Many of the largest graduate recruiters are international businesses; they need employees who can demonstrate the ability and willingness to adapt to working abroad.

The majority of travelers look for a job overseas at some point during their gap year to increase their dwindling funds. Work can either earn or save the traveller crucial cash.

Working abroad is a realistic opportunity for summer holiday adventures and is a fabulous way to meet new people, retain independence and of course to earn some money.

On my gap year I took advantage of unpaid opportunities where I traded work for board and lodging. I helped clean the hostels I stayed in when visiting cities and through WWOOF (Willing Workers on Organic Farms) I stayed on some amazing farms. WOOFF enabled me to visit peaceful places off the well-trodden traveler routes, the work was really enjoyable and the unspoilt views were out of this world. I feel my experiences working abroad greatly added to whole overall traveling experience.

But if trade is not for you, and you want to earn real money working abroad then teaching English is an ideal opportunity. This is perfect working abroad experience to impress graduate recruiters.

Teach English Abroad

The most commonly accepted qualification is a TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) certificate. A qualification is not required in some countries but with the certificate there are opportunities to work abroad in innumerable countries. You don’t even need to speak the local language!

Jo Stucky, a friend from university, lives in Sicily teaching English. She went out there four years ago meaning to stay a few months, get some experience working abroad and have an adventure. Jo enjoyed Italy so much she is still living there in the sunshine, with a lower cost of living, great restaurants and buzzing café culture.

“My decision to work abroad stemmed from both circumstance and childhood dream. Finding myself going nowhere in my first job after university, I decided to seize the moment and fulfill my dream of learning Italian and living abroad. Thinking back over the last few years has made me realize how many challenges I’ve got through. Arriving with an Italian vocabulary limited to ‘ciao’ certainly made life difficult but hardly impossible!

Even though I’ve only gone as far as Italy, there certainly are cultural differences that you need to get your head round at the beginning. You have days where you can sometimes feel a bit of an alien! However, the pros definitely outweigh the cons. After four years abroad, my Italian’s certainly improved which, in turn, has opened up new opportunities on the work front. And, of course, I don’t overcook pasta anymore!

I think living and working abroad is one of the most positive things you can do. It is a challenge but the satisfaction you get is second to none.”

NEW SOUTH WALES

Griffith

Griffith International Hostel

These guys have links like no other hostel, with a support team including the local council, businesses and almost all of the surrounding farms. See their website for information on the specific crops being picked, but with the exception of the months of May and June, there is work year-round. Griffith is known as Australia’s ‘Wine & Food Country’, being as it is one of the most productive and bustling agricultural regions. This place would provide more of a social scene and its prime location in-between Sydney and Canberra means there is a steady flow of both travellers and locals.

Website: http://www.griffithinternational.com.au/

Cronulla Beach

Cronulla Beach YHA

Sydney’s southside surfing capital and hub of all things beach-life, Cronulla Beach YHA is the perfect ingredient to an amazing stay in this area. There is an abundance of work to come from staying at this place. Most of it is city-based stuff but there is also seasonal and laboring work in the surrounding area. Often travellers pass on their job to newbies staying there once they leave, and another great plus to this place is there are pick-ups and drop-offs by many of the employers. They are also the only backpackers hostel in the beach area so this immediately reduces competition with other backpackers looking for work.

Website: http://www.cronullabeachyha.com/

Coffs Harbour

AussiTel

This town is a little piece of Australian paradise. It is also a perfect place to learn scuba diving alongside your work, for one of the cheapest rates in the country and on the edge of the Great Barrier Reef. AussiTel offer support in finding work with the local farms picking mainly blueberries. The season begins in August, and varies in the length. Any queries be in touch with them and get there as soon to the start of the season as possible to ensure you get a spot in the fields. The hostel always gets great reviews and many stay throughout the season, as many find it becomes a home away from home.

Website: http://www.aussitel.com/

VICTORIA

Mildura

Borderline Backpackers

This place is a gem in the working hostel world, largely due to its locality but also its vast contacts with the farms in the region. It is a quieter spot where they are, being far north of Victoria and on the border of New South Wales. However, with the Murray River just five minutes away, it provides the perfect post-farm spot to soak in the river and watch the sunset.

No website is available but give these guys a bell on the following and they’ll be able to help you out.

