More work-travel programs!
- Matthew Carpenter
- Oct 28, 2019
- 5 min read
Hey yall,
This week I will be giving some general information into some other work-travel programs that I have researched! I won’t go into too much detail on these programs because I have not been on these and I do not personally know anyone that has! However, I will give as much detail as I can, and will post the link to that program.
Before I get into it, I would like to put a disclaimer on these websites. I think it is important to research deep into these programs before going, and the website or Facebook page is a great way to do that. The thing to remember about program websites or travel pages is that they want to sell you on going on the trip, and they want to make it sound as fun as possible. While the program may be fun, you are there for the job first.
I highly recommend talking to an alumnus of the program in order to find out unbiased information. From doing research the past couple months, one of the biggest complaints I see are people saying they did not think they would be working so much. I am not saying this to scare you off, I am just saying don’t go in thinking you are working one or two days a week and sitting on a beach for the rest of the week. You most likely will be working four to five days a week.
Australia!
So, for this program you will spend in Australia. Most of the opportunities are in Sydney and the southern parts. There may be some opportunities in the northern part, but in my opinion the southern part and along the coast are exactly where you would want to be!
The first week of this program will be spent in Sydney, Australia for orientation. During this, you will learn about the Australian culture, be signed up for courses you may need to take (such as classes to serve alcohol), and be introduced to different job opportunities. During this week you will also meet with a job consultant one on one to review your resume, skills, and your job preferences.
The jobs you’d be looking at would be like business customer service or office work. However, Greenheart Travel also noted that seasonal work in amusement parks, resorts, and cruises are available. These jobs ranges from three to six months in time and are perfect for a summer term.
Work and Travel Australia: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a848FJeEKiA
If you want to be moving around the country a little bit more, then you have the opportunity to apply for hotels, restaurants, jobs, etc. It all depends on what you want from your experience. If you want to be somewhere where you can establish yourself and build strong relationships, then you may want to lean towards an amusement park or a resort. If you want to get a taste of a wide variety of places and experiences and meet a lot of people from all over, then look into bars and restaurants!
As far as money goes, remember you should not be doing this to make a lot of money. According to Greenheart Travel, you would profit about $662 a week, averaging about 35 hours per week. After rent, food, phone and internet, and other expenses, you are left with about $100 profit.
Ireland!
I think Ireland definitely has its own draws and charms. First off, the people have the best sense of humor. It is very sarcastic and optimistic. Ireland is also very beautiful and has a lot of history. Another thing to think about is that flights to other countries may be cheaper considering it’s in Europe. You could easily take a couple days off to travel to another country.
The Ireland program is very flexible on start and end dates. You are not stuck to taking a summer for this, if you want to take a semester off like the Disney program, you totally could. The range usually spans around 5 months, so research the seasons in Ireland and choose what you will enjoy the most.
The program cost it $1,660 USD. That cost is broken down in this pie chart from Greenheart Travel:
The orientation will give you an opportunity to meet other people also participating in the program, as well as learning about everything you need to know as far as housing, jobs, cellphone setup, etc.
Most of the jobs are in Dublin, but Greenheart mentioned it is much cheaper to go anywhere else due to the living costs being so high. You will not know your job until you arrive in the country and consult with the job experts to find what I the best job for you. I would try and research what you would be interested in prior to the trip. Also, think about location! You probably would not want to go somewhere where you won’t be with other college students.
Argentina!
This program seems pretty specific, which is a good thing. You would bend three months in Buenos Aires in a hostel with the opportunity to extend or move to another city. Incase you don’t know what a hostel is, it is pretty much a hotel for travelers. It is a lot cheaper and is basically dorm-styled housing. I stayed in one in London and had an absolute blast! I stayed in a room with my brother Michael, friend Jessica, a college kid from Canada, a guy from Australia, and a guy from northern England!
This could be a unique and really cool opportunity because you will get to meet people from all over the world. People go to hostels because it is cheap, and they want to meet people from other cultures.
In the Argentina program, you get the opportunity to take a Spanish course. They do require you to have a basic understanding of Spanish, so if you barely made it through Spanish class then it may be a good idea to take that class.
With this program, you will work between 4-6 hours per day with one day off per week. In exchange, you will be able to stay at the hostel rent free and will not receive a pay check. I personally would not do a program where I don’t get paid. Part of the fun is being able to pay for more traveling from your work. If I were going on this program, I would look for a side job for when I am not at the hostel. You only work 4-6 hours a day, so it may be worth it to find a side job at a bar or something similar!
That's all I have for this week, but check in at https://greenhearttravel.org/ for more information and work-travel programs! Some opportunities are better than others, just make sure you know what you want out of the experience and read into it as much as you can!
Tune in next week where we will hear from those who have participated in these programs, featuring my former supervisor: Honza Rehor from the Czech Republic!
Comments