“I work in the European headquarters of a media agency where I use not only my language skills, but my knowledge of other cultures. This means that I am able to form good relationships based on understanding, curiosity and interest.”

Alexandra, Combined honours in French with History of Art, Newcastle University, 2009. Year abroad working in Paris,

now working in a Media Agency.

“My current employer highlighted my year abroad as a selling point. In my experience, if you want to work for a company that has offices around the world, they need to see that you are able to think internationally and even be willing to travel and work internationally.”

Lucy, European Studies with French, Reading University, 2010. Year abroad studying in Strasbourg, now works for a

multinational corporation.

“Inevitably you grow in confidence, not only in your chosen language, but as an individual because it is an achievement to set up a new life, and thrive in another country, without your usual support network around you.”

Jay, French, and English, University of Leeds, 2006. Language Assistant in Paris, now a banking law solicitor in

a large commercial law firm in Leeds.

“The most transferable skill to come out of my year abroad was the confidence to speak in front of large groups of people, which really improved my ability to hold my own in job interviews and presentations.”

Jonathan, German with Business, Hull University, 2009. Language Assistant in Germany, now working for Virgin

Media Business.

“The confidence, communication and mediation skills I acquired have proved invaluable. The year abroad truly gave me significant transferable skills in the workplace, including the ability to get on with people from all walks of life.”

Ian, Geography and Applied French, University of the West of England, Bristol University, 2003. Language Assistant in

Paris, now a planning consultant for a major Global property company.

“I work for the ambulance service by day, and by night I am a Special Constable for Greater Manchester Police. Both of these jobs revolve around interaction with different people and cultures, and I believe my year abroad helped me enormously in securing these positions.”Elise, German, University of Leeds, 2009. Studied in

Germany, now works for the ambulance service and Greater Manchester Police.

“When I spoke to managers about future job prospects, they said that it was the year abroad that had instantly made my CV stand out from other applications - without it, I would have been just another humanities student.”

Florence, French (Linguistic and Language Studies), University of Southampton, 2012. Erasmus in France, now a

publishing house intern.

“Upon graduation I joined the Royal Air Force so the languages didn't really play much of a part in my future but selection boards are impressed by the independence and cultural awareness acquired through my year abroad.”

Robert, German and Spanish, Nottingham Trent University, 2010. Studied in Germany and Spain, now works for an

airline based in Hong Kong.

“I would not have been able to build the relationships necessary for successful EU negotiation without the real spoken French I learned through total immersion.”

Miranda, English & French, Oxford University, 2008. Language Assistant in Paris, now a civil servant in

Westminster.

“Without doubt, my year abroad increased my employability, demonstrating a variety of competencies such as adaptability, motivation and relationship-building amongst many others.”

Komal, Management Studies with Spanish, University of Nottingham, 2010. Internship in Santiago, Chile, with

PricewaterhouseCoopers on year abroad, training contract with PricewaterhouseCoopers UK starting in April .

“During my time at the BBC I have worked in a number of different roles, from producing radio and TV content to presenting my own radio shows, and I am in no doubt that the confidence gleaned on my year abroad as a language assistant helped me in the workplace.”Jennifer, French and German, Durham, 2004. Language

Assistant in Paris, now bilingual producer at the BBC World Service.

“The reality is that nearly everyone who applied for the same positions as me had a good degree and relevant work experience, so having something a little bit different on my CV was enough to catch the panels’ attention when they were selecting interview candidates.”Eleanor, Law with French and Spanish, University of the

West of England, Bristol, 2004. Law intern in Madrid, now a Barrister.

“There is no doubt in my mind that I wouldn’t have had the focus, drive or resilience to secure a job after graduation in a very competitive and volatile job market without my year abroad.”

Sophie, English and French, Leeds University, 2007. Language Assistant in France, now a journalist and sub-

editor at the Sunday Times.

“I am now a full time Parliamentary Assistant in the European Parliament, a job I am sure I would not have secured without my extremely beneficial work experience on my year abroad.”Jessica, Modern and Medieval Languages, Cambridge University, 2011. Internship in Brussels, now a Parliamentary

Assistant in the European Parliament.

“Flights: £500. Accommodation: £2,000. Tuition fees: £1,500. Value of the third year abroad: Priceless.”

Aimee, BA Hons Modern Languages, Nottingham Trent University, 2003. Studied in France and Spain, now a Planner

for a Construction Company.

“I believe the confidence and independence gained during my year abroad helped me through the application and interview stages for the police force and also with the challenges of the job once I started it.”Karen, Geography and French, University of Wales,

Aberystwyth, 2005. Language Assistant in France, and now a Police officer.

“The experience abroad, above all else, gave me the confidence that I could achieve whatever I put my mind to. I'm now 3 months away from being a fully qualified interpreter in the forces.”Luke, Modern Languages with Accounting, Newcastle upon Tyne, 2006. Language Assistant in Madrid, joined RAF, now

an interpreter in the forces.

“I hope to continue my future career building on my experiences from the year abroad to help deliver quality education for those less fortunate than myself.”

Selina, German and Beginners' Portuguese, University of Nottingham, 2009. Studied in Brazil and Germany, now

delivers educational resources to impoverished children in Asia.

“Nothing that I can write can truly justify the immense emotional transformation I have undergone.”

Kate-Marie, French Studies, The University of Manchester, 2011. Worked in France on her year abroad.

“It is simply inconceivable that I should have reached this stage in the recruitment procedure without the skills and experience gained from my year abroad over ten years ago.”

Mary, Interpreting and Translating with French and German Language (Dutch ab initio), University of East

Anglia, 2001. Studied in Switzerland and Germany, now a Lawyer-Linguist in Luxembourg.