Address: 78-80 Seventh Street, Mildura, Victoria

Tel: +61 (3) 5023-0671

Echuca

Echuca Backpackers 

These folk are experts when it comes to organising work for backpackers. If staying long-term, Echuca offer your seventh night in the week, free, which is rare to find. The only downfall, is they don’t provide transport to the farms. However, they do have contacts that can organise you cheap car rental, which can also work as a bonus as it allows you to adventure off into this stunning region. Located in a similar to the hostel above, right on the Murray River, and in the centre of the town so plenty of things to do.

Website: http://www.backpackersechuca.com.au/

Maffra

Cambrai Hostel

A hostel with raving reviews on every website or blog you can find, they are known as a home away from home. You can guarantee you will leave this historic little town having made a family, as the locals love spending time with any travellers passing through. Please note though that the hostel is only open for backpackers and seasonal work from October until April.

Email: cambrai (at) netspace.net.au

There are many hostels that are off the worldwide web grid based both in New South Wales and in Victoria. A good site for some more information about these hostels in Victoria, see here: http://www.backpacking-aus.com/fruit-picking-victoria.html

For a little more info on how to get the most out of working hostels, and the joys of them, read my previous post. In terms of seasons for Western Australia, the end of October through to end of May is the prime time to pay a visit. There will always be work around from May to October, but just more scarcely scattered around the region, so best to do some research before planting your feet somewhere.

Donnybrook

Two hours north of Perth, this little town is at the heart of Western Australia’s fruit picking community. With a welcoming and vibrant local social scene that is bundling with backpackers during the season, meeting good folk here is a guarantee.

Brooklodge

This hostel is unique as it is surrounded by acres of fields so provides a perfect space to not only save some cents but also a bit of relaxation and a stint of feeling at home, which is a welcome luxury on your travels. This space is taken up by backpackers playing frisbee, volleyball, soccer and soaking up the rays after a days work. The hostel have many many contacts in the nearby regions, and remain one of the most popular working hostels in Australia. Transport is also a given too.

They recommend contacting them before arriving to ensure you are going to grab some work.

Website: http://brooklodge.com.au/

Kunanarra

This is one of the most northern towns in Western Australia, at the heart of the Kimberly district and on the border of the Northern Territory. It has an abundance of fresh water springs and water holes to dive into so if you are a fan of exploring, this is a wonderful place to spend some time. It is surrounded by mountains and hundreds of hiking trails to keep you walking for weeks. It does get incredibly hot and humid up there, so it is recommended you go if you can handle these kind of sweltering conditions. The season is a little longer this end of the country, being from March until November, and working with Sandalwood there are year-round jobs to be found.

Kimberley Croc YHA Backpackers

These guys have been highly rated in reviews for a number of years, providing an excellent service and level of support for travellers hunting down work. They give out lists of local farmers and their numbers, which you can call and they have a generally overflowing notice board with local jobs advertised. A welcome part of this hostel is their Kimberley Croc Lodge which they have dedicated entirely to long-staying backpackers, offering long-term rates and room mates for the duration of your stay.

Website: http://www.kimberleycroc.com.au/

Margaret River

This place is the capital of backpacking in Western Australia. Its unique quality of being able to combine a job in the fields and vineyards with a great Australian holiday, means this place is a working traveller’s paradise. The town is famous for its wineries, beaches, music scene and bustling restaurants. The beauty surrounding the town is also one of a kind and is a perfect gateway to explore the region.

Margaret River Lodge

This hostel is perfectly set up for working holidays. It is slightly larger than others, but still with the familiarity and homely feel. They have had raving reviews from all that stay there, and offer a shuttle to and from your work and to and from the beach.

They have a desk and member of staff specifically allocated to helping you find work, making the whole process a lot smoother and easier. This is also a long-term stay hostel, with a 100 bed short-term lodge just next door.

Website: http://www.mrlodge.com.au/

Enjoy!

Twitter – @AmaniOmejer

About me.

Looking back, travelling has always been in my bones but the joy of setting up camp somewhere by working, with fun little adventures flowing from here, are in my eyes, the best. This love for combining work and travel came when I was 18: fresh out of school, in the Autumn of 2005, I headed for the beautiful and intriguing New Zealand. Planning was at a minimum, partly as that is the way I seem to do things, but also due to the fact that the 3 months prior to flying, were filled with 3 jobs, leaving spare seconds in short supply. I left with £600 in my bank and in my mind, many ideas but no set plans.

