Working Holidays - Plan Ahead
June 13, 2008
Are you planning a backpacking working holiday, a gap year or a long-term working-vacation? Are you tired of your present work situation and are finding yourself fantasizing about taking time off to visit somewhere new? Are you looking for a challenge, a life-changing experience or simply to get away from the rat race? If you have answered ‘yes’ to any of the above scenarios, you’re probably in the process of investigating or planning a short or long-term working holiday, an experience which often changes or defines the lives of those that take them. It doesn’t matter whether you’re young or old, rich or poor, working holidays make it possible to visit new destinations and encounter different cultures whilst maintaining enough money to cover living expenses and travel costs. For this reason alone it is a popular option for school-leavers who are not quite ready to settle down into life with a permanent job and a mortgage. Working vacations are also increasingly popular with professionals however, as they provide the opportunity to have a break from their careers, commutes and living expenses without having to suffer going into debt. If this sounds like an appealing option to you, there are a few simple ways to get the ball rolling.
The first thing to organize if you are planning to undertake a working vacation is the visa situation - countries outside of the European Union require non-residents to have a visa before they can work within the country in question. While you will be going on ‘holidays’, you will also be working within the country, earning money, using the infrastructure, and taking jobs that might otherwise have gone to locals. This is why it’s important to check the particulars of the working holiday visa for the country of your choice as you may find that you are limited to working for a defined time period or for a pre-determined quota of hours. It’s important that you have obtained a working holiday visa before you book your plane tickets just in case the visa takes longer to organize than you initially expect.
Once you have clarified the official documentation you can move on to the fun part - organizing and booking the travel details, such as your flights and other transportation and any accommodation you may need. If you are hoping to find some cheap flights to the country in question, keep an eye on the airline sales. Cheap flights to Australia and cheap flights to the USA, for instance, are both easy to find providing you plan well ahead of schedule and are relatively flexible with your schedule. Accommodation may be more difficult to sort out especially if you are unsure of where you will be working or if there is even work available. Many people who take working holidays rely on seasonal work in rural areas, so it may be easier to wait until you are in the country before you book long term accommodation. Instead, book a hotel somewhere central for the first few days of your stay so that you can then investigate work opportunities.
Comments
Got something to say?