Orientation

Overview

The purpose of First Steps is to provide you with a general guide that will enable you to take hold of your prospective adventure abroad. You will not find all the information that you need in these pages, but we will provide you with a general orientation on what you should do to prepare for living and working in another country.

The opportunity of living and working in another country will open new doors for your future. You are probably a speaker of another language so you will find that your intended destination will be a great opportunity for you to spread your wings.

However, you are still visiting a foreign country so the more preparation you do the more you will get out of the experience and you will spend less time arranging things once you arrive.

Travel Guide

A travel guide is an essential item for you to purchase before you travel and as soon as you have enrolled into the program. It will provide you with as much information as you need. It will enable you to know more about where you are going specifically and will have important and useful numbers and information that you will need during your stay. In addition, it will provide you with useful phrases and words to help you get by. It can most importantly help you to plan where to visit and what to see during your stay, as well as help you in emergency situations. Travel guides for your destination can be purchased on-line or at your local bookstore.

Culture Shock

Keep an open mind. The first few days in a new country with different surroundings will be an emotional rollercoaster of excitement, fear and homesickness. Keep an open mind be patient as you will settle into your new home before you know it!

Language Preparation

Learning to speak other languages opens doors. You may already speak other languages. It’s important to prepare as much as possible before you leave to start your program. You may already have been studying in your own country, but if you are not and you want to save the cost there are numerous on-line resources that offer you short courses together with videos and other audio tapes so you can train your ear. It’s also worth investing in phrase books and tapes to learn the language and to take these with you. Just 1 hour per day will at least give you a start with the basic skills.

Where you are going

Once you know specifically where your placement is be sure to do some research on the company, its location and surrounding areas so you will know what to expect before you arrive.

Etiquette

To avoid any embarrassment or culture shock make sure you research into etiquette, manners, politeness and general customs so you are well prepared for anything that my appear strange at first. Remember to be open-minded.

Booking your flight

Once you have received your visa we will need to receive a copy of this by email. We will then confirm with your host property the date when they expect you to arrive and if they have anyone available to pick you up from the airport or train station. You will then need to book your flight and send to us the ticket.

Airport Transfer

Once you have confirmed your flight we will send to you a travel plan that gives details of how to travel to your host property. This would normally be by train from the airport to the nearest town, and then by bus/coach or taxi to your final destination. Host properties don’t normally pick you up from the airport or local train station, but in some cases they do. For each country there is a timetable for buses, coaches and trains available on-line and we will send the relevant details to you.

Entering the host country

Before you transfer from the airport of course you will need to clear immigration.

Arriving at Immigration

When you arrive at immigration, the Immigration Officer will most likely ask you questions about your stay. You should tell them that you are on the program relevant to your visa. He or she will normally stamp your passport with a date stamp.

Immigration Procedure

• After leaving the plane follow the signs to Baggage Reclaim/ Immigration.
• You will need to present the following to the Immigration Officer:

• your landing card (given out on the plane)
• your valid visa (in your passport)
• your passport

You should also carry your job offer and work permit with you if you have one.

3. The Immigration Officer may ask you some questions about your stay in, including the amount of funds you have brought with you. (You must enter the country with at least the amount stipulated on your visa application. We recommend you bring at least half in traveller’s cheques.)
4. The Immigration Officer will stamp your passport with a date stamp.
5. Pick up your luggage.
6. Go through Customs. Please check beforehand what you are allowed and not to bring.

Your Visa

The visa in your passport has a ‘valid from’ and valid until’ date: These reflect the dates you are legally able to stay. Should you decide to leave earlier please inform us immediately

Entry: You should receive a multiple entry visa that will allow you to leave the country and re-enter during the validity period of the visa.

Restrictions:
• You are not normally permitted to seek any other work in addition to your placement.
• You are not normally able to change your internship without explicit permission from the immigration authorities; it may not be possible for you to change internships at all. Please ask us first if you can.
• Your employer must abide by National Minimum Wage legislation and all other relevant information relating to employment law.

Extending Your Visa or Registration
In some cases after your arrival you are obliged to report to the residents’ registration office to register your place of residence. Then you must go to the alien’s office to prolong your visa. For both trips you must bring your passport and your work permit if you have one, a proof of accommodation and a proof of health insurance with you. Depending on your type of visa this procedure can vary. Your host property will be aware of what you need to do and will guide you.