The following 12 months in New Zealand and Australia were filled with an assortment of jobs and many wonderful adventures in between. In NZ I found myself: pruning apple trees at the foothills of the Abel Tasman mountains; working in a bustling little bar by the Marlborough Sands; working at a couple of events on the beautiful Waiheke Island; pruning more apple trees in the hills of Hawkes Bay; and calling Queenstown home for 5 months, helping to run a cafe, waitress in a local restaurant and help out at a couple of outdoor adventure festivals there. Australia brought me an amazing month of working and living on a boat in the breathtaking Whitsunday Islands and a few weeks making coffees and baking cakes in return for a bed in the trendy town of Byron Bay.

None of the jobs above were organised before hand, some I had experience in, but some I didn’t. Examples like this can hopefully show you how if your ears, eyes and mind are open to new adventures and opportunities, you will learn to believe in yourself and your skills, landing on your feet anywhere you choose to go.

Taking a gap year before university was one of the best things I have done and I would recommend it to anyone. This is for a few main reasons, one being that you soak up truck loads of invaluable advice from all those you meet, helping you make the most of whatever is to come next in life. Many people head off post-university and so the piece of advice I picked up on the most was to make the most of your summers whilst studying (in the UK we seem to spend more time on holiday than in lectures, and so this is simply asking for adventures).

So, considering I had caught the travel bug, the following Spring of 2007 I decided my next venture would be to a place I had always longed to go – Kenya. Through a company this end, I got a place teaching in a school and orphanage there that summer, and fundraised for the trip (which is an adventure in itself). It was incredible and I learnt more skills and grew in confidence in that few weeks, more than ever before in such a short space of time. Upon finishing my post there, I also helped in a school I found along my travels. I will talk about this in more detail but there are many ways in which you can organise wonderful opportunities in developing countries, to work and be involved in, without paying a small fortune to a Western based company.

Before returning back for a second year of university, and after working back home for a month, I flew over to Copenhagen to volunteer at The Homeless World Cup (http://www.homelessworldcup.org/). It is an incredible event, which in those days was smaller and you received food and a bed in return for working with the team. I would recommend volunteering at events such as this to anyone, be it big or small and involving charities or not, as you will return home inspired to the brim. You do not need bundles of money or contacts, it is simply a case of finding the right kind of thing on offer. I saw the organisation advertised in The Big Issue one day, and got in touch to scout out about volunteering.  We are blessed with cheap travel these days, and so by utilising this, whilst preferably being aware environmentally, will enable you to get involved in various exciting things around the world.

Kenya Adventure!

Upon arriving home after Kenya and Copenhagen, I realised I had fallen in love with the Sunshine Continent of Africa. The next two years at university, I was incredibly lucky to have three opportunities to go and work in East Africa, expenses paid. One of these was representing the university at the African Athletic Championships in Ethiopia, with my main task being to interview the medal holders post-race. The other two trips were taking young people from the UK to Kenya and Uganda for 2 weeks of travelling in a bus, working on small projects there. It is a trip very close to my heart, and something I am still involved in from an organisational perspective. You can see more about it and watch a snippet of the documentary made one year, here – http://www.robwalkertv.com/index.php/youth-work.

These three opportunities I have mentioned above simply came from showing enthusiasm and following my heart, which at that point was with Africa, talking to people and offering to help out. So, next time you hear someone interesting speak, see a cool project, or watch an interesting documentary: get in touch or wander up to the front for a chat. Almost always, people love to be spoken to about their work and will offer opportunities or contacts if they can. Whether you are at university, working in the bustling city, or living in the hills, there is a wealth of potential and inspiring things going on everywhere, it is just a case of finding them. That is something I hope to help with, be it by posting links to documentaries and blog posts online, or by sharing sites or inspiration on how to find things in person wherever you are. If all an experience does is inspire you, and not initially lead to anything directly as such, that is priceless in itself.

In my final summer of university (2008) I lived in the crazy and full of character town of Lagos, Portugal, with a couple of friends from home. I was cooking in a cafe and the community there is one of a kind – folks from all over, working hard and soaking up the beach life for the summer. I came home bronzed, smiling, and inspired for my final year of library bound days.

