We know that for your year abroad work placement you are looking for: 1) a salary which will support you to live abroad, 2) a job which includes something more interesting than photocopying and coffee-making, 3) an opportunity to develop your language skills, and 4) a CV boost. That's fair enough! So you need to 1) forget the words 'work experience' and 'unpaid internship', 2) think positive and remember you have a lot to offer a company, and 3) up your game. Here's our advice...

There are some things which are the same for a CV in most countries. As in the UK, you should try and restrict the length to just one page. To help with this when you begin to write, format the blank page as effectively as possible. Additionally, if you really want to target a specific employer with an application, you need to produce a cover letter (une letter de motivation) detailing why you would be suitable for the job and outlining where you saw the job advertised. Here are some tips for how to produce a CV and lettre de motivation in French, in a typical French layout.

Jessica Winch is a reporter at the Daily Telegraph on the editorial graduate scheme, based on the sports desk until after the Olympics. As a Spanish-speaker and year abroad graduate, she has always been keen to use her language skills in her career - and now she does! Here's how...