The Journey to Work | Finding a Job Abroad

If you're undertaking a Languages degree, or perhaps have a year in industry for your BA, you might need to find a job abroad. It can seem like a daunting task at first - finding a job in your own country can be hard enough - but don't let language barriers or long searches discourage you. Working abroad is one of the most enriching and useful experiences you will have.  But what's the best way to go about the search? There's no definitive answer, but here are five tips from my experience.
The Ghost of Employment Past
The first step in my job search was sitting down, and thinking about what I wanted to do. What jobs have you had before? Did you enjoy them, did you hate them?  When I was applying for jobs in Germany, the experience I had was the following: 4 years in the food service industry, 2 months as a Customer Service Agent, and 2 months as a Language Teacher at a kid's summer camp in Vienna. I knew from this that the food service industry and teaching were not experiences I wanted to repeat, but that Customer Service was something I could see myself doing again. So that was the first thing I added to my list: Customer Service jobs.
Know Yourself
I thought about this for a while, and what this would do for my CV. While Customer Service would look great on my CV, and afford me some good opportunities in the future, I knew deep down that I'd prefer a cultural position, maybe in a museum or film company. It never hurts to expand your search, so I added these types of job to my search. 
Cast a Wide Net
So you've got a few areas you know you'd like to work in. That's fantastic, and it gives you a focus for your job search. But remember that finding short-term employment is often a tough competition, especially in countries like Germany, where all high school students have to take part in an internship. This means that these places fill up fast. Aside from writing a killer CV and cover letter for your applications, it will help if you cast a wide net. Try using search engines to look for part time jobs in a specific country - don't refine this by city or industry sector unless you have to. This will show you a wide range of job opportunities, and you might end up somewhere you didn't expect, and love it. I had my heart set on Berlin, but I cast my net a little wider, landed a job in Munich, and enjoyed every minute.
Think like a Native
The best websites for finding a job abroad are, of course, going to be those which the natives use. Run a quick Google search or ask a native friend which are the most popular job advertisement sites, and get searching. You'll find the biggest variety of jobs in the widest range of places this way.
Prepare for a Skype or Phone Interview
This one is self-explanatory. It's unlikely that a company will ask you for an in-person interview for a short-term position abroad. More often than not, they'll arrange an interview over Skype or phone (don't worry about charges, they'll call you). This sounds terrifying, but the advantage is that the interviewer can't see you, so you can have notes on the company, your own CV and cover letter, and dictionaries if necessary in front of you. 

Sunset drinks on the Isar with my colleagues

These are just a few of the ways I landed my job in Munich. If you have any specific questions or would like tips on finding a job in Germany particularly, don't hesitate to leave a comment!