The world literally is your oyster when you are looking to work abroad, and anywhere in fact. There is no one else out there with your bag of skills and unique qualities, so trust in them as they are the best thing to take with you. I took to just walking into places and asking for jobs whilst away but some friends did the same from home beforehand through the wonder of the worldwide web. So, whichever works for you, that is the best way to do it and do not worry. A bit of fear is natural and exciting, but the best advice I could ever give is to simply give it a go.

From then you will realise how easy it is and that any ‘worst-case scenario’ is not really that bad. There are always back-up plans you can have up your sleeve to reassure a worrying mind. Plus, home is only a flight away. In terms of worrying about finding work, take a rather hilarious example from my gap year: in Hawkes Bay, NZ, I was fired after one day of picking peas (may I add, this was due to a couple of team mates that took a liking to the pub more than the fields, so our group count of peas was down by rather a lot). But, never fear, the following day the team had one of the best jobs in the orchards, filling our wallets with a lot of cents and soaking up the Kiwi sunshine whilst we went.

I hope this blog will be something you can refer to when planning adventures abroad, and somewhere you can gather valuable information and inspiration. If there are any places, job types or other topics of particular interest please give me a shout too as I will do my best to get information on these for you folk.

When you start looking for work abroad jobs in India, you’ll notice that the first few hits will be focused on teaching English. There is an incredibly high demand for TEFL and TESL instructors in India, and many other parts of Asia. But why India, if most citizens learn the language from a young age? It has to do with the increasingly global workforce – business people working in India are looking to perfect their English, and who better than native speakers to do it?

Sorting through all of these can be overwhelming, so let’s start with some of the more popular agencies.

First of all, it’s important to make the distinction between an organization that conducts TEFL courses to students and assists with finding a job and an actual job placement organization. Places like the TEFL Institute, charge a fee to certify you in TEFL or TESOL, then help you find a job right after you graduate. For a fee they take care of room and board, plus the cost of the course. Not bad if you’re looking to get your feet wet in-country before you commit to an actual job (as opposed to getting and online certification). Others like TEFL International and American TESOL Institute (which, oddly, actual gives TEFL certifications) guarantee placements, in a school/workplace hybrid model.

Without any first hand knowledge of these organizations, I’m pretty pleased with what I saw on the TEFL International website (even though aesthetically it’s kind of overwhelming). They are a nonprofit organization, which (ideally) means that they aren’t only interested in their financial bottom line when it comes to signing people up for the courses and placing them in internships and jobs. They operate around the world in 20+ locations, but in India are based in Kolkata. It looks like their model works because of big partnerships with local corporations that are in need of English teachers, which means that this organization seems to lean towards teaching the business client. And one of their partners is Disney!

Outside of teaching English, there are many other opportunities to volunteer and work abroad in India. The Ladakh Project, sponsored by the International Society for Ecology and Culture, is set deep in the Himalayas, and recruits volunteers to work on a local farm, and to see first hand the effects of globalization of society that rely heavily on local ecology to make their living. And there is a great first-hand account of the volunteer experience over at Transitions Abroad.

For those with some business experience who are looking to bulk up the resume there is Next, a professional training organization with sites in cities across India. They recruit and hire people from the United States, Australia, Canada the UK and New Zealand to conduct business skills training class in India.

And last but not least, here is one of the coolest-sounding jobs I’ve seen in a long time: Livescouting for Sport Events in India! Before you get to excited, I’ll give you the quick take: the job is ideal for people who already live in India and are familiar with Indian sports and teams. They specifically say “you don’t need to be an expert, but you need to know the rules. ” But if you’re someone who is looking at living in India in the longer term (maybe as a teacher or volunteer) and you have developed a taste for the local sports, you can make up to 35 euro per game attending sporting events and reporting on statistics in real time for Sports Data AG.

That’s really just a sampling of all of the great volunteer and work opportunities available in India. As one of the largest and most densely populated countries in the world, you can bet that there are many, many more where they came from. So if you are dreaming of ascending the worlds highest peaks like I have been lately, perhaps you can satisfy your curiosity by getting a little closer to them!

