If you’ve just finished school or university and find yourself among the many people who can’t find a job or university place, don’t despair. Taking a gap year is a fantastic way to boost your skills and reassess your options, not to mention see far-flung destinations all over the world.
‘But hang on’, I hear you sobbing, ‘I spent my last pennies on drinks to celebrate my results’. Well, come in close and Auntie i-to-i will tell you a secret… you don’t actually need a whole wad of cash in order to see far flung places around the world. All you need is a bit of ingenuity, a spot of wanderlust and a dash of confidence. Here are just some of the ways to get paid to take a gap year:
Because of the massive worldwide demand for English teachers, you’re 80% of the way to landing an amazing TEFL job, so long as you’re a fluent English speaker. The other 20%? Doing an accredited TEFL course, such as the ones offered by i-to-i. A TEFL certificate is your ticket to jobs everywhere from China to Chile, where you’ll be able to get an insider’s view of another culture, make loads of new friends, and get some great work experience. Find out how to make it happen by downloading a free copy of TEFL Uncovered: How to Teach Your Way Abroad with TEFL: http://www.onlinetefl.com/contact-tefl-team/tefl-ebook.html
Pros: Interesting work; high demand for teachers; total immersion in another culture
Cons: Have to pay for TEFL course; tricky to find work without a degree
2) Working holiday in Australia
Photo:Sarah Ackerman
If you’re from the UK, Canada or Ireland, you can head to Australia for a year for a mixture of work and play – most travellers who take this option work for six months or so before burning through the money they’ve earned while travelling up the East Coast for six months, taking in Fraser Island, the Whitsundays, Byron Bay and Cairns. Get more information here: http://www.visabureau.com/australia/working-holiday-visa.aspx.
Pros: Great destination; fantastic beaches; friendly people; great social life
Cons: Work is often menial and poorly paid; not as easy to find jobs as in the past
3) Working as yacht crew
Photo: Jlastras
Do you know your port from starboard, your mainsail from spinnaker? Probably not, but even without knowing one end of a boat from the other, you may be able to hitch a free ride on a yacht in return for deck-handing, cooking and cleaning. Check out websites like Crewseekers (http://www.crewseekers.net/) or the Cruising Association (http://www.cruising.org.uk/) for details of jobs.
Pros: See some amazing places; good atmosphere on board
Cons: Long periods of time spent at sea; work can be tough
4) Bar work in the Med
Photo: Jcarlitos
If you have an EU passport, it’s pretty easy to pick up bar work in the Mediterranean’s holiday hotspots, such as southern Spain, the Canary Islands and Greece. If you’re a party animal at heart, this is a great way to basically spend a few months sunning yourself by day and living it up by night (albeit from behind a crowded bar). www.seasonworkers.com is a good place to start for jobs and advice.
Pros: You’ll be living in a holiday hotspot; great parties
Cons: Long hours; large amounts of vomit
5) Do a ski season
Out the way! I’m late for work! (Photo: Jonas B)
If skiing/snowboarding every day sounds like your idea of heaven, this is definitely the option for you – as long as you’re prepared to interrupt your time on the slopes with a spot of bar work, cooking or cleaning, you can look forward to a very fun few months indeed. Hey, if you’re good enough, you can even pick up work as a ski/snowboard instructor. You can get details of jobs and talk to other ‘seasonaires’ on www.seasonworkers.com/skijobs.
Pros: Employers usually offer free ski passes; great social life
Cons: Antisocial hours; poor pay compared to cost of living
So, now you’ve got all the options for your gap year, what are you thinking of doing?
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