The main obstacle to working abroad is obtaining a work visa. Most countries will not issue a work visa unless you have already secured a job in the country. The best option for short-term work abroad is to go through a student work-exchange program. For a fee ranging from $250 to $500, these programs will obtain a short-term work visa on your behalf. These programs were not designed to launch participants into an international career, rather to provide a way for young people to essentially "break even" while traveling in a foreign country.

Work Abroad, Volunteer Abroad, Intern Abroad, Go Abroad Resources

Transitions Abroad is an excellent resource for anyone going abroad. They have information and articles on work, teaching English, travel, volunteering and much more.

GoAbroad.com is a good website for meaningful travel. It lists information on study abroad, volunteer abroad, intern abroad, work abroad, language schools, degree programs, and an array of opportunities.

GoOverseas.com is a great website for search study abroad, teach abroad, volunteer abroad and intern abroad opportunities in many different countires. They also have articles and travel resources.

My World Abroad offers tools and resources with a listing of job, internship and volunteering opportunities abroad. It also includes country guides and global career skills. Also check out the CDC on campus for more tips.

Work Exchange Programs

BUNAC : offers a wide range of work and intern programs in many countries across the globe.

Opportunities range from interning in the UK, to work/travel program opportunities for Ireland, Australia and New Zealand with full support from BUNAC throughout the whole experience, from visa applications to job/accommodation hunting and travel advice.

Other countries for internships include: Britain, Cambodia, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Fiji, Mexico, Spain, South Africa, Thailand.

Volunteer opportunites abroad: Cambodia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Nepal, South Africa, Tanzania

CCUSA: A smaller organization based in Sausalito specializing in short term work visas for Australia and New Zealand. They also have unique camp counseling programs in Russia and Croatia.

Teaching English Abroad

Teaching English is another option if you'd like to work abroad for a longer period of time. The best way to enter the field is to take a certified TEFL or TESOL course. Courses can be taken locally, or in the country you'd like to teach in.

The quality of TEFL/TESOL courses varies greatly. A good TEFL/TESOL course should be at least 100 hours long, and monitored by an external professional organization. Most course are four weeks long, and costs range from $1000- $3000. The CELTA (The University of Cambridge Certificate in English Language Teaching to Adults) is the most prestigious and widely recognized TESOL certificate.

Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE) : Placements for Teaching English Abroad in Chile, China, Domincan Republic, South Korea, Spain and Thailand. This is a competitive program, but if you are accepted, CIEE will take care of all the logistics.

The Japan Exchange and Teaching Program (JET) : Popular program for teaching English in Japan.

Language Corps: TESOL training and guaranteed job placement.

Oxford Seminars: runs TESOL/TELF Certification courses and info sessions in Palo Alto, San Jose, and San Francisco.

St. Giles International: Offers CELTA courses in San Francisco.

Some Other Sources of Funding

IIE Passport of Study Abroad FundingThis valuable funding database allows you to search by country or subject to find the study abroad information that you need.

Scholarshipportal.eu This is one of the largest database of scholarships in Europe.

Pivot (a third party provider) provides a comprehensive database that aggregates funding opportunities globally. Searches are possible by discipline, keyword, investigator type, by country and more. Stanford Sunet ID holders can access the site while on campus or create Pivot account for access off-campus.

Additional Resources on Campus

Stanford's Career Education BEAM: Bridging Education, Ambition and Meaning Work offers many international resources on short term work abroad, international career fields, etc.