5 Tips For A Working Gap Year

It doesn’t get much more exciting than setting off overseas for a gap year after graduating from high school or university. While a year overseas is indeed the opportunity of a lifetime and should not be missed, it can easily turn bad if you’re not well prepared.

Here are five tips to make sure your working gap year is one to remember –
and for all the right reasons:

Do something you enjoy

Remember that your working holiday is called a gap year for a reason – it’s supposed to feel like a break. Don’t go slaving away at a job you hate, simply because it’s the first thing you happen to find. This will defeat the purpose of being overseas, and you’re likely to return home feeling exactly the same as before you left.

Don’t forget about work-life balance

Despite the fact you’re on the other side of the world, it’s easy to get stuck in a rut while working overseas. Many employers, particularly in Europe, take advantage of the fact that most working holiday makers are low on cash by squeezing every little bit of time and effort out of them. Do yourself a favour and find a job where you get plenty of time off to do the things you enjoy.

Mix it up

Who says you have to stay in the one job for your entire working gap year – or even the one continent? Broaden your horizons by looking for a new challenge, new industry or new dream destination every few months. This will not only give you a taste of several different areas of work but also allow you to experience new cultures and meet more people.

Take a holiday from your holiday

Unless you’re completely broke the entire time you’re away, remember that you can take a break from the whole work thing whenever you like. Maybe spend a month exploring Europe in between your Greek Islands summer job and your London winter job. Or why not take a few weeks to check out Banff, Calgary, Vancouver and Victoria before your Whistler gig kicks off.

Chat to other nomads

Perhaps the best resource available to you as a traveller looking for work is your fellow travellers. Meet new people at every opportunity, ask them where they’ve worked, how they found it, and whether they have any contacts they could put you onto. If you’ve got a particular destination or job type in mind, make use of forums on websites like Lonely Planet to ask any questions you have.

Author:Simon Byrne+ has travelled extensively throughout Europe, Asia, Africa, the Americas, the South Pacific and his home country of Australia. Having completed a year long working holiday himself, Simon’s dream is now to live abroad permanently, funding his travels by writing about his adventures. His last post talks about a working holiday in canada