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While Australia and the USA are the most popular destinations for paid gap year work, with work always available in hostels, summer camps, restaurants, bars or even theme parks and fruit-picking farms, you can find work around the world, as long as you're prepared to look for it.
If you have a TEFL qualification, you'll find a wide range of paid jobs all over the world at schools, universities, language colleges, business centres- teaching English is a big money business and native speakers is a big selling point. If you are qualified and are interested in a career teaching English as a foreign language, there are lots of useful websites full of advice about finding a TEFL course or a job. One of the best is Tefl.com; the site has a forum where past TEFL teachers can exchange stories and offer advice to newcomers.
There are lots of organisations that, for a fee, can help you arrange your move overseas, with advice on everything from organising working visas to finding accommodation once you arrive. Alternatively, you can use international job searches like OverseasJobs.com or Monster.com which allows you to search the job databases around the world.
It's a big decision to move overseas to work and, like any gap year, needs serious thought and planning. You need to ask yourself questions like:
Where will you live?
Unless you are doing an internship, there are not many companies that will provide accommodation for you as part of your job and so it's worth investigating if they will give you any guidance and if not, get researching where are good areas to live in, where do your colleagues live, where has good transportation links to your job.
Will my wages cover my rent, cost of living?
Don't go signing leases for houses you will not be able to afford, budget how much you can feasibly set aside for your rent and don't forget to include your food, transport costs and social life- just because you're working doesn't mean you can't have any fun.
Am I going to find work when I am there or get a job before?
If you are planning on finding a job once you are already in the country, make sure you have somewhere to make your base like a hostel, preferably somewhere with internet then you can email CV's and search online for work.
Do I need to learn a language?
If you are working in a country whose language is not your own, check what the working language of your company is. You might need to take language classes if you don't already speak the language or work may even pay for these!
Do I need any working visas?
Do your research and find out if you need any working visas to get a job in your chosen country. If you are staying for any decent amount of time the chances are you will; head to the country's embassy for more information, you can find a list of embassies around the world on the FCO website or visit sites like Workpermit.com which provide more specific immigration advice.
Is there a limit on how long I can live and work in the country?
Any visa restrictions or time restraints on how long you can remain in the country will all be explained on the country's embassy website.