The Working Holiday Club is a UK and Australia-based work placement agency for people looking to work abroad in the US, Canada, UK or Australia. The organization arranges work permits, job interviews, and places a large number of its workers in resort and hospitality jobs.

Instead of the usual who, what, where, when format of the organization spotlight posts, this week I’m just going to tell you what I like (and what I think you’ll like, too) about The Working Holiday Club:

• Over 30′s! It is extremely rare for a work or volunteer abroad organization to actively market to the over 30 set – the fact is that most people who look for temporary work abroad are in their early to mid twenties, with many people over 65 beginning to jump on the trend as well. I love that TWHC acknowledges that there are many people who might decide that they want to get winter job in Canada at age 32, but can’t get a visa as easily as their younger counterparts. WHC does the leg work, helping the over 30s secure a one-year open visa and hosting jobs at Vancouver and Whistler. These winter ski resort job opportunities seem like a lot of fun, but you should be ready to pay close to $6,000 for tuition for a year’s worth of support and visa assistance.
• Live-in Pub Jobs! Maybe this is just a personal thing, but I can’t think of anything that sounds cooler than working and living in a pub in the English countryside – and that’s an option (for Australians and New Zealanders) through WHC. They find you a job, help you with your visa, and get you there from London. Of course, you still have to pay the placement fee (about $600), but think of all of the tips you’ll make as a foreigner!
• Focus on visas. So maybe I’m a little obsessed with the whole visa thing. But in my experience, visa problems are where things go from fun adventure to scary challenge. So I’m totally digging TWHC’s focus on the types of visas, and very clear explanations of what kind of visas allow you to do what kinds of jobs (and the aforementioned assistance in obtaining a visa for the 30+ crowd). There are loads of organizations that will help you get a visa and find work, but TWHC truly lays it all out there so that you can consider all of your options.

And to maintain some of my journalistic integrity, I will also talk about a few of the things I don’t like. This is also the part where I disclose that I have no personal knowledge/relationship with TWHC, and my information comes from their website, and some Internet investigating.

• Refund policy. I saw something a little troubling on the FAQ page for USA jobs. Specifically, it implies that if you are offered a job that you do not want to accept, you forfeit your program fee. Considering that the positions themselves are pretty straightforward, and the interviews are conducted in-person in Australia, I feel like most people will be able to find a position that suits them. Also, I understand that the bulk of any program fee is likely used for the human resources that go into the placement process. But I think it would be better if this information was a bit more prominent on the site.
• Many program names. I don’t mean to imply that variety is a bad thing. It’s the spice of life (I know I’ve used that line before). However, I will admit that the TWHC website confused me. This could just be me, and every other person on the planet could marvel at how easy it is to navigate. But what I love best about really good work abroad websites is the ability to see what all of your choices are at a glance. You can browse TWHC’s website by country, but once you are there, the programs are organized by program name – which just aren’t the most descriptive. One a positive note, I love that they have employer profiles on the program pages!

So my overall impression is pretty good. I did some Internet lurking to find out what the people are saying, and as will any work abroad experience, the reviews are mixed. This is to be expected, and you shouldn’t doubt the suitability of any placement organization based on one or two negative reviews. One reviewer mentioned that they thought it was a red flag that there was no physical address listed on the website (just phone numbers) but I disagree – phone numbers are a pretty good sign (as long as someone answers them!). So if you’re thinking about working in a UK pub, US or Canadian resort, or just about anywhere in Australia, check out The Working Holiday Club website for more information.

CHEAP FLIGHTS: It wasn’t too long ago that we talked about the best way to find a cheap flight for your work or volunteer abroad experience. We’ve also covered the topic a bit more in depth. Think that you know everything there is to know about buying discount airfare? Think again. The extremely helpful people over at Lifehacker have compiled the Ultimate Travel Hacking Guide, which walks you through some alternative methods of making sure that you get the absolute best deal on your next overseas flight. Be sure to check out their related posts as well for more info about flying on the cheap.

FUNDRAISING: This is an incredibly old (especially in Internet-years) link from Go Overseas, but they give some great advice for how to fundraise to volunteer overseas. If you’re looking for more on the subject, make sure you check out another page full of info about funding your volunteer abroad experience.

