1. International Jobs Center is a comprehensive source of international careers for professionals, including international development jobs.
2. DevNetJobs is the #1 online source for finding international development jobs; international consulting jobs with NGOs; international non-profit work; and jobs with the UN, aid groups, charity organizations, multilateral organizations and development banks.
3. UN Jobs is a source for job opportunities through the United Nations and the Hague.
4. WorkPermit is a great site for navigating the ins and outs of required work permits and other immigration regulations for nearly every country around the globe.
5. Cross Cultural Solutions places 4,000 volunteers every year in the fields of caregiving, teaching, healthcare and community development. Volunteers are assigned to communities in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and Eastern Europe.
6. Transitions Abroad is a comprehensive web portal, offering articles, planning tips, classified ads and more to help you navigate your travel/work abroad experience.
7. Peace Corps, aka the toughest job you’ll ever love, is the quintessential volunteer abroad organization (and hey, two years of service might just get a significant part of your student loans forgiven.)
8. Jobs Abroad is a online database with thousands of work abroad jobs, searchable by country.
9. Country Studies is a project of the Library of Congress and the perfect online destination for learning everything you need to know about over 85 countries around the world.
10. JobMonkey — Have you checked out our Work Abroad section yet? If you are planning to spend anywhere from a few weeks to a lifetime working and living abroad, JobMonkey is your essential first step. We cover everything from teaching English as a Second Language jobs to au pair jobs to resources for ex pats.

What great work / volunteer / live abroad resource have I missed? Leave me a comment with your best online resource for adventure abroad.

Given the rather soft job market in America, the time has never been better to live out your dreams to work, volunteer and travel abroad. Author Nora Dunn’s article includes tips for everything from getting a work visa, to finding work, to keeping the travel budget to the bare minimum. She also has plenty of words of encouragement, including my favorite:

Critical capabilities, such as interpersonal and communication skills, managing finances, and problem solving are touched upon in school, but frequently not in a comprehensive or applicable way. These are examples of true life skills—those that are acquired and applied with experience [like working abroad].

For more information about working abroad, be sure to read the full article and then check out JobMonkey’s section on Work Abroad Jobs.

I read in the Boston Globe today about an interesting new program between the United States and Ireland to approve work visas for college graduates. The program is designed to support recent grads who want to spend a year or more in each others’ country.

That article inspired me to write a post I’ve had on the back burner for a while now: Where and how to get a job in Europe. Let’s take a little trip around the Continent…

Ireland, England and Scotland
The unemployment rate in Ireland is at nearly 10 percent — even worse than here in the U.S.

There are still opportunities, however, for those of you interested in working in tourism or high tech. The Green Isle also hires experienced miners. Temporary American workers can find work in the U.K. at places like pubs or summer camps. Longer-term opportunities are available in the IT sector.

France & Germany
Both France and Germany offer opportunities to English-speaking au pairs, so if you want to work in English nanny-ing is a great way to see central Europe. Other opportunities for English-speaking professionals include military bases or high tech companies in Germany, and the resort industry in France. If you currently have your own business and want to take your show on the road, France is a great place to do that. The country has some of the most favorable laws for consultants in the EU.

Italy, Spain & Greece
Tourism is the name of the game in the Mediterranean, especially in the summer. There are also great opportunities for teaching English and working as an au pair in both Italy and Spain.

Eastern Europe
Opportunities abound for entrepreneurs in Eastern Europe, including those who want to start a business or work as a consultant. Eastern Europe also has English teaching opportunities, including at the college and professional level.

Now once you have found a job or settled on a country you want to work in, it’s time to look at the logistics of this adventure.

•    Do you have a current American passport? If not, now is the time to apply for one.

•    Do you know the visas and work permits for Europe? Each country sets its own guidelines. Check out JobMonkey for a country-by-country list of visa regulations.

•    Do you know where you will live? You will need to line up a place to stay when you first land. In the summer, many colleges rent out dorm rooms. The local U.S. Consulate should have a list of reputable apartment brokers. Or if you can check the city’s Craigslist.

