Participating in an internship abroad can be an amazing way to travel, add to your CV, gain experience and make sure you stand out in any job interview.
Many graduates are turning to this option to gain experience the UK job market just isn’t offering at the moment. Working abroad is a great way to explore a career path, to gain experience in how other countries and cultures operate, and most importantly an opportunity to learn.
Internships are usually a humbling experience where you truly learn whether a certain career path is for you, if not you can simply walk away and try something else. Doing this abroad also gives you the chance to travel somewhere different and truly step outside your comfort zone.
Not only will you gain a wealth of experience but it will also impress in any job interview, because it becomes so much more than a bullet point on your CV, it is a great talking point and portrays bravery, experience and passion.
Decide on the career path you want to explore and then research the type of internships available, you could travel to Europe or further afield, it completely depends on what is available and how adventurous you are feeling.
Working abroad is an amazing way to enhance your CV, experience different cultures, test a career path, or simply pay for the next plane ticket. Once you have decided what you want to get out of your experience, there are a wealth of projects and websites online dedicated to matching you with a job abroad.
It is important to remember that any travelling experience will come with certain drawbacks or down points which you need to be prepared for. You will at some point feel home sick, probably because of massive culture shock, and you need to accept this and move past it.
Working abroad can also present its own problems, you need to make enough time for yourself to relax and explore, don’t attempt to work every second to fill your time – to get everything you possibly can out of the experience you need to be able to tick everything off on your to do list.
On a final point, always make sure that your travel insurance covers you to work abroad. For more information check out the links below;
When planning a trip abroad, it is important that you research the destination you are intending to visit, to check whether you need vaccinations or preventative medicines before you travel.
Australia is an extremely popular destination with backpacker and longstay travellers alike, however journeys like this are expensive, and it is important that you save your money for the things you really want to do, rather than wasting it on expensive medical bills.
If you’re travelling to Australia, it is important that you enrol in their Medicare programme, just in case you need medical attention abroad. To help anyone planning a trip to Australia, please see our frequently asked Medicare questions below;
With Medicare you receive a personalised card which gets you discounted or free public health care and medicines in state Australian hospitals – hence why it is so important. It should ensure that you receive medical treatment similar to the NHS in the UK; however you may still need to pay towards some medications and treatments. If you do need medical treatment during your time in Australia, always head for a state clinic or hospital, to avoid paying fees at private hospitals.
Australia has Reciprocal Health Care Agreements with several countries around the world, including the UK, which means that any Brits travelling to Australia can apply for Medicare and receive essential medical treatments.
It is important to remember that, just like the EHIC was, Medicare is not meant to be a replacement for travel insurance. Medicare is there to make sure you receive the medical treatment you need in state facilities, without having to pay extortionate fees. However, Medicare will not be able to assist if your baggage is damaged or stolen, or if you need to be repatriated to the UK. You must invest in quality travel insurance to make sure you are fully covered in Australia.
We would always suggest that you take a good supply of your prescription medication abroad with you, just to make sure you have enough for your time away, and in case you cannot obtain your medication in your destination.
However, it is important to remember that Australia has strict customs regulations about what can and can’t be brought into the country, and some prescription medications are on this list. Always check customs regulations, as well as local laws before you travel, just to make sure you don’t face any issues before your holiday has even begun!
To enrol in Medicare you will need your passport and a valid visa. You can apply by visiting Humanservices.gov.au and downloading an enrolment form. Alternatively, you can apply by visiting a Medicare office (there are hundreds all over Australia) up to 10 days after you arrive, to register for the programme.
Additionally, you can find out more about the cover that we offer by taking a look at our cover levels and benefits of travel insurance.
Planning a gap year or backpacking adventure can become expensive, so it is important that you settle on a realistic budget and get all your money matters organised before you depart.
Here are our top tips to save travellers money;
If you’re planning to take a gap year, you might have a variety of different things planned. If you want to go travelling, you’ll need to ensure you have the right travel insurance policy and this will vary based on what you have planned for your trip. The places you visit, the length of time you’ll be away for and the activities you’ll be doing will all influence your travel insurance policy.
If you are planning to travel to countries within the EU, you may find that you can purchase a different travel insurance policy to if you are going further afield. British citizens pretty much have a free rein when travelling to most countries within Europe, so there isn’t really an issue with getting visas or special access beforehand.
Travelling to the rest of the world will often involve taking out a separate or extended policy and you are also likely to need visas to get into any other country. Make yourself aware of the entry requirements beforehand and ensure you fulfil them all. If you do have to claim on your insurance for any reason, you know that you will have already met all the criteria.
The amount of time you plan to spend away can also affect your travel insurance. Some people go on holiday for a couple of weeks, while others travel around or stay away for a couple of months instead. Of course, some people will take a full year or more and travel to different destinations all over the world, spending varying amounts of time in each country.
If you are going to be away for a long amount of time, you are probably going to need a different type of travel insurance, particularly if you plan on working abroad as well. If you haven’t made any solid plans about how long you’re going to be away for, try to make an educated guess and then ensure you can extend the policy if necessary. Ensure that your policy will cover you for as long as you need, otherwise you might be hit with an unexpected bill if it runs out.