WORKING ABROAD IN THE MIDDLE EAST: Do you think the folks over at CNBC read the JobMonkey blog? Because they recently reported about the increasing popularity of the Middle East (namely the UAE) as a destination for people looking to escape the rough US job market. They even called the Middle East the “newest hotspot” for jobs. I recall reading something very similar about turning a study abroad trip to the Middle East into a job last summer….(in fairness, it may have been the New York Times that made the point first!)

WORKING ABROAD IN CHINA: But let’s not count out Asia as an area growing in popularity for (specifically, young) people looking abroad for career advancement opportunities. As USA Today reports, China is attracting all kinds of English-speakers for jobs in sales and business development. But before you pack your bags, be aware that when a country starts to be labeled “popular” you can pretty much assume that jobs will also be “competitive”.

WORKING AT HOME, LIVING ABROAD: This story from the US News & World Report about a guy who tele-commuted to his job in the US from Venice is pretty amazing. And there are some great tips about how to try and get a deal like that for yourself!

GREEN JOBS ABROAD: Looking for natural energy jobs abroad? With the popularity of both green jobs and jobs abroad on the rise, you probably are. Make sure that you check out Greenjobs.com, which is currently featuring a bunch of international jobs on their website.

These are just a few of the happenings around the Internet right now! If you have some great scoop on work abroad or volunteer abroad news, make sure to leave them in the comments!

Awesome Work & Travel is a sever-year-old placement organization offering work placements for young South Africans looking to boost their resumes with international experience, specifically in the hospitality field. They offer assistance with placements for paid work, volunteer jobs and internships in English-speaking countries.

Projects and Destinations

Awesome Work & Travel focuses on three regions for work, internships and volunteer projects: United States, Britain and Canada.  The Internship USA program is a fairly structured internship program which focuses on skills-building in the food and beverage industry, namely at the swanky Ritz-Carlton hotel in New York City. Interns work full time at the hotel and in the hotel restaurant, doing everything from sales to waiting tables to working in the kitchen. The Work USA  program is much more flexible, with Awesome Work and Travel providing visa and work placement assistance in virtually any type of job available. You can either find a position yourself, or work with one of the organizations partner organizations, which comprise large hospitality organizations like hotels, resorts and casinos. Work placements are both seasonal and long-term, but full-year placements are only available to students who are enrolled in university.

The Work Canada program is perfect for all ski and snowboard fanatics out there – through the program, participants are placed in any number of jobs at Whistler Blackcomb, a premier big mountain ski resort. From hospitality to ski instruction to childcare, South African workers are fully immersed in the Whistler culture, living, working and playing on the mountain. Since this work is seasonal, applications are only accepted in the first half of the year.

Finally, the Intern Britain program places South Africans in positions through their partner Umi Hotels, which has locations in both London and Brighton. Internships usually last about 6 months, and are offered in partnership with Work Abroad Magazine favorite BUNAC, so interns get support from both Awesome Work & Travel and BUNAC while abroad.  

Application Process

Awesome Work and Travel has a very streamlined and straightforward application process. You can choose either the online application or print out a hard copy. You only need to supply your basic information, work history and start dates. Each application is specific to the program, and if you are interested in more than one program, be sure to check with Awesome Work and Travel staff to find out if you can be considered for multiple programs without having to create a new application each time.

If you are working with the internship programs, there is probably a bit more to do once you are accepted by Awesome and more into the placement process. Potential employers are more likely to want to know a bit more about you, and might even want to arrange a phone or Skype interview before a placement is offered. This step isn’t listed on the website, and each placement will be different. But you should always be prepared to fill out some extra forms or answer a few extra emails to make sure all information is in the right hands!

Fees & Services

Fees for participating in Awesome Work and Travel programs are on par with many similar organizations – you will receive assistance with your visa, housing and placement for a fee of a few thousand dollars (or South African Rand). Internship fees are reasonable for the US program at less than $2000 for a full-year placement. However, living and working in New York City is incredibly expensive, so you should keep that in mind when considering the US program. The Canada program at Whistler is similarly reasonable – R7850 ($1,080) for a full-year placement. The Intern Britain program cost is about £500 ($780).

These fees do not include flights, visa fees or housing. However, Awesome Work and Travel does provide an outline of what these costs might be so that workers and interns have an idea of how much money they will need to spend to get started. Of course, the work programs will pay a wage, some of which will be used to pay for housing and food, but some may cover the cost of program placement in the long term.