This Thursday, the focus is on Teaching English as a Second Language (ESL). As far as recession-proof jobs, it doesn’t get much better than teaching, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.  ESL is a particularly promising field, given that:

• 10 million immigrants have come to the United States since the year 2000
• 1 in 4 people in California alone is currently learning English
• 27 percent of all schools with bilingual/ESL teaching vacancies found them very difficult or impossible to fill, according to the National Center for Education Statistics http://nces.ed.gov/
• From 1989 to 2000, the number of non-native English speakers in the United States grew by 104.7%, according to a survey performed by the National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition

What does an ESL teacher do?
ESL Teachers help non-native English speaking students to develop their English-speaking and writing skills. Along with teaching grammar and vocabulary, many ESL teachers also assist their students in acclimating to American culture.  ESL teachers may teach in elementary, junior high or high schools, or they may teach adults (typically at a local community college).

What education and certification is required to be an ESL teacher?
ESL teaching requirements vary from state-to-state. Various schools also have their own additional requirements.  Typically, an ESL teacher is required to hold:

• Bachelor’s Degree in English or a related subject
• Specialized coursework in Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL)
• Specialization in bilingual, cross-cultural coursework
• Teaching credential or certification

As a rule, most entry-level teaching jobs require a Bachelor’s degree plus a teaching certificate. If you wish to teach at a college or university, you will need to hold a minimum of a Master’s degree, even for an entry-level position.

What is the earning potential for an ESL teacher?
In 2004, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that K-12 ESL teachers earned a median salary of $41,400-$45,920. Some states even provide a financial bonus, like the $20,000 "signing" bonus in Massachusetts. Rutgers University in New Jersey recently advertised a full-time ESL teaching position for an 11-month work contract at $45,000/year.

Where can I learn more about ESL jobs?

Aside from the JobMonkey’s extensive Teaching English as a Second Language section, you might want to check out the following ESL sites:

• The About.com guide to ESL Jobs
• The English Club’s guide to ESL Jobs
• ESL USA
• ESL Teacher’s Board

By the way, if you’d rather travel abroad to do your teaching, opportunities should also be plentiful. 

• English is the third most spoken language in the world, after Mandarin Chinese and Spanish (www.cia.gov)
• 5% of the world’s 6.6 billion people are native English speakers
• The British Council estimates that 1 billion are currently learning English as a second language
• English is the international language for academics and the Internet

Stay tuned next week for more on how to land an ESL job abroad.

1. Apparel Product Developer, Nike, Beaverton, OR
Are you tired of work being a daily drudgery?  Do you wish you could have a little fun at work, not just off-the-clock? If you think you’re more productive when you’re having fun (who isn’t?), you might want to consider joining the creative team at Nike.  The team that manufacturers the world’s best selling running shoe — not to mention every other imaginable sport show and apparel to boot — is looking for an Apparel Product Developer. 

The Product Developer will be responsible for product commercialization of assigned and ensuring that the prototypes accurately reflect construction specifications.  The ideal candidate should have a Bachelor’s degree in Apparel/Textile Design, Technology, Merchandising, Engineering, Industrial Engineering or a related field and at least two years’ apparel textile industry experience. In addition to generous salaries, Nike offers a robust benefits package with a stock purchase plan and a 401(k) retirement plan. Not to mention the casual work environment, on-site sports complex, childcare and a host of other perks we don’t have room to mention here. I gotta say after reading this job description, I was thinking I should try to get a job at Nike! Go to Nike’s Career page to apply on-line.

2. Senior Network Systems Specialist, Alaska Airlines, Seattle, WA
Alaska Airlines is looking for a Network Systems Specialist to work out of their Seattle office and be responsible for all aspects of the airline’s Corporate Network Environment, including Enterprise firewall Management, Network Security, Datacenter redundancy, disaster recovery, and overall network health. The ideal candidate will have a strong technical background and extensive experience in complex networking environments. Well-developed interpersonal, verbal and writing skills are also a must. Upload your resume and apply on-line at Alaska Airlines.

3. ESL Teacher Job, British School of Guangzhou, Guangzhou, China
Do you want a job?  Or do you want an adventure?  If you want to travel, see the world and make a difference in the lives of other people, how about considering a teaching job at The British School of Guangzhou.  Go to the school’s website to find out about current positions and hiring requirements.