Working overseas might sound like a lot of work (get it?), but for those looking for new experiences it can be an amazing way to explore a culture, meet like minded people and have some adventure travel along the way.
Working Abroad: What Does it Mean?
As simple as the name implies, working overseas is when you travel from your home country to another country and you work. Whether you pick up part time work to supplement your travels, or jump into full-time work to advance your career, working overseas offers many exciting opportunities that working at home can’t.
Working Overseas Options
When it comes to working abroad there are a lot more options than you might have realized. Gone are the days of simply volunteering 8 hours a day in a hostel to cover your 12 person dorm bed, or covering shifts in a local bar to support your nightly drinking exploits. These days working abroad programs have improved significantly and there are a lot of options to suit different wants and needs.
Sure, you might only want to ‘experience’ another culture with a working holiday in Canada; snowboarding and punching ski lift tickets by day, crushing beers by night. And hey there’s nothing wrong with that. It’s a hell of a good time and you get to meet some amazing people in the process.
But if you’re looking to gain new skills in a career or have a career change then there are also a lot of fun options to travel and work through teaching, tutoring, interning, being an au pair (nanny), or a summer camp counsellor.
How to Find Work Overseas
With so many options it can be hard to know where to start. Thankfully Global Work and Travel takes away all the confusion and difficulty in finding an overseas working option that suits you. Along with offering a wide selection of working abroad options, they also offer a lot of different locations around the world to start your new adventure.
Each option, whether you’re teaching English in Japan, an au pair in Australia or an internship in Canada, comes with support from start to finish. You’ll get help with training, work placement, interviews, visa guidance, mentoring and a whole bunch of other factors to make sure your working experience is as smooth as possible.
What Should I Choose?
Choosing the type of program you want to explore can be tricky because there are so many great options. For a lot of people a working holiday can be the best way to dip into the workforce, earn enough money to sustain your travels and also manage to explore the country you’re visiting. A working holiday is especially useful when traveling to countries that can be more expensive, such as Australia, the US, UK or Canada.
Typically working holiday jobs are seasonal and temporary, but they’re the perfect way to immerse yourself within a new culture and live like a local, while also exploring the country and having fun. They might not lead to a breakout career in a new industry, but they’re a happy medium between wanting to work enough to travel, but not being bogged down by a serious career role.
If you’re looking for a job that has a bit more focus, you have awesome options in teaching English abroad, working as a nanny (au pair), being a tutor or even gaining an internship in your desired field of work. Each of these positions come with more responsibility, but also more of an opportunity to gain workplace skills in a job for the future.
Teaching English Overseas
If you’ve ever considered working in education then teaching English abroad is the perfect way to road test this idea. Never considered teaching, but thought it might be fun to check out? It is!
Way back in 2006 I took my first ever overseas trip to teach English in Thailand and it was an incredible experience. I spent 6 weeks teaching English to middle school students in rural Thailand and learned so much about the country, the people and the food. Even after 15 years of travel and countless experiences around the world this still stands out as one of my most cherished travel memories.
Fast forward to present time, teaching overseas programs have evolved a lot since 2006. At Global Work and Travel there are 13 amazing locations that you can sign up for when looking to teach English abroad. There are traditional hot spots like Thailand and South Korea, but also some really awesome and new locations like Argentina, Costa Rica and Spain!
And if you’re worried about not knowing how to teach, don’t be! Each program at Global Work and Travel comes with a 3-4 week TEFL or TESOL course to help prepare you for your position. You also get provided with accommodation, fun cultural excursions, as well as accreditation once you finish your position.
Benefits of Working Abroad
Apart from gaining work experience there are plenty of benefits of working abroad that you can take advantage of.
Travel Now, Save Later
Working overseas also has the added bonus of allowing you to move abroad and stay there longer when you don’t have a ton of money. If you were planning on traveling around North America or Australia for 6 months you’d need a hell of a lot of spare change in the bank. But with a working holiday you get to get over to a country with less savings and then build your funds and explore while working.
Expand Your Horizons When You Go Overseas
One of the best parts of working overseas is that you don’t have to put your working life on pause for traveling -you can just combine the two!
Use this opportunity to immerse yourself in a country’s culture. Practice your language skills by speaking with the locals and attend some cooking classes. Also, take advantage of nature with various fun activities, including scuba diving, hiking, yachting, and rock climbing.
And if you base yourself in a place like Europe or Asia, it’s super easy to travel to neighboring cities and countries and experience their cuisines, culture, and city life. Use your holiday time, or long weekends, to pop across the border and experience a whole new culture. Even if it’s just for a few days.
Gives You Added Experience
When a company puts out a job ad, they’re getting hundreds, if not thousands of applicants. This means heavy competition for newbies hoping to enter the working world. After all, getting 5 years of work experience by the age of 21 is almost impossible.
You can spruce up your CV and resume with your experience in a foreign country. This shows employers that you’ve got what it takes to kick it in the international job market. It also signals that you’re adaptable, willing to learn and take risks, and can handle working with other people.
