Working Abroad

Internships Abroad

Students who plan to undertake an internship in Europe may require some legal documentation to be completed in advance, e.g. Convention de Stage (France), Convenio de Colaboración (Spain). The internship provider/employer, Trinity, and the student must all sign such agreements.

The Careers Service can only sign Convention De Stage Agreements for current registered students. *NOTE: the Careers Service will only sign such agreements until the end of September of your final year of study. Beyond this point, we will unfortunately not be able to assist.

Only the Trinity Convention de Stage/ Colaboración Agreements will be signed. Any such agreements provided by the employer will not be signed.

What do I need to do to get the Careers Service to sign my agreement?

1. Ensure you have read the guidelines above and are within the timeframe (no later than the September of your final year of study).
2. Source your internship abroad with an employer and check with the employer if an agreement is required.
3. Download a blank  Convention de Stage / Convenio de Colaboración Agreement  if required for that country and ask the employer to complete the relevant section.   
4. Complete the Student (trainee) section.
5. Once all sections are completed, email the form to the Careers Service careers@tcd.ie, detailing how the internship directly relates to your programme of study. If these details are not provided, we will not be able to sign the form.
6. Please allow up to 1 weeks’ notice as the agreement will need to be reviewed and signed.

If you have any questions, please call us on 01-8961721 or 087-0548081.  

Insurance Cover

Students are advised to arrange their own insurance cover for their time spent working overseas.

Trinity Summer Internship Programme

The Trinity Summer Internship Programme provides summer internships that are available exclusively to Trinity students (undergraduates and postgraduates) sourced through our extensive alumni and industry networks.

This internship experience, which can be within Ireland or overseas, will be full-time work (in-person and/or remote) for 2-12 weeks during the summer holiday period (end May – end August 2022).

All summer internships on offer are advertised on MyCareer.

Erasmus+ Traineeship Programme

Erasmus+ supports traineeships (work placements, internships, etc) abroad for students currently enrolled in Trinity and for recent graduates. Find out more at Erasmus+ Traineeship.

Students can source their own traineeship abroad in an Erasmus+ Programme country. Opportunities available are also advertised on Erasmus Intern.

An Erasmus+ Traineeship Learning Agreement will need to be signed in advance by the relevant Departmental Erasmus Co-ordinator and the Trinity Erasmus Officer. Contact erasmus@tcd.ie for further information.

Graduate Programmes

Many employers offer graduate training and development programmes which are based abroad or which have an international focus, e.g. Enterprise Ireland International, IBEC Global Graduate, Jameson International graduates programmes.

Applications usually open in Autumn and are advertised on MyCareer.

EU Careers

Exciting opportunities exist across the EU institutions and agencies. Most of these positions will require a high level of proficiency in two or more languages and there are many opportunities for Irish-language speakers. The European Personnel Selection Office (EPSO) site has information on how to apply for permanent positions through the Concours process and also how to apply for temporary and internship positions.

European Movement Ireland (EMI) provides a useful service for Irish graduates interested in EU Careers and publish an annual guide, The Green Book, which contains application information specifically for Irish applicants.

Teaching English

Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) abroad is an attractive employment option for graduates who would like to explore life in another country. It is normally required to have a TESOL certificate before being offered one of these positions and the Cambridge CELTA certificate is the most widely recognised one.

Another option is to work as an English Language Assistant, where the TESOL certificate is not normally required, only that you hold a degree and are a native English speaker. The Japan Exchange and Teaching Assistant Language Teacher (JET-ALT) Programme and British Council English Language Assistant (ELA) Programme are both well-established and popular Language Assistant programmes.