1 9 5 0 s , ▁O Es ▁were ▁often ▁cent red ▁on ▁London , ▁and ▁were ▁described ▁as ▁going ▁home , ▁a ▁working ▁hol iday , ▁or ▁an ▁over se as ▁trip ▁until ▁the ▁term ▁O E ▁was ▁popular ised ▁by ▁New ▁Zealand ▁cart oon ist ▁and ▁column ist ▁Tom ▁Scott ▁in ▁the ▁mid ▁ 1 9 7 0 s . ▁ ▁Description ▁The ▁term ▁O E ▁is ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁New ▁Zealand ▁vern ac ular ▁to ▁the ▁extent ▁that ▁official ▁government ▁literature , ▁including ▁In land ▁Re venue ▁Department ▁website , ▁name ▁it ▁as ▁a ▁sub - category . ▁ ▁The ▁abbre viation ▁O E ▁is ▁sometimes ▁spoken ▁as ▁if ▁it ▁is ▁a ▁formal ▁qual ification ▁- ▁as ▁in ▁" do ▁you ▁have ▁your ▁O E ?" ▁- ▁because ▁before ▁ 2 0 0 4 ▁the ▁top ▁secondary ▁school ▁qual ification ▁was ▁UE ▁- ▁" Univers ity ▁En tr ance ". ▁The ▁phrase ▁also ▁indicates ▁that ▁the ▁trip ▁is ▁considered ▁to ▁be ▁an ▁important ▁mil estone ▁in ▁one ' s ▁career ▁development ▁especially ▁for ▁professional ▁and ▁employees ▁of ▁large ▁mult in ational s ▁and ▁is ▁often ▁asked ▁during ▁job ▁inter views . ▁ ▁A ▁typical ▁O E ▁is ▁mostly ▁or ▁entirely ▁self - fund ed ▁and ▁involves ▁working ▁over se as . ▁The ▁typical ▁O E ▁trav eller ▁is ▁in ▁his ▁or ▁her ▁ 2 0 s . ▁Vari ations ▁are ▁common . ▁Many ▁people ▁spend ▁a ▁year ▁or ▁so ▁teaching ▁English ▁over se as , ▁especially ▁in ▁Japan ▁or ▁South