Reflection and Remembrance | The Paris Attacks

It's been more than two weeks since I have posted, but there have been many more than two weeks' worth of developments here in Paris. As you will already have learned, on the 13th, Paris was victim to a series of terrorist attacks. Over 100 lives were lost, many more were affected in a way that it will take years to recover from. University can hold all the preparatory talks they want before you leave for your year abroad, but you will never be able to imagine what it is like to be abroad in a time of crisis unless you've experienced it first hand.
The 13th, for me, was a standard evening. I was feeling a little blue, so I decided not to join my friends for a night out. I was in my apartment, watching some trivial show on Netflix, and everything was totally status-quo. It was late when I received a message from a friend who studies at the Sorbonne with me, asking if I was ok. I had no idea what she was talking about. When she explained to me that there were people being held hostage just 3 miles from me, and that a café had been the target of a shooting, my blood ran cold. I opened a news page on my browser; I could hardly believe it. My friends were out, and I had no idea where they were, or if they were safe. Mother-hen instincts took over, and I called one of them to ask where they were, if they were safe, and to make sure they were staying inside. Thankfully, they were all fine - staying in one of their apartments together. I relaxed the tiniest bit. We were all safe, but it wasn't over. Paris Police department were warning everyone not to leave the house, the news pages were constantly updating with figures and statistics of how many were injured or killed. I watched the numbers topple into the hundreds. 
Before long, my phone exploded. Calls from friends in the UK who had seen the news; notifications from distant relatives on Facebook. I assured everyone I was safely locked in my apartment building, and got in contact with all of my immediate family to update them. The most bizarre part of all this was that Facebook asked me to check in as safe. I was less that 400 miles from home; I was in a country I'd been to many times, and that I would never even consider a dangerous place. And yet I needed to check in to let my friends and family know I was safe. Until that point, I'd only ever seen the Check In feature used for huge natural disasters - tsunamis, earthquakes, the like. Maybe I just hadn't been paying attention. I never thought I'd have to do it. I've seen that feature abused too many times; "Joe Bloggs who lives in your little home town has checked in as Safe during the Japanese Earthquake". Completely unnecessary, embarrassingly insensitive. So I asked myself whether I should check in - did I really need to? By this point, old friends and acquaintances were messaging me to check I was ok, so I decided to check in. I suppose it was possible something might have happened to me, but it still felt so unreal. 
It wasn't until this morning - Monday 16th - that it really hit me. The Sorbonne sent out an email to say that classes were cancelled that morning, as a ceremony was being held in memory of the three students the Sorbonne had lost in the attacks. Three. Three people that walked the same corridors as me, three people with homes and families, with lives and futures ahead of them had disappeared from this Earth as a result of what had happened. It's to these three students, and to the dozen of other victims and their families, that I'd like to pay a little remembrance. To Marion Lieffrig-Petard, to Kheireddine Sahbi, to Suzon Garrigues, to the many other victims, and to all friends and families. The atmosphere of solidarity that has arisen from these events is phenomenal. There is a very respectful mixture of tributes to the victims, and will to persevere. It has become a political statement to go for a drink on the terrasse of a café in Paris. A motto shines onto the Eiffel Tower, it reads "Fluctuat nec mergitur", "Tossed but not Sunk". Sites around Paris light up in tribute, and Parisians drink and laugh in perseverance, to remind us not that life goes on, but that they have not surrendered to this tragedy.

The Eiffel Tower is lit with the colours of the Tricolor

Siège la banque postale shows its solidarity

Homecoming

October break crept up on me pretty quickly. I won't say I want to leave Paris yet - I still feel like I'm just getting started there, but I have to admit I've been missing home a bit. Well, to be perfectly honest I've been missing having dogs in my life, and knowing that there are 9 little puppies at home wasn't helping. But I'm back, and it's puppies galore.

The puppies don't seem to understand shelves though. Or maybe they have a better understanding than us.

They've not grasped how the sofa works either. 

Needless to say, their Mum is absolutely knackered.  Aside from the small army of puppies, I also came back because my sister is graduating, for the second time. I'm incredibly proud to have a sister who not only has an Integrated Masters, but now also a PGCE. That's one big pair of boots to fill.

I used to be salty as the Pacific that she was so accomplished, and that I was constantly a step behind her. But now I'm old enough to see how lucky I am to have a role model and a best friend that is capable of anything she puts her mind to. 
But now it's back to La Vie Lumière, back to Uni and back to living without puppies. Sad times. On the plus side, the view from the plane was sensational.

Tourism time

The semester is in full swing now - we're in that relaxed period where we've settled in, but have no exams yet. Let's not call it the calm before the storm. I'm trying to work my way through the huge reading list I've got, and in the breaks between, I've taken on a part-time occupation as a professional tourist. 

The English Patient - second book on our Cinema list after Amadeus

Between sessions of relaxing reading with tea and a vanilla candle, I've made it my mission to see the biggest sights in Paris first. I've already ticked off the Eiffel Tower, so on to the rest of the list.

Back to the Louvre to look at some of the Renaissance pieces I've wanted to see.

A break outside the Notre Dame called for a little silhouette of one of my favourite Youtubers. Never mind  being inspired by such beautiful architecture to do great an incredible thing - YouTube it is.

