Continuing our exploration of non US-based work abroad organizations, this week we spotlight The Working Holiday Club (TWHC). There are so many reasons that I like this organizations (many of which I will get to a bit later), but the first is that nothing sounds quite as appealing as a “working holiday” – to my American ears, anyway.
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.
Tags: work abroad, working holidays
It’s been a while since I poked around the world wide web for a quick list of work and volunteer abroad news. Here’s what’s been going on:
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!
This may or may not surprise many readers, but as a writer based in the United States, I tend to be much more familiar with US and Canada based international work and volunteer organizations than I am with those based in other countries around the world. That’s why I’m so pleased to have come across Awesome Work & Travel, a short-term work placement organization based in South Africa!
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.
Tags: bunac, internships, work abroad