International travelling and working abroad are becoming hugely popular with students looking to take a Gap Year from university, or for those simply looking for a bit of experience working with new people in a whole new environment. Seasonal work is a hugely important opportunity that can really help to boost a student’s CV, and there are a number of countries that you can consider around the world to head to and make the trip. If you’re based in the UK and you’re looking for a country to get a summer job in, then you might want to choose somewhere a bit closer to home, such as a country in Europe.

If you are considering heading to Europe, then you should make sure that you are in a country that can provide you with the opportunities that you are looking for. As long as you have your passport, travel insurance and have carried out an E111 Renewal, then you will be well on your way to getting your work experience abroad.

France

France is often a popular choice for those looking for culture and history, along with some agricultural work in a local town. France’s minimum wage is higher than what it is in the UK, due to the higher costs of living, and you will generally be earning around £7 an hour. However, make sure that you are avoiding working unofficially by choosing a French or British company before you make the trip to France.

Two major companies that you can choose is Club Med and Disneyland Paris, but getting placements here can be extremely difficult. Some other options you have for working in France over the summer include Campsite Jobs where you will need to be fit and healthy enough to work in the heat, grape picking and agricultural jobs which are ideal if you are looking to travel away from Paris and into other areas like Languedoc, Bordeaux or Provence.

Spain

While Spain also features a lot of camping and picking jobs, there are also a huge number of courier, bar and customer service jobs. In addition to this, there are a great number of holiday resort jobs and water sports jobs and courses for those looking for something a little more adventurous.

A lot of the holiday resort jobs will be catering for English speaking tourists, so if you don’t have many language skills, then this may be a better option for you. The laid-back atmosphere in the country makes summer seasonal work for students a lot easier.

Italy

There is a clear divide between the North and South of Italy when it comes to summer jobs for students, and the North is generally the best choice, due to high unemployment and low income in the South.

There is a lot of summer tourism jobs available in Italy, in bars in particular in Venice and Rome. While this will be to cater generally for English speaking tourists, it is exceptionally helpful to be able to speak Italian and German too.Alternatively, if you are looking for some hard work, then Fruit Picking and Agricultural Work is also available, but this will involve a lot of heavy lifting and working in the heat.