October 30, 2009
As the years begin to flash by, we can all get that sudden panic. Society may be telling you that it’s time to settle down, buy a house, get married and start a family. But your heart is saying something completely different: it’s time to travel.
And while a lot of people choose to do their travelling early on in life, by taking a gap year, there can be huge benefits to waiting until you are slightly older.
By travelling later on in life, you will have a completely different perspective on the whole experience and some say, you appreciate it more. Travelling when you are younger, as a gap year is all about fun and excitement and discovering somewhere new. But by taking a working holiday a few years later, the trip can have a deeper meaning. You can find out so much more about yourself, your ambitions and your priorities as well as of course, discovering some beautiful areas of the world.
Of course, work is not the thing that immediately springs onto your ‘to do’ list when you think about travelling, but in fact, working abroad as part of a working holiday can be an enriching experience.
For a start, it will help you to meet new people, find out more about the area and its culture and really feel a part of their community. You can learn so much too. So forget about those pressures from society. Follow your heart; take a working holiday.
September 30, 2009
The idea of a holiday for most people would be sitting on a remote beach somewhere, in glorious sunshine, with a cold beer in one hand and a good book in the other. However, some people would prefer to take a working holiday abroad instead.
Working holidays give you the opportunity to experience life in another country whilst giving something back to the community or area in which you are working in. Not everybody has the opportunity to take a month or six months off work on a sabbatical.
More often than not you will spend a week or two helping with projects throughout the world such as caring for animals in Belize to teaching children in Thailand. You will come away from the holiday feeling very satisfied, deep in the knowledge that you have helped in some shape or form.
The types of trips on offer are varied and you can pick and choose which project and for how long you want to go for. Most projects are suitable for couples or a group of friends, although they can usually accommodate a single person as well. The minimum age to participate is eighteen and you do not need any formal qualifications to apply.
August 16, 2009
After several years in the office, we all need a break.
Of course, there’s the annual trip abroad for a week. A time to relax, recharge the batteries and explore another corner of the world.
But sometimes this isn’t enough. In fact, many people feel like they need more time to see a bit more of the world and broaden their horizons. We all need to see something different from the inside of those four office walls.
But there aren’t many people that can afford to simply pack up their bags and leave for a few months. However, a working holiday is the perfect option for those wanting to get away and see a bit more of the world.
With a working holiday, you can take time for the working holiday or ethical holiday and join a voluntary work programme of support and development.
Trips can vary and you can end up in Belize working at the zoo or Nepal, working with child care and teaching.
Whichever working holiday you choose, you will be sure to find it rewarding and enjoyable. You can experience some of the most interesting areas of the world and help some important causes at the same time. What more could you want?
July 26, 2009
There will be 300,000 people graduating from higher education this year who will be entering a highly competitive jobs market. According to the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, half of British companies aren’t planning on taking on graduates this year.
An alternative would be to take a working holiday. It’s a great experience and looks good on a person’s CV as well. Career consultant, Grace Owen, says:
“It is about building up life experience. Employers know the reality of the jobs market and will understand if people put off the hunt for a bit and do something worthwhile. Career breaks can be done, but it’s much easier to do these things before you are tied down with kids and a mortgage.”
Among the best destinations for a working holiday are Australia and New Zealand. There is usually some sort of work available, particularly seasonal work like fruit picking and there are working holiday visas available. Other popular backpacker destinations, such as South America and Asia, are more affordable and easier to travel around without working. Many people combine a working holiday Down Under with tourism to these places in a round the world trip.
By taking a working holiday, you get the opportunity to experience another country and another working environment as well. Australian working holiday visas last for 12 months, although you can only stay with one employer for a maximum of six months, although for some occupations, this limit is reduced to just three months.
July 9, 2009
A limited number of tickets are to be made available next month, allowing Brits with a valid Working Holiday Visa to fly to Australia for just £10.
There will be 150 Quantas tickets available to many Australian cities, including Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Brisbane and Adelaide and travellers can return whenever they wish.
Tourism Australia’s working holiday program is hugely popular, with over 35,000 British people taking advantage every year. Nevertheless, the £10 ticket marketing exercise is intended to raise the profile of the program.
The £10 price tag was not decided arbitrarily. It is a reference to the ‘10 pound Pom’ scheme which the Australian government put into place following the Second World War. This was designed to encourage immigration to Australia and over a million British people took advantage between 1945 and 1972.
The modern equivalent is only open to a select few and is geared towards working holidays rather than immigration, but it is a great offer if this is something that appeals to you.
Rodney Harrex, the UK and Europe general manager for Tourism Australia said:
“The original 10-pound Pom assisted passage scheme resulted in a British fascination with the faraway land of Oz that has endured every since.”
