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Diving in and finding water
By Hillary Chura The New York Times

SATURDAY, MARCH 25, 2006


It was a few months before she was to graduate from Colgate University in 2002, but Lauren DiCioccio was not ready for the briefcase or a wardrobe of suits.


Armed with a bachelor's degree in art and art history, she did what an increasing number of college graduates, in the United States and elsewhere, are doing: She bought a plane ticket to a country she had never visited, backpacked around the region, got a job in that country and then traveled some more.


"When I went, I was hesitant," said DiCioccio, who picked grapes and was a short-order cook at a roadhouse in the outback. But when she came back and started looking for a job, she said, "I couldn't believe all of the interviews were about my time in Australia."


Once back in the United States, she said, she applied for 10 jobs, received five interviews and was offered two positions at the beginning of 2004. She became a program assistant at the Djerassi Resident Artists Program in Woodside, California.


An increasing number of young people are discovering what DiCioccio did: that working abroad - teaching, bartending, taking care of children, typing, picking grapes or whatever - is not professional suicide. Indeed, it can provide a professional boost.


DiCioccio, now 25, obtained her working papers through Bunac, an organization that helps graduates obtain work permits, volunteer opportunities or community work in foreign countries. Other programs include WorldTeach, Princeton in Asia and the Japan Exchange and Teaching Program, as well as offerings by religious groups like the Jesuits and the Quakers.


People unencumbered by technicalities - like working legally - will branch out on their own with little more than a debit card, confidence and a copy of "Work Your Way Around the World."


Caroline Miceli, 26, chose the legal route. As she was preparing to graduate from Scripps College in Claremont, California, in 2002, she responded to a posting through her college for a year's international project management internship at BMW headquarters in Germany. She earned ��880 a month, or about $1,050 at current exchange rates, and went into credit card debt to travel.


"I ate bread and sausage, but I got experience working for a world-class brand that everybody recognizes," she said. Working abroad "is a career move."


When her year ended, she returned to BMW in North America, then an interim project in China with a BMW supplier and then to a Toyota Motor Sales management training program in Torrance, California. She said her time in Germany convinced her that she could be on her own in Asia for five months.


Many aspiring expatriates live at home and work a few months to save money before they leave. And many travelers depart not knowing how they will earn a living once they hit the ground. With hustle, they often find employment before the jet lag wanes (to the relief of worried parents), according to some who have taken the plunge. Those working legally tend to earn more, but their stays have a set duration - generally, four months to three years, depending on the country or program.


People working illegally may earn less but can slip under the radar and stay in a country longer. A word of warning: That can result in deportation in extreme circumstances.


No nationwide survey measures the number of young Americans working abroad, but William Nolting, director for international opportunities at the International Center of the University of Michigan, maintains a rough estimate. From tracking the major organizations, he said at least 34,900 people worked and volunteered abroad in formal programs in the academic year 2002 through the summer of 2003. That is up from about 29,000 a year earlier. Nolting said the actual figure could be twice as high since he does not count participants in small organizations or those working illegally.


By comparison, about 191,000 students studied abroad for credit in 2003- 4, out of an estimated 14 million college and university students, according to figures from the Institute of International Education.


Years ago, recent graduates headed for Britain and other parts of Europe. That has changed. "Most students and young people have been to Europe on vacation and seem to be thinking much further afield," said Anna Crew, director of Bunac USA. Australia and New Zealand are popular. Her group is starting a volunteer program in Cambodia.


Brandon Steiner, 24, is in his first year as a teacher with the Japan Exchange and Teaching Program. Though he does not plan to teach after Japan, he will stay another two years or so. A 2005 graduate of Virginia Tech, he earns about $32,000, has minimal expenses and pays no U.S. or Japanese taxes.


"Admittedly, it is a way to goof off and have a good time in a foreign country," he said, but he added that "having international experience under your belt - employers are enthusiastic."


The following Web sites provide more information on overseas jobs. Listings are open to citizens of all countries unless otherwise noted.

Bunac provides work permits (though not employment) and volunteer opportunities for U.S. and U.K. citizens. www.bunac.org

Dave's ESL Cafe lists teaching jobs. www.eslcafe.com/jobs

Japan Exchange and Teaching Program calls for a one-year commitment and pays about $32,000. www.mofa.go.jp/ j(underscore)info/visit/jet/

Transitions Abroad is a travel magazine, but its site offers information about working abroad. www.transitionsabroad.com/listings/work/index.shtml

WorldTeach dispatches volunteers in developing countries like Costa Rica, China and Poland. Volunteers need not be aspiring teachers. www.worldteach.org