Having a job is cool. When the money’s rolling in, you feel like you can afford to do all the stuff you want to do – taking trips, buying drinks and getting takeaways almost every night. There’s nothing you can’t do when you’re flush with hard-earned cash. But by being at work so much of your time is consumed that you don’t get enough opportunity to use that money. You’re working for your pay, but your pay isn’t working for you…
Being on holiday is also cool. You have a fantastic time, enjoy the sun/snow/mildness, and bump into new people and cultures every day. But… you’re living on borrowed time, because while you’re having fun you’re not making money.
Maybe you see where we are going with this: why can’t you do work and holiday at the same time!? It’s so simple! Any of the following jobs would work out just fine – all you need to do is pick one, and then waltz your way to perfect happiness.
1. Disneyland Staff (France)
Yes, Disneyland Paris is a big employer, and working in France for a short period is very easy for EU residents. With all the demands of a hospitality, entertainment and tourism business rolled into one, Disneyland is always looking for staff to help out with running its two theme parks, seven hotels, and its shopping, dining and entertainment complexes. Sounds cool?
2. Summer Camp Counselor (USA)
If you’ve got your sights set outside of Europe, becoming a summer camp counselor in the USA might be a good step for you. The whole process of tracking down a specific employer can be made a lot simpler by going through one of the many well-known agencies that arrange such trips for UK students – but if you’d like to arrange something independently, bear in mind that experience working with young people would be a big help.
3. Ski Resort Work (New Zealand)
God bless the southern hemisphere, where the seasons are reversed. Love skiing, but can’t find anywhere to do it in summer? No problem! In our summer holidays, New Zealand is right in its prime skiing season – and with many resorts looking for temporary staff, it could be just the opportunity that you’ve been waiting for. Again, ski resorts have many different facilities that need maintaining, as well as guests who need to be fed, watered and kept happy – so there are plenty of opportunities.
4. Most Jobs (Finland)
A bit of a strange opener, I know, but get this: Finland has a very strong summer job culture. So strong, in fact, that even very large companies often offer summer jobs to students and graduates. This means that, if you fancy a trip to Finland, you could also do some work over there that might be relevant to your career. Two birds, one stone.
5. Holiday Rep (Spain)
If you are a people person, then being a holiday rep could be for you – and what better place to try it out than in a holiday resort in Spain? You’ll get to meet new people, get a tan and earn some money at the same time – and your job as a holiday rep is usually just to make sure that all the guests are happy. In fact, if you’re really keen, ITV are currently trying to hire a holiday rep to take part in their Magaluf Weekender – but you’d best be quick, as competition will be fierce.
6. Theme Park Staff (USA)
Hundreds of millions of people every year visit America’s theme parks, of which there are around 500. They all need to be kept safe, happy and entertained – you could do that, right? Whether you’re selling tickets, maintaining the park or manning the information point, it can be demanding work – but the upside is that as well as their guests, theme parks are very good at keeping their employees safe, happy and entertained. Many will even offer you low-cost accomodation during your stay.
7. Grape Picker (France)
The French are known for their wine – there’s a lot of it about, and it doesn’t make itself. Every summer there are hundreds of vineyards across France with a huge harvest of grapes to be gathered – and someone’s got to pick them. Vineyard owners often provide seasonal accommodation to their grape harvesters, and it’s a great way to experience another culture and another country, whilst making a bit of money too. Most vineyards will take on all comers, but it can be best to contact them in advance, just to improve your chances of getting ‘picked’.
8. Camp Counselor (Russia)
If you’re not too into the States, or if you’re feeling a bit more adventurous, you could have a go at being a camp counselor in Russia. It’s a challenging language to learn, but Russia is home to many natural and cultural attractions that could well tip the balance for you. Much like being a USA camp counselor, being a camp counselor in Russia can be easily achieved by hooking up with one of the many companies that specialise in providing students with this kind of opportunity.
9. Cruise Ship Crew (Wherever you want)
If you’re prepared for a very committed role, and don’t suffer from sea-sickness, why not find something on a cruise ship? Once you get on, you can’t get off – but these movable hotels need plenty of employees to keep them afloat. The contracts are relatively long (from about 3 months), but the pay is good, and you get to see a lot of the world – although, admittedly, usually the wetter bits.
10. Olive Picker (Italy)
So, maybe you’re not keen on grapes. Or the French. Either way, another option is olive-picking in Italy. Most of the same considerations apply, but there are far more opportunities to eat pizza and pasta – which can’t be a bad thing. Olive oil, like wine, is one of the most ancient products to come out of Europe, and its production is a venerable and noble tradition – so don’t mess it up!
11. Forest Maintenance (USA)
Helping to maintain trails, oversee campsites and fell trees – working with the US Forestry Service sounds like a sweet deal during office hours, but in your spare time it’s even better because you’ll be hanging out in some areas of outstanding natural beauty. The pay is pretty good, too, and there are always more trees that need taking care of.
12. Bar Staff (Europe)
Chances are that if there’s anywhere in Europe you’d like to work this summer, other people would like to go there too – and when people group together (as students well know), it can only lead to one thing: the consumption of alcohol. If you fancy yourself as a bartender, then you needn’t worry about coming up with an obscure job to do abroad – the world always needs more bartenders.
13. Nanny (Australia)
Australia’s harvest season falls during our summer (thank you, thank you southern hemisphere), so there are plenty of opportunities to go and, yet again, pick stuff for farmers. If you’re sick of agriculture, however – and if you’ve got any experience in childcare – there’s a big demand in Australia for nannies. Once referred to as ‘baby farming’ in Oz (no kidding), babysitting could earn you the money to hang out in an awesome holiday destination this summer.
We hope these ideas are useful for you…we highly encourage you to pack your stuff, go abroad and discover the world!
Source: studentbeans
