What you need to know about a working holiday

If the travel bug has bitten but you’re not sure you can afford it, you might want to consider taking a job abroad.

We’ve all had wanderlust at some point, daydreaming about resigning from our jobs and living in a tropical paradise. Or perhaps you’d prefer to move to a vibrant metropolis like Tokyo.

But it’s not always an option to just pack up and leave. There’s the issue of making a living and you can’t just walk away from your career. But you can satisfy your desire to see the world as there are a number of ways for you to make a living while you travel and gain valuable work experience.

Au pairing

This job is for someone who loves children because as an au pair, you’ll be taking care of somebody’s precious little cargo. Duties can include taking kids to school, helping them with homework, grocery shopping and a range of other responsibilities.

Some families require a live-in au pair while others need one for a few hours just to pick up the kids from school and help them with homework. If you’re considering being a live-in au pair, there are a few things to look out for.

What you need: To become an au pair, you need to sign up with a reputable agency or apply through a website. Families sometimes place adverts in the classifieds section of newspapers when they need an au pair. You can even try au pairing locally first to see how you fare.

If you’re going to au pair in a foreign country, it’s important to get to know the family well before jetting off. Schedule Skype sessions with the family and send regular emails to familiarise yourself with them.

READ MORE | 9 ways to make a good impression in a virtual job interview

When Simphiwe Majozi decided she wanted to become an au pair, she visited the Overseas Visitors Club to get more information.

“They put me in touch with AuPairCare, which helped me with the process of collecting the required documents and matching me with the perfect family.”

She says: “My main reason for going abroad and becoming an au pair in the United States was to travel and explore the country and experience a different culture.”

Simphiwe has since returned to her American family twice in the past two years. She’s now pursuing a career as a photographer.

Her advice for those who want to au pair in a foreign country: “Live in the moment! Make sure you explore as much as possible because time is limited.”

To find au pair work, contact AuPairCare (www.aupaircare.com) or Au PairsDirect (www.aupairsdirect.co.uk).

Teaching

From Madagascar to Japan and Spain, teaching overseas has endless possibilities – you only have to choose which part of the globe you want to visit. But before you start planning your travel itinerary, make sure you are a patient person who can teach anyone from young children to adults.

What you need: If you have a bachelor's degree in a field other than education or teaching, you need to complete either a Teaching English as a Foreign Languages (TEFL) or Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) certificate to qualify. These can be done online or through an institution.

Make sure the institution is accredited and recognised internationally before you enrol for the course. Mali Masinga decided to go this route and is still teaching in South Korea. She’s been there for a year and has extended her contract to stay on for longer.

“This is a life-changing experience that takes you out of your comfort zone in terms of food, language and personal space. Although I’ve had some ups and downs, it’s been amazing to live in a foreign country,” she adds.

The best thing about this option is that you can choose how long you want to stay and teach in the country, whether it is just for a few months or a year. If you’d like to stay on, some countries also give you the option of renewing your visa and contract.

Find teaching work at Gold Key Education (www.goldkeyeducation. com) or Chilli Adventures (www. chilliadventures.com).

Cruise ship

If you’ve always dreamed of sailing into the sunset, this is the job for you. The benefits are that there is so much to do on board. You could work in the ship’s spa, kitchen or games area; in maintenance or management; or even as an onboard shop manager. The list goes on.

What you need: Before you think of setting sail, note that the process of getting a job on a cruise ship can be tough. Depending on which cruise liner you use, it could take months to process. But if you’re successful, you have to be comfortable with being away for at least six months at a time. The first thing you need to do is submit your CV then wait to be advised as to the next step.

The MSC Sinfonia’s recruitment process consists of a preliminary interview followed by an assessment test. The ship requires that candidates have previous experience before applying for any job on board. The country you go to and the country in which the ship is registered will determine the type of visa you need. Your own nationality is, of course, also considered in this process.

To find work on a cruise ship, contact MSC Cruises (www.msccruises.co.za) or Royal Caribbean International (www.royalcareersatsea.com).

Holiday camps

Many overseas countries have summer camps. For this job, you also need to love kids. You can either be a camp counsellor, which means you actually live with the kids in their dorms and lead them in their activities, or you can be part of the support staff, which takes care of chores such as housekeeping, cooking and maintenance.

What you need: Apply to your favourite camp through an agency of your choice with your CV and references. This process can take up to six weeks. Noxolo Makaula did her research before applying.

“I wanted to take a year off before pursuing my career, and I decided that summer camp would definitely be a good idea,” she says.

She found a camp she wanted to go to online and used its recruitment services to get in. After that, a Skype interview was organised, and a few days later she was hired. But she still had to find an agency that would sponsor her trip and expenses.

“This was easy to find. Companies such as Camp America can help, but they take half your pay after the camp. Having said that, Camp America books your ticket, covers your insurance, and helps every step of the way, which is a huge bonus,” she explains.

The agency Noxolo used, Camp Counselors USA, sponsored her visa, which was valid for one month before camp started and a month afterwards in the U.S.

“This is a big bonus because you can travel as much as you want before or after the camp,” she says.

Find out more by contacting Camp Counselors USA (www.ccusa.com) or Camp America (www.campamerica.co.uk).