I.

Samples from the Book:

 The Reality of Living and Working Abroad

Working overseas is exciting, challenging, and the most rewarding thing you can do in your life.  You will visit places that were once only a daydream or maybe just a photograph you loved to look at.  You will meet people, from all over the world, who will become great friends.  You will develop your self-confidence by surmounting the trials and obstacles of living in another country.  If you have ever studied a foreign language or wish to learn one, there is no faster way to master conversational level than to actually live in that country.

However, living overseas can also prove to be very challenging.  People in foreign cultures do things differently, they think differently, and they have different expectations.  Situations that you take for granted, like checking out at the grocery, or getting from point A to point B, or simply asking someone for the time... become almost insurmountable obstacles when you are first navigating through your new home city.  

Reimbursement for the flight overseas 

Companies handle the cost of your airline ticket in the following ways; the company will purchase the ticket and send it to you,  the company will set a maximum amount and you have to cover the remaining (if it is more than their limit), or you will not be reimbursed for the ticket at all.

In your contract, be sure to specify when the reimbursement will be paid.  Will they pay on your first day of work, or with your first salary check, or at the completion of the contract?  I've never heard of any company that would pay half at the start of the contract and half at the end, so that would be an odd proposal.

Studying overseas: Undergraduate, Graduate, and Medical programs

The typical person that I’ve met, who has studied overseas, did a study abroad program during their University undergraduate career.   Each year, approximately 200,000 American students study overseas for one semester or more, usually during their Junior year.