonstrate your awareness and willingness to adapt to the international workplace
• Relocation: Prepare to discuss your relocation plan and, if applicable, demonstrate that you have already begun this process
• Salary: Demonstrate your awareness of local salary ranges and cost of living

Being able to easily navigate conversations around the topics outlined above, and demonstrating that you are well researched and prepared will help convince an international employer that you are serious about this opportunity.

To see if you are ready for an international opportunity, review the Ready to Work Abroad checklist and reflect on your level of preparedness.

The style of interview, best practices, and types of questions will vary from country to country. It is important to do your research and be prepared. If interviewing long distance, keep in mind the time difference and allow time for any technical difficulties.

Be aware of how to interact in a culturally appropriate manner. For introductions, some cultures may shake hands, whereas others may bow. In some cultures, your answers should focus on the achievements you have displayed personally, whereas others may prefer the answer to focus on your team contributions.

It is also worth bearing in mind that some interview questions may be permissible in one country but illegal in others. For example, questions regarding marital status or age may be a standard part of the interview conversation outside Canada. Appropriate topics for small talk may also vary throughout an interview process, especially during a lunch or dinner interview.

Communicating in another language may also be a requirement for the job. It will be important to practice interview questions in both languages and focus on clear communication.

Negotiating an international job offer may be similar to the approach taken in Canada. For general advice on this aspect of your work search:

• Read the ‘Negotiating job offers’ pages under the Apply/Interview section of CareerHub
• Look out for the ‘Successfully Negotiating Job Offers’ workshop at the Centre for Career Development

Here are some additional aspects to keep in mind when accepting or negotiating an international job offer:

Salary: What are your salary expectations? Are you willing to accept a slightly lower salary than the competitive market offers in order to obtain your first international position? Use websites such as Monster, Glassdoor etc. to identify what a reasonable salary is for the specific job, in the specific country.

Benefit packages: In North America and Europe, it may be possible for a benefits package to include phones or company cars, while in other countries you may receive assistance with accommodation or subsidized cafeterias in the workplace. If relocation assistance is being offered, it is important to carefully read the contract as some may require you to pay a portion of this back if you leave within a certain period of time.

Health plan: health care for illness or injury can be very expensive when working internationally. Make sure to identify your health plan options. This may be provided by your company, or you may need to arrange this on your own.

There are many exciting places around the world to travel, work, volunteer and study. One of the best ways to learn about these places is to hear directly from students, staff, faculty and alumni who have traveled to or lived in these locations. This webinar series provides information about each of these cities to help you make informed decisions about where you would like to take your next adventure.

Introduction to these webinars (shown below)

Live, Work and Play in Hong Kong & Singapore by Alumni Jon Kwan

In this webinar (located below), Jon comes to you live from Asia with an overview of what it is really like to live, work and play in two of the most popular and expensive cities in the World. While these two places are often compared, he talks about how different and yet similar they really are. He also gives you a little insight into the different partner universities while highlighting some of the key areas in the local job market.

Learn about living and working in San Francisco by Alumni Jack Forbes

In this webinar, Jack gives an overview of what it is like to live and work in San Francisco. You will learn about living arrangements, how to get around the city, what the food is like, where you can find networking opportunities and more.