Overseas Experience (OE) is a
New Zealand
New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
term for an extended overseas working period or holiday. Sometimes referred to as "The big OE" in reference to the extended duration of the travel - typically at least one year, and often extended far longer. It is however generally expected that the person returns after a few years; armed with the work and life experience, and wider outlook obtained overseas. This is important especially to the career development especially among professionals.
From the 1950s, OEs were often centred on
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
, and were described as ''going home'', a ''working holiday'', or an ''overseas trip'' until the term OE was popularised by New Zealand cartoonist and columnist
Tom Scott in the mid 1970s.
[''...was coined by the father of Massey University lecturer John Muirhead, who used it in the 1960s. Writer Tom Scott heard it when he was a student as Massey, and later used the term freely in his "Listener" column, and it rapidly became part of the language.'', ]Max Cryer
John Maxwell Cryer (10 December 1935 – 25 August 2021), generally known as Max Cryer, was a New Zealand television producer and presenter, radio broadcaster, entertainment producer, singer, cabaret performer and writer.
Early life and educ ...
, "The Godzone Dictionary: Of Favourite New Zealand Words and Phrases"
Description
The term OE is part of the New Zealand vernacular to the extent that official government literature, including
Inland Revenue Department website, name it as a sub-categor
The abbreviation OE is sometimes spoken as if it is a formal qualification - as in ''"do you have your OE?"'' - because before 2004 the top secondary school qualification was UE - "University Entrance". The phrase also indicates that the trip is considered to be an important milestone in one's career development especially for professional and employees of large multinationals and is often asked during job interviews.
A typical OE is mostly or entirely self-funded and involves working overseas. The typical OE traveller is in his or her 20s. Variations are common. Many people spend a year or so teaching English overseas, especially in
Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
or
South Korea
South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...
. Enough
Māori
Māori or Maori can refer to:
Relating to the Māori people
* Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group
* Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand
* Māori culture
* Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the C ...
take OEs for there to be a permanent Māori culture group (
Ngāti Rānana
Ngāti Rānana is a Māori people, Māori cultural group based in London, the capital of the United Kingdom. It is open to the Māori community in the city, and hosts events attended by many non-Māori. The club aims to provide "an environment to ...
) in London. The European OE usually includes travel within Europe and, often, a pilgrimage to the
Gallipoli
The Gallipoli peninsula (; tr, Gelibolu Yarımadası; grc, Χερσόνησος της Καλλίπολης, ) is located in the southern part of East Thrace, the European part of Turkey, with the Aegean Sea to the west and the Dardanelles ...
battle site.
In recent years, Asian destinations including South Korea, Singapore, Japan and China have become increasingly popular.
London's historical popularity for an OE destination was described by historian
James Belich as 'recolonisation'. He said New Zealand developed very strong cultural ties to the United Kingdom, and tended to see London as the centre of the universe. During the 19th and early 20th centuries many white colonials in the
British Empire
The British Empire was composed of the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It began with the overseas possessions and trading posts esta ...
viewed Britain as "Home" even if they had never been there. London, as the capital of Britain and the Empire, was especially attractive. From the late 1880s to the early 1900s 10,000 Australians and New Zealanders traveled to Britain each year, with the number doubling between the World Wars.
British immigration law until the 1970s allowed Australians and New Zealanders to live and work in Britain as British citizens. The continuation of the trend may be residual recolonialism but in addition most New Zealanders have friends and often relatives in London, and its favourable
working holiday scheme, proximity to the rest of Europe, and the fact that it is English-speaking also make Britain a desirable destination. In 2003 former
Prime Minister
A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...
Helen Clark
Helen Elizabeth Clark (born 26 February 1950) is a New Zealand politician who served as the 37th prime minister of New Zealand from 1999 to 2008, and was the administrator of the United Nations Development Programme from 2009 to 2017. She was ...
described the OE to Britain as "an important tradition for many New Zealanders".
Working holiday schemes
New Zealand has reciprocal working holiday schemes with a large number of countries. These allow young people from those countries to apply for a
working holiday visa for New Zealand, but also for New Zealand citizens to apply for a working holiday visa to be able to work and live in those countries for (usually) up to a year. In order to be eligible, travellers need to be between 18 and 30 (sometimes 35) years of age. Some countries (like the USA) require applications to be made through organisations like IEP, CCUSA, Camp Leaders, or Camp Canada. The full current list of countries covered is:
[ ]
* Argentina
* Austria
* Belgium
* Brazil
* Canada
* Chile
* China
* Croatia
* Czech Republic
* Denmark
* Estonia
* Finland
* France
* Germany
* Hungary
* Hong Kong
* Ireland
* Israel
* Italy
* Japan
* Korea
* Latvia
* Malaysia
* Malta
* Mexico
* Netherlands
* Norway
* Peru
* Philippines
* Poland
* Singapore
* Slovakia
* Slovenia
* Spain
* Sweden
* Taiwan
* Thailand
* Turkey
* United Kingdom
* USA
* Uruguay
* Vietnam
See also
*
TNT Magazine
''TNT'' is a free weekly magazine published in the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand.
History
The magazine was founded in September 1983, from an office on the Earls Court Road, by two British Iraqi brothers, Ali and Ghadir Razuki. The ...
*
Gap year
A gap year, also known as a sabbatical year, is typically a year-long break before or after college/university during which students engage in various educational and developmental activities, such as travel or some type of regular work. Gap yea ...
References
{{reflist
External links
OE Travel Blogs
New Zealand culture
Types of travel
Transport culture
New Zealand diaspora