TOP TEN TIPS FROM THE GAP YEAR WORKING HOLIDAY EXPERTS
Working holidays are becoming an increasingly popular way for gap year and career break travellers to enjoy an extended stay in a foreign country, build CV-enhancing skills, fund further travels and, most importantly, live and breathe another culture. Planning a working holiday needn’t be a daunting and time-consuming task if you enlist the support of a reliable organisation. Each year, BUNAC, the market leader in overseas work and volunteer programmes, helps hundreds of young people take an overseas break from work or studies. The company has been in existence for 45 years, building up a wealth of expertise, a solid network of support services in the UK and abroad, and a diverse range of excellent value programmes in different parts of the globe.
To help potential gap year travellers find their way through the minefield of information on offer and enjoy a memorable, safe and possibly life-changing experience, BUNAC has compiled its definitive list of Top Ten Tips on how to make the most of a gap year working holiday.
1. Choose your destination carefully
To get the most out of your gap year, research all the options thoroughly before making your choice. If you’re looking to spend time overseas, find out how to obtain a work visa and what kind of work can you do: BUNAC will guide you through this process. You will not need a visa to work in EU countries but you must follow local regulations which may include registering with the police. Most non-EU countries will require you to have a work visa in place prior to arrival. Countries such as Australia and New Zealand offer flexible working holiday visa programmes; others such as the USA offer more strictly regulated programmes. Make sure you give yourself enough time to sort out all the paperwork. Some countries allow you to apply for a visa online; others require passports to be sent in and some may insist on a face-to-face visa interview or medical. This can take a number of weeks so don’t book a flight unless you are sure your visa will be issued in time.
2. Get prepared
Make sure you have suitable travel insurance in place prior to travel. Not all policies cover you while you work; others exclude certain types of work, so read the small print. Check your cover limits for valuables and think carefully before taking expensive items with you (camera, laptops and so on). If you are travelling, living in hostels and temporary accommodation, these items will be less secure than at home.
Put together an up-to-date copy of your CV which focuses on your work experience and ask for testimonials from previous employers. If you have professional qualifications which you wish to be recognised overseas, check procedures with the relevant professional bodies – you may need to take copies of certificates and police background checks with you.
3. Travel light
Don’t take more than you need. Take appropriate clothing for the kind of work you will be doing and the climate. Your best frock or tux won’t be of much use if you’re going to help on a volunteer project in Africa, or pick fruit in New Zealand. You can always buy clothes once you’re there.
4. Get a health check
If you are planning to travel to a developing country or be away for an extended period, arrange to see your doctor and dentist before you go. Make sure all your regular jabs (such as tetanus) are up to date and check if you need any additional vaccinations or medication. Ask your doctor about the procedure for obtaining repeat prescriptions overseas. Talk to your insurance company if you think you may have what is classed as a pre-existing condition (such as asthma). A travel first aid kit should be included on your packing list.
For further travel health advice check out www.masta.org
5. Fix your finances
Take the majority of your money in travellers’ cheques and a small amount in local currency to cover your initial arrival period. Tell your bank you’re going overseas and ask if you will incur charges if you use overseas cash machines over an extended period of time. Make sure you have set up direct debits to cover credit card repayments, and if any of your bank cards are due to expire whilst you are overseas, get them replaced before you leave the country. It will often make sense to open a bank account in the country where you will be living and working. Ask employers and colleagues for recommendations.
6. Stay connected
A quick call to the folks back home will be much appreciated, but be aware of the time difference between you and them. Check mobile phone rates and overseas coverage with your service provider in the UK. It may be cheaper to buy a new phone once overseas, or to ditch the mobile and just use phone cards. Internet cafés are easily found in most parts of the world and you may want to consider talking to family and friends at home via internet with software such as Skype. Consider setting up an online travel diary before you leave the UK.
7. Safety, safety, safety
Exercise caution as you would at home to ensure you and your possessions are safe. Keep an eye on your belongings when out in public; keep valuable items like flight tickets, passport and travellers’ cheques locked in a safe whenever possible. Don’t walk around at night on your own; always go with a friend. For up-to-date, country-specific information, visit www.fco.gov.uk/travel
8. Be more than a tourist - try something different!
Culture shock and homesickness can affect anyone arriving in a new country. Help overcome these feelings by immersing yourself in the local culture, mixing with the locals, venturing off the beaten track, and using the local transport. If you’re going to a non-English-speaking country, attempt the basic lingo or at least take a phrasebook with you.
A working holiday is a chance to try something new. Be prepared to try jobs you wouldn’t do at home, whether grape picking or working in an amusement park. Often, the most rewarding experiences can happen in the most unlikely places, so have an open mind and be flexible.
9. It’s a working HOLIDAY!
You’ve travelled overseas to escape the same old routine, so don’t get sucked back into it. Combine your work with travelling, try living in several different places and set yourself challenging goals for things to see, do and achieve during your ‘holiday’.
10. Back down to earth
Returning home can be as much of a shock to the system as arriving in a new country. Give yourself time to adjust to life back home. Think about what you’ve achieved: new skills, new friends, renewed confidence, greater cultural awareness.
Then, when you’re ready, start planning your next adventure!
For further information on BUNAC’s full range of overseas work and travel programmes, please call
(020) 7251 3472 or visit www.bunac.org
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Press: for further information, contact Sarah Leavesley or Haydn Parks @ BUNAC,
Tel: (020) 7251 0662 (please quote 020 7251 3472 in articles)
E-mail: sarah.leavesley@bunac.org.uk or haydn.parks@bunac.org.uk
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