At this point I’ll note that costs are listed on the individual program pages – so you have to do a bunch of clicking to find out how much a program will cost. This is important to keep in mind as you are navigating the site; I typically find it more helpful to have everything having to do with fees listed on one page (but that’s just my personal preference!).

A review of the website confirms that the main focus of the growing organization is hospitality – at least for the time being. The Upcoming Programs section indicates that Awesome Work and Travel is looking to expand its program offerings to attract more diverse workers with teaching positions, as well as diversify geographically to China and New Zealand. If hospitality isn’t really your thing, don’t write-off Awesome Work and Travel. Keep checking the website as the relatively-young organization grows, and offers more programs to appeal to a variety of travelers.

It’s complicated. The truth is, tons of jobs include travel – international banking, consulting, flying airplanes…the list goes on. The purpose of this post is not to list them all, but rather to highlight some positions that have a surprising amount of international travel, but are also full-time career-oriented positions. The best of both worlds for a career-focused traveler!

• International nonprofit program management

Let’s start with the obvious – there are tons of placement organizations and nonprofit volunteer organizations that require administrative staff. People to manage the volunteers, programs and partner organizations are needed both at home and at volunteer sites.  Most people will not land a travel job at entry level – these are reserved for people with project management experience or volunteer management experience, usually at for at least three years.

But one major selling point for a program management job abroad is previous volunteer-abroad experience (along with knowledge of a second language). Organizations that hire people to travel generally want to know that you will be comfortable interacting with people at all levels (local politicians, volunteers, senior staff members), and can manage your workload while one the road for a significant amount of time. In some cases, you can put in some time at the home office for a year or two before you are put in an international travel position, especially if you lack experience.

Some organizations that offer international nonprofit management jobs with at least 50% travel are:

International Rescue Committee: The IRC is a world-renowned humanitarian organization providing services in more than 40 countries, many of which are in crisis. They "respond to the world’s worst humanitarian crises and helps people to survive and rebuild their lives". There are myriad positions available at the IRC that involved either full-time placement abroad (at refugee camps, for example), or significant travel (program management). IRC jobs are highly competitive, due in large part to the organization’s excellent reputation, and the current public interest in international issues. You can search for jobs by interest area and/or country at the IRC Careers website.

American Jewish World Service: The AJWS is an international volunteer organization, placing volunteer groups on service trips in Africa, Asia and Latin America. Their extensive network of volunteers around the world necessitates a robust administrative staff, including volunteer managers (assigned to a specific region) who routinely travel abroad to check-in at program sites. Volunteer experience is preferred for many of these positions, as well as work experience. AWJS is a faith-based organization.

• Recruiting/admissions

If you’ve been to college or university, you are probably aware that most higher education institutions pride themselves of their diverse student body. And while many schools see a high demand for admission on an international level, some smaller colleges must actively recruit in foreign countries to attract students from abroad. That’s where the international travel comes in!

Recruitment and admissions professionals are hired to speak at school conferences, visit high schools and attend career fairs to help spread the word about their institutions programs. These jobs could send you just about anywhere – most schools will have target geographic areas where they are looking to recruit more extensively, but this can change from year to year. Again, the ability to be the face of the institution, adapt well to change, and interact with people at all levels are essential to international recruiting and admissions jobs.

Some colleges and universities currently hiring international admissions and recruitment professionals include:

NYU Polytechnic: Based in New York City, NYU-Poly is looking for an Assistant Dean of Admissions for International Recruiting, a position requiring significant travel.

University of California – Berkeley: Based in Berkeley, CA, UC Berkeley is looking for an Assistant Director of Undergraduate Admissions to handle both domestic and international student recruitment.

Of course, these are just positions that are open right now. If you use a career search aggregator like Indeed, or use Google Alerts, you can keep track of colleges and universities looking for international admissions and recruitment staff on a regular basis using "international admissions" or "international recruitment university" as keywords.

• Travel and Tourism

It’s actually a pretty common misconception that if you work in the travel or tourism industry, you must travel a lot. The fact is, with so much research and communication to be done via the Internet, the need for extensive international travel in the tourism industry has dropped considerably. But there are still jobs requiring extensive travel to be found. Most common are trip leaders for international tours or volunteer adventures. These types of jobs can serve as a perfect fit for someone who has participated in tours in the past. The ideal person has a very outgoing personality, the ability to troubleshoot, and has a positive attitude. Other great travel and tourism jobs that involve international travel are cruise ship jobs , airline jobs, and resort jobs.