Lost passports

Your passport and visa are extremely important documents. If any of your documents are lost or stolen, report this at once to the nearest police station, and if the loss happened on public transport, notify an official of the transport service. A police report is essential to reclaim any costs from your travel insurance. It is very important to make photocopies or scans of all your important documents, especially your passport and your visa. Replacing a lost passport can be a time-consuming exercise. Report a lost passport to the Consular section of your Embassy. If you lose your passport you may be required to obtain a replacement visa.

Employer orientation covers:

Once you arrive at your host property you will undergo an arrival orientation which will cover in most cases

• Important details of your visa
• Health and safety awareness
• Your job responsibilities and duties and contractual agreement
• Your training plan
• Income tax and health care
• Cultural differences
• Accommodation, travel and opening bank accounts

You will need to provide to your employer:
• A photocopy of the visa in your passport and entry stamp

Jetlag

Jetlag is experienced when a person travels by air across more than three time zones. Many functions of the human body are regulated by internal 24 hour cycles. Our bodies take time to adjust to the ‘new time’ of the destination. These effects are usually gone within three days of arrival.

Temporary and Long Term Accommodation

We will provide you with specific details about your accommodation arrangements.

Salary

Some hotels pay their interns in cash. Other hotel will ask you to open a bank account so that they can transfer your salary to your account.

Income Tax

• You normally pay tax at a higher rate than you may be used to at home. Salaries are usually quoted as the pre-tax (gross) rate. Your host property can explain the details to you.

• You may not be required to complete a tax return at the end of the tax year. Your employer may deduct tax directly on a monthly basis. Your host property can explain the details to you.

National Insurance: This is similar to Social Security. Whether or not you pay a compulsory % of their wages each week to National Insurance depends on your program. Your employer automatically deducts this from your weekly wage and it is non-refundable. As soon as you have attended orientation, you MUST apply for a National Insurance number (NI number). Your host property will assist you.

Private Medical and Health Care Insurance may be a mandatory part of your program

Healthcare & Insurance: It’s advisable to think about the following before you leave:
• Organising a dental check up at home
• Organising any routine health checks you may require at home
• Prescription drugs – preferably you should bring enough of your regular prescription drug to last for your whole trip. Speak to your doctor about this. They need to be brought over in clearly marked prescription bottles together with a letter from the doctor. You should also check that the drug you are bringing is licensed for use in that country.

NHS: During your time the National Health Service (NHS) will cover you ONLY for emergency healthcare. If you are unwell and need to visit a doctor, you must pay as private patient. Most doctors will not register overseas visitors as NHS patients; however they may see you as a private patient. When you pay for the treatment you should keep receipts and make a claim on your travel insurance. If you experience any problems obtaining medical treatment, please contact us, or ask your host property to assist you.

Private Medical and Health Care Insurance may be a mandatory part of your program

Visiting a Doctor:
If it is difficult to register with a doctor you can visit Medicentres. There is no need to be pre-registered as a patient. There is a cost involved. Keep receipts for any payments made to doctors in order to make a claim on your travel insurance.

Chemists: Alternatively, you can visit your local chemist (drug store) or pharmacy. If you have a minor illness, the well trained pharmacists will be able to provide medical advice and sell you non-prescription drugs. Police stations also have a list of chemists which are open late.

Prescriptions from home: If you have a prescription written by a doctor at home and you will need to refill you must visit a doctor to have the prescription rewritten before taking it to a pharmacist.

Family Planning Clinics (Planned Parenthood): You will find these in most towns.

Telephone help lines: There are many telephone helplines for a broad range of health and advice issues.

Please refer to your program specific pack for guidance concerning the above, but please understand that your host property will help you in any way they can.

Starting your program

Living and working in another country is a great way to improve your personal career portfolio, but there is much more to the experience than this:

• You will learn more about yourself and what you are capable of.
• You will find that your skills will become further enhanced
• You will be able to see which way you want your career to go
• You will meet new contacts and new friends
• You will earn money and be able to save
• You can gain academic credit for your program
• You will find that you become more self confident and self aware

Making a good impression

• Try to arrive promptly
• Listen carefully to instructions
• Don’t be afraid to ask questions
• Dress smartly
• Have patience
• Smile

You may find that the first few days at your internship involve introducing you to the more mundane parts of the company operation such as general office procedures. Whilst this might not seem overly interesting, it’s a necessary part of learning about the job. Once you’ve grasped the basics you can be introduced to the more interesting aspects of the business. Exposure to some of the more laborious tasks also aids you in understanding the business in its entirety.

