L’expérience professionnelle à l’étranger : expérience de travail et voyage initiatique

Professional experience abroad can be an occasion for being truly immersed in the country, in the life of one’s colleague, sometimes friends, in avoiding the traditional tourist framework.It seems to allow having a peculiar place without the feeling of being a total foreigner neither a local. Allowing a closer relationship with the locals (at least giving that impression). Taking part in the daily life and feeling deeply useful. It offers the possibility to reduce the distance with the “other” as “another” thanks to the time spent on site but also with an improved relationship with the inhabitants.We suggest exploring this experience in its learning aspect, specifically amongst young people. It is an occasion to get out of the usual tourist framework and get fully immersed in autonomy and uncertainty. Upon leaving and trying out this experience one will face challenges which will change him or her forever.Taking the three different analysis from J. Campbell on the three initiating steps (before, during and after the stay) the interpretation requires the return stage as well as the feedback on the experience, providing a collection of interviews.