Followed by a quick visit to Shakespeare & Co. (exterior only - going in was too dangerous for the bank account), and a view of the Pantheon on the way home.

Surviving Sign-Up at the Sorbonne

I'm finally signed up for all my classes. I kid you not, it took me over 2 weeks, and I must have walked about 15 miles to different offices to get it done, but it's done. Unfortunately, it's not like most UK Unis, where you just log in online and choose your courses. You have to consult physical catalogues of courses available, figure out which ones fit, which ones give you enough ECTs (the equivalent of credits), and then you have to fill in forms and take them to the respective departments. I'm now realising that I sound like a whiney millennial, "Why can't I do it online?" But honestly, it would make life a lot easier.
Anyhow, here are a couple of things I'd tell myself a few weeks ago if I had the chance, which would have made the whole process easier.
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Spot the difficulty
First step is choosing your courses. There are a few things you need to look out for when you are picking your classes, and finding these things first will let you skip the awkward "Oh crap, that doesn't work, now I have to do it all again" phase. Firstly, make sure your classes don't clash - that goes without saying. None of us are Hermione, we don't have time turners, and we can't be in two places at once, so make sure your classes aren't at the same time. Secondly, take account of which campus your classes are on. I signed up for two classes which were one after the other, and found out that the second one was on a campus which was 40 minutes away by metro. Not ideal. None of us can teleport either, so make sure you have time to get to your classes. Finally, check the assessment type. If you struggle with exams, try not to take courses which have a heavy set of exams; if you're bad at coursework, do the opposite. 
Cater to you
It's not always possible to sign up just for classes you think you will enjoy, because they might clash. That said, try and find as many classes that fit into your timetable that you will actually enjoy. Studying in a new language is hard enough as it is; you don't need the added annoyance of being bored in every single class you go to. It makes it harder to concentrate, harder to revise, and harder to pass. If you've centred your degree at home around Culture, and you enjoy it, then do the same abroad. If you've focused it on Linguistics or Translation, do the same. 
Plan ahead Chances are, you're going to need to go across a few campuses or at least a few different buildings to get your sign-up completed. I had to go to two different campuses over the course of 2 weeks, and see 5 or 6 different people before I got mine done. This is especially true if you're studying two languages, and need to sign up for classes in the language you aren't working on at the moment. For example, I study French and German, so in Paris, I had to sign up for a German course to keep my level of German up. The trick is to plan ahead - make sure you know the office hours of the people you need to see, where they are, and how to get there. It's not fun turning up to an office that is already closed, or knowing who you need to see but not know how to get to them. Before you leave to get your forms signed, sealed and delivered, make sure you've planned your trip.
Don't overload yourself Make sure that you have at least a quick glance at the reading for each course you sign up for. I wasn't wise enough to do this before I signed up, and now realise I've got a hefty list of about 12 books to read this semester. If you're a fast or keen reader, no problem. If you're not, big problem. Check yourself before you wreck yourself.
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I'm sure there are other things that other students would add to the list, but at least if you follow this advice you'll save yourself some hassle!

Paris vs Puppies

You read that right. Puppies. My dog at home has just had a litter of 9 adorable baby clouds, and I'm not at home to smother them with cuddles. Heartbreaking. I love Paris, but I hate that I'm not there right now, and have to live through the experience via FaceTime and Snapchat pictures.

Turns out they're actually tiny otters

Confessions of a Culture Vulture

The first week of Uni is always slow. It's even slower when you understand nothing that anyone says. Thankfully, French universities don't seem to set homework for classes, so I don't suppose it matters that I'm confused until the exams. What a horrible thought. 
Anyway, I've spent most of my spare time running through bookshops trying to find the hundred and ten french books, and the five or six english ones I have to read this semester. 

Warning, this book might kill! - Found in Boulinier, Boulevard St Michel

Aside from hiding in bookshops, I've not done much apart from skulk around Paris and find quirky little cultural things, which is great. Cars were the first cute find.

And then a little bit of René Magritte. 

Not sure if that one was a clever pun or cheeky graffiti.