Setting personal goals for your internship

What do you hope to achieve in your internship? Is it to gain a good overview of the operation of the whole company and all departments or to focus on a particular area? You should have an outline of your internship duties from your employer and your goals should be set realistically within this outline. You should be given a supervisor at the start of your internship. If you aren’t then you should ask who you need to report to and try to arrange regular meetings with your supervisor where possible – but remember they are busy people!

Setting objectives

In your first week your employer will hopefully set some objectives with you. These will help to structure your internship and provide a basis for your evaluation. When these are being set, try to get as involved with these as possible: keep in mind your personal goals and take into consideration what you are hoping to learn and gain from the internship.

Meetings

To ensure that both you and your employer are getting the most from your internship, it is important to have constructive meetings with your direct supervisor and you may need to be proactive in arranging these.
These are a great opportunity for you to follow up on some areas such as:
• Your progress against any objectives that were set at the beginning of your internship
• Development areas which may require particular attention for the remaining part of your internship
• Overcoming any problems that may have arisen.

Enthusiasm and positivity

Face every task you are handed with a smile and enthusiasm, even if it is helping with a mundane task.

Attendance, punctuality, presentation and office politics

Dress smartly on your first day and take a look around you to see what others are wearing and therefore what’s acceptable: follow the dress code of the company. Treat your internship as a ‘real job’: turn up to work early and never late and remember that absenteeism is only acceptable in genuine situations. If you are ill you must call your supervisor immediately to let them know.

Expectations

If you’re not succeeding in your internship, ask yourself why? Is it your attitude, unrealistic expectations or because you’re not putting enough into it? Or all of these? It’s more likely to be for one of these reasons than the defeatist excuse ‘this isn’t the right internship for me’.

Working hours

The average working week is 40 hours but this can vary depending on the sector. This should have been outlined in your contract.

Travel

Your colleagues will be able to provide you with all the relevant information and guidelines for travelling.

Communications

Your employer will be able to provide you with all the necessary information regarding

• Telephones
• International calling cards
• Calling home
• Mobile phones and choosing a network

Uniform

Some hotels provide uniform and some do not

Please pack the following

Females	Males
Dark coloured suit / blue/black 1/2 skirts not above the knee and/or 1 trouser 3 white blouses Cravat Tights / black Black flat shoes	Dark coloured suit / blue/black 2 trousers 3 white shirts 2/3 ties Black shoes
Chefs may take their own chef whites	Chefs may take their own chef whites

Packing

Please check with your airline regarding their weight limit for baggage. Exceeding airline weight restrictions can be very expensive. The following is a list of items which you may forget or not think of packing:

• Travel Guide Book
• Travel alarm clock
• Towel
• Sheets (only if you have room)
• Lightweight waterproof jacket
• Professional clothing for your internship
• Personal medication
• Small padlock
• Camera
• Notebook and pen
• Small sewing kit
• Plug adaptor
• Mobile phone charger - if bringing own phone
• Extra passport photos.

Do not forget:

• This orientation and your travel plan
• Passport and other related documents
• Airline tickets
• Travellers cheques
• Travel insurance documents
• Credit cards
• ATM card
• Small amount of cash

Climate and Clothing

It can be very cold and also very hot during the course of your internship so you should pack a variation of clothing. You should also consider smart dress if you are placed in an office environment or if you are serving members of the public.

Security issues

You should take the usual precautionary measures against pickpockets who operate in crowded public places like the subway, cafes and stations. Always keep your eye on your bags. It makes sense to carry your money in a money belt and never leave wallets sticking out of back pockets or day packs. Never leave valuables lying around hostel rooms and take care at night when travelling by train. Always choose a carriage with other people in it. Above all other things guard your passport. It is sensible to keep photocopies of all important documents (passport, work visa, air tickets, insurance policy, traveller’s cheques receipts) in a separate place in case of theft. Ideally you should leave a set of copies with someone in your home country. You could even scan a copy of your passport and e-mail it to your e-mail account so you will always have a copy of it.

Keeping in touch
It is important to keep in touch with us during your stay. If you change any of your contact details remember to let us know. We mostly use e-mail to communicate with participants, so please ensure we have the most up-to-date e-mail address for you, and the one which you can check most regularly.

Have a wonderful time!!!!!!!!