International work opportunities

Are there international jobs posted in WaterlooWorks?

Yes! WaterlooWorks is a great place to start your international job search. We post many international jobs on the Full-Cycle Service, Employer-Student Direct and the Contract, Part-Time and Volunteer job boards. You can use various filters to narrow down your search results to show job postings in locations that are of interest to you.

Postings on the Full-Cycle Service job board go through the standard rank/match process.

Postings on the Employer-Student Direct and Contract, Part-Time and Volunteer job boards follow an employer-driven timeline and recruitment process. Both options allow you to find jobs of interest all over the world!

Can I arrange my own job?   

Yes! There are many ways to find your own job, including positions you might find on the Contract, Part-Time and Volunteer job board. You will need to make sure that the location is one that can be approved for co-op credit and that your arranged-own-job meets our work term requirements.  

Here are a few tips for finding your own international job: 

• Ask a previous employer with global offices about potential opportunities.

• Leverage your network of family, friends and contacts abroad to find out if they know about opportunities or employers interested in hiring.  

• Talk to your co-op advisor. 

• Visit the Centre for Career Development website for more international work search resources. 

• Register for My World Abroad, and visit the Global Job Boards - Set up a free MyWorldAbroad account with your UWaterloo email address.  

Tips on how to approach faculty members

Take a look at faculty member profiles and reach out to those doing research that is of interest to you. Offer information regarding your background and interests. For example:

• Reasons for wanting to gain research experience 

• The program that you are enrolled in (e.g., General versus Honours, BA versus BSc, Co-op versus Regular, etc.)

• Year of study

• Cumulative overall and psychology average (highlight improvement if applicable)

• Grades for research methods and statistics courses

• Educational and career goals

• Volunteer/work experience

• Why are you interested in working in that particular individual's lab e.g.,

  • Have you read articles that they wrote?

  • Do their interests relate to your interests for studies at the graduate level and/or future employment?

  • Were you referred by someone and why?

• A brief description of co-op; you can include a letter of introduction found on the Arrange Own Jobpage.

The method of contact is up to you.

• Call to book an appointment to discuss your request

• Send a LinkedIn or email message to the individual about your interest in a research position.

If the response is that no positions are currently available, you can also ask for a referral.

Things to keep in mind

The team in Co-operative and Experiential Education is here to support you with your career path. An international work search means new and exciting co-op opportunities, but you also need to be aware of some of the differences and plan accordingly.

• The salaries offered to students in other countries are often lower than what is expected in Canada due to the different cultural norms and wage laws. Reach out to your co-op advisor for information about typical salaries in a given country.

• Arranging an international job can take much longer than finding a job in Canada due to differences in hiring practices, application processes for visas and permits, travel planning, etc. If you are interested in looking for international jobs, start your search as early as possible.

• Some students may not be eligible to obtain a work permit in certain countries. Do as much research as possible in advance so that you can make an informed decision about the international job opportunities you pursue.