Some international tour operators who are currently hiring include:

Collette Vacations accepts resumes for their tour programs on an ongoing basis, and hires tour guides for their international vacations on a contract basis.

Vantage Deluxe World Travel specializes in small group tour for mature travels, and also accepts applications for tour guides on an ongoing basis. You might also be interested in their administrative career opportunities, some of which involve travel to their international offices.

Don’t be discouraged if you find that some of these jobs are at a middle management level – there are plenty of ways to gain experience, including internships and entry-level positions. Organizations are typically more likely to hire someone for a travel-intensive (read: more costly) position who is groomed from within, and knows the organization well.

If these jobs don’t fit into your long-term career goals, or simply don’t appeal to you professionally, don’t fret! There are plenty of volunteer vacation jobs, and eco-tourism trips to satisfying your cross-cultural curiosity while allowing you to work full-time and build a career at home. Be sure to read through the blog for more information about short-term placement agencies and voluntourism organizations!

I don’t actually know anything about GeoVisions, the company that sponsors this volunteer abroad experience, but what I do know is that it looks pretty amazing. I don’t know if it’s the photo of the guys on the waterslide that appears on the homepage, or the fact that I work in an office without any windows, but I have never want to be summer camp counselor in Italy more than I do at this very moment.

But let’s take a look at the details of GeoVisions programs to see if it lives up to the hype that I have created:

The bulk of GeoVisions’ programming appears to be the Conservation Corps and Conversation Partners programs, which place people around the world (Italy, Costa Rica, Galapagos, Jordan, Ghana, Lebanon, Turkey, Thailand…even an ecolodge! The Conversation Corps and Conversation Partners programs are essentially volunteer placements, but your "volunteer job" is just speaking English to your host family for a few hours a day. You pay a flat fee of about $1,500 (depending on the location) for room & board, insurance, airport pick-up and general support. Any time not spent conversing is yours for travel and exploration. Conversation Partner placements are similar to Conversation Corps, but you might be working at a central location (like a business) offering personal tutoring to local workers, rather than with a family.

There are a few paid opportunities available through GeoVisions as well, although interestingly enough they also charge a fee for those. Essentially, you pay upfront for the placement, airport pick-up, and on-the ground support and then the placement itself pays you a wage. There are three kinds of paid jobs abroad through GeoVisions: Nanny jobs, Teaching jobs, and paid internships. As I’m writing this, there is one paid internship on the site, which is offered in Chile. The job is interviewing students who are applying for visas to travel to the United States, which actually sounds very cool. The au pair jobs are all over, including Amsterdam, New Zealand, Spain and Turkey, and they include airfare (reimbursement), about $475/year, visa fees, and health insurance. That’s really not a bad deal when you’ve only paid a $950 program fee! Teaching jobs are available in Thailand and South Korea, and visa, airfare and insurance is included in the program fee.

About the job: I could definitely see some themes coming through in some of the first-person testimonials from camp counselors/tutors, and even in the job description. Specifically, people don’t view the experience as "work" so much as a travel and cultural immersion experience. That’s probably why it actually costs money to do the program, about $1,500 for the summer (4-8 weeks). This includes room & board (two meals per day…and apparently the housing on the beach and just a "bike ride away" from camp), airport pickup in Rome (but NOT airfare), GeoVisions support on site, and health insurance. They actually have really great health insurance (dental!), which isn’t always common for these types of programs. In some cases, they’ll even give you the bike!

What they need from you is 4-5 hours of your time speaking English. The program requires that prospective tutors be native English-speakers, and obviously have some comfort interacting with children. Tutors play games with the kids, and teach them the basics: colors, number, basic nouns. You don’t need to have any teaching experience; GeoVisions gives you a "bag of tricks" with everything you need to get started. And while knowledge of Italian is not required, I’m sure it’s very helpful.

If this feels like the right fit for you, and you are prepared to pack up your giant back-pack and go, you’d better act fast. They are accepting counselors for a July 9th start date (that’s less than two weeks away!) for a 4-week stay.