Work and Travel

Work and travel is a great way to spend long summer holidays for high school or university students, as well as for high-school graduates who want to take a year off before they start university. Work and travel agencies provide teens with a package which includes a job in one of the major cities around the globe and a place to stay. Some packages even include visa applications, training, meals, help with opening a bank account, creating a national insurance / tax file number, free money transfers, a mobile SIM card and more.

Common jobs for those who want to work and travel on their gap year include working as an au pair, restaurant server, cashier, housekeeper and many others. Employment in hotels, amusement parks or ski resorts is common as these places offer plenty of job opportunities that do not require knowledge or long years of training in a specific field. On the contrary, the jobs work and travel agencies offer can be done by any individual provided that they are healthy, responsible and self-disciplined.

Work and travel holidays best suit those who want to improve their foreign language skills without paying a lot of money for language courses. It is a great way for teenagers to take the level of their second language, usually English, to a level up. The environment teens work not only gives them an opportunity to communicate in their 2nd language to fulfil real-life tasks, but also gives them an understanding of other cultures. Many participants on work and travel programs also benefit from the work experience they get. Their experiences abroad will definitely help them in the future when interacting with potential business colleagues and partners from other countries. Work and travel experience could be some teenagers’ first time in the work force. As a result, they learn valuable time management skills that they can later put to use in their studies and future careers.