If you do decide to work abroad, you may find that you need to apply for a different type of visa as well as insurance that covers you for work and not just tourism. Many people make their minds up before they leave as to whether they want to work or not so try to decide beforehand; it will make your life much easier in the long run.
Some insurance policies only cover you for basic activities and do not include more unusual plans, so think about what you are going to be getting up to when you are away. You might think that you have no intention of going bungee jumping when you’re away but you might change your mind when you get there. It’s better to be over-covered than not have the right sort of policy.
There are things like riding a motorcycle that you might not think anything of when you’re in the UK but the rules are different abroad. Although there may be no legal requirement for you to wear safety clothing in your destination, your insurance may have rules in place to ensure you are being safe, or they may not cover this activity at all. It might seem like an ordinary, low-risk activity to you but double check that your insurer feels the same way about it.
You may be able to add things onto your insurance policy when you are away but this isn’t always possible so make sure you read through all the terms and conditions first to ensure that you can do this if necessary. If not, you might be better off going for a package that includes as many things as possible so that you are covered in advance.
Nobody wants to have to claim on their insurance when they’re travelling but sadly, not everyone is that lucky. Some claims come up frequently, particularly for backpackers, so what are the ones to be aware of?
The majority of travel insurance claims for backpackers are for medical expenses. It makes sense that if you do have to claim, it’s going to be for medical expenses because these can reach sky high prices. While we have the NHS here in the UK, the same systems are not in place abroad, with many countries only offering private healthcare.
If you do have some sort of injury or need any kind of medical attention, you can quickly find that the bills spiral out of control. Your travel insurance will cover the cost of medication, a stay in hospital and various other expenses. Bear in mind that when you go travelling, you are more likely to take risks and do more adventurous activities, so it’s essential that your insurance covers all the things you’ll be doing when you’re away.
When you go travelling, you won’t be taking your huge backpack with you wherever you go. If you’re staying in a hostel for a few days, you’ll leave your big pack in a locker of some sort and take a smaller bag out with you for the day. There is a risk of having your belongings stolen when you leave them at the hostel, or even of you losing them when you are out and about.
Some things are easy to get by without; if you lose your towel, you can get another one relatively easily. However, if you lose your money or an electrical device like your tablet or mobile phone, it’s not only more of a financial hit, but can also make your trip much harder. Knowing that, you would be foolish not to get full cover for your belongings before you travel.
Some countries are deemed to be more dangerous than others, particularly for tourists who are just visiting. With a number of uprisings having taken place in various countries in recent years, the number of potentially dangerous places is on the rise. While you may have planned to go to one particular country, you may find that there has been some sort of unrest there, causing you to avoid travelling. Most travel insurance policies will not cover you if you are travelling against the advice of the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), so always check their website for up to date travel information about your destination before booking your trip to avoid voiding your insurance.
There are plenty of tales of people who have been waiting for a bus to the airport and it just simply hasn’t shown up. This could result in you missing your flight, potentially costing you a lot of money. You’ll have to re-book or be on standby for the next one, which won’t be fun and wastes time.
There may also be other incidents that cause you to change your travel plans; perhaps you may be injured and have to rest up for a few days. If you do have to cancel or seek alternative travel arrangements, you can reclaim the cost on your travel insurance, taking some of the worry and extra expense out of the trip.
There are a number of different travel insurance policies available, depending on what your needs are. Make a list of everything you intend to do on your trip before you leave and take the time to be sure you’ve included everything. You will do better to get a policy that covers you than one that excludes some things, just in case your plans change while you are travelling. That way you can enjoy your trip to the fullest and put all your worries to one side.
When planning a backpacking adventure, the budget is extremely important. Travel Insurance may seem like an unnecessary precaution which you can live without, however without insurance you leave yourself vulnerable to potentially colossal bills if something goes wrong.
When you buy any travel insurance policy you should check that;
Travel insurance is an essential when you go travelling on your gap year. The prices can vary depending on where you’re going and how long you plan to be away for, as well as what activities you’ll be doing when you’re away. However, there are things you can do to keep the costs down.
Travelling is often shrouded in misinformation and unfortunately this can lead to people being put off visiting certain places, or travelling altogether.
A lot of the confusion around travelling comes from stories and hearsay from travellers who have had bad experiences. While it’s unfortunate when travellers run into problems, it is not usually a true representation of the destination or type of trip they are on.
To help put some of the most common travel misconceptions to rest, we have made a handy little list for you.
Holidaysafe is a trading name of Travel Insurance Facilities Plc, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority FRN 306537. Registered Office: Suite 12, 20 Churchill Square, Kings Hill, West Malling, Kent, ME19 4YU. Travel Insurance Facilities Plc registered in England No. 3220410. All rights reserved. All policies offered are on a non-advised basis.
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has up-to-date advice on staying safe abroad, see gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice. FCDO Travel Advice can change so check regularly for the latest information and sign up to email alerts for your destination. For more general travel information, visit the FCDO Travel Aware website at travelaware.campaign.gov.uk.
Ɨ Please note, Holidaysafe’s online prices automatically include a 15% discount against our Customer Service Centre prices. This is discounted from our core policy price before you add any additional cost of optional extensions or additional medical premium. Discount codes cannot be used in conjunction with any other promotional offer or discount. Only one discount code may be applied per purchase.
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