How to find and get a job abroad!
Originally posted October 6, 2019. Last updated on August 5, 2022.
Do you want a Nomadic life? Do you want to travel the world but don’t have an unlimited bank account? Do you want more out of life than a 9-5 job? Then this post was made for you!
Hey! If you’re reading this post it probably means that you are looking for a way to either escape in some way or a way to ease your hunger to explore & travel our world. For me, it was a bit of both and if you’re still reading this I dare to say that you are at least a little curious about this lifestyle. This is good because then you’re in the right place! And worry not if you don’t know anything about it yet, when I first stumbled upon this lifestyle I didn’t know anything either! I am here to guide you all the way and you can always reach out to me if you have any questions!
Work and travel your way around the world? Sounded too good to be true, I believed that sort of life was reserved for trust-fund kids and big, famous social media Influences. I’m glad I was wrong. It is an amazing way of living with so much freedom and room for adventure!! To get paid to live & work in locations you’ve only dreamed of visiting is an extraordinary opportunity for us ‘‘ordinary’’ people to see the world at a slow pace. It requires a lot of work as well of course, but for the most part, it is soooo worth it to have that extra freedom!
In 2018 I worked for less than 7 months during the entire year and was able to travel to 6(!?) different countries! For this to be possible I do not stay in Luxury resorts and I try to keep my lifestyle fairly simple and minimalistic so that I can save more & travel more. It’s not perfect and glamorous like you may see on some social media accounts, but it makes me happy and I get to explore some pretty sweet locations while I’m in between work or in my spare time so I can’t really complain. Life’s pretty sweet!
LOCATIONS I’VE WORKED IN: Lofoten | Rottnest Island | Freycinet National park | Coles bay | JUKKASJÄRVI | Strahan | Hemsedal
Today I am here to help make it easier for you to look for and find your own seasonal jobs abroad. I started from scratch with zero info on this, but here I am, 6 years later, still able to work abroad and travel to many gorgeous locations so I must be I’m doing something right. The first thing I’d like to mention is that to have this kind of lifestyle YOU have to believe in yourself. Don’t leave this page! I know it sounds cliche but hear me out. This was not me either at first, FAKE IT. I will always preach that you should be yourself, but, when it comes to looking for a job abroad and you don’t have the confidence just yet - then, fake it till you make it baby!
You are no longer only competing with people from your own city over a job, you are most likely competing with people from all over the world! Now, this sounds scary at first, but once you score that first job abroad - oh wow, what a confidence boost!
First thing you should check if you want to get a job abroad is to make sure you are allowed to work in that country! Depending on your passport, you are going to be eligible for different countries, in some, you won’t need a visa and are free to work in the country without one, while other countries will require a visa. Down below I have listed some things that will help you score that first job abroad! Even if you’ve had jobs abroad before I’m positive you will find some helpful tips & tricks that you might not have thought about before.
WORK AND TRAVEL VISA
This is possibly the most common, and most popular option for working in countries where you need a visa! Work & Travel visas are available in around 60 countries currently and the conditions/eligibility varies from country to country. Popular countries that offer a Working Holiday Visa are; Australia, New Zealand, and Canada, but there are plenty of others if none of these are right for you! Click here to see the complete list, but keep in mind that laws change frequently so I would recommend checking the government page for the country you’re interested in working in to be 100% sure you get the correct information. Another thing to keep in mind is that you should only apply for a visa directly through the government website to make sure you’re not being fooled or scammed. Once you have acquired the visa the job hunt can begin!
how to find & get your own job abroad
ONLINE SEARCHES
Do not underestimate the power of a simple online search. Play around with searches on the web. Examples of searches you can make: ‘‘Seasonal jobs in *country*’’, ‘‘Seasonal job Winter season 22/23’’, ‘‘ Seasonal job Summer season 2023’’. There are multiple websites online that collect information about jobs abroad and post vacancies from companies on their site, but as with everything else on the internet nowadays, fake websites exist. If you find an employer online, make sure to ask lots of questions, trust your gut feeling and research the company. Do they have reviews? Are they a registered company? I have been doing this for 6 years now and have only had 1 horrible work experience. Even with the proper research, there might be times when you end up somewhere you don’t want to be, if that happens, I hope you have the courage to leave.
Have a look at these pages to find inspiration and job vacancies: workew.com | seasonworkers.com | Goabroad.com | Workaseason.com | coolworks.com |
Have a look at these pages to find home-stays & volunteer work: workaway.info |
For my Swedish travelers! Have a look at these pages: Utlandsjobb.nu | alpresor.se | jobb.säsongspersonal.se |
‘‘Work with us’’
Where do you want to go? What do you want to see? Sometimes it’s easy to forget that even your dream location needs staff. Bigger companies often have a ‘‘work with us’’ or a ‘‘career’’ button at the bottom of their page where you can apply for jobs. If it’s not visible on their page you can use any search engine and type the following; ‘‘NAME OF PLACE* followed by Work with us/job vacancies ’’ and with some luck, it will take you straight to their hiring page.
HIRE AN AGENCY
If you are going to use an agency, make sure it’s a trusted agency (trusted agencies are usually listed on the government website). I’m just going to touch on this subject lightly as I am focusing on helping you find jobs on your own in this post. If you, for any reason, feel like you want to use an agency rather than find your own job, I have written a post where I talk about the pros and cons of using an agency that I would recommend reading before reaching out to an agency!
TALK TO PEOPLE
Also known as Networking! This will get easier along the way, as you get to know people. If you're lucky, other seasonal workers might start to recommend places to you - and of course, once you’ve had a few jobs you can return the favor! Pay the kindness forward so to speak. Sometimes all it takes is a comment a colleague blurs out and that might sound something like this; ‘‘I know a place you’d be perfect at’’ or, ‘‘I worked in this place once… now that I think of it, I think you’d love it there’’. Remember these places. Write them down and look them up when you can, one of them might be your next location! Networking is a perfect way to source out legit workplaces with very little actual research.
When you’ve found a company where you would love to work, send in your amazing resume, and let the waiting game begin! The worst thing that can happen is that you get a no, and I promise, you will survive that. The more resumes & applications you send in, the bigger your chances that you’ll get an answer!
Don’t forget to follow me @natgoneglobal on Instagram where I share a lot of small tips on seasonal work!
I’ll throw in a little warning before we wrap this up. There was this one place in Australia that I had read about and romanticized in my head but when I brought it up and started to discuss it with a fellow traveler I was strongly advised not to go and looking back at it now, after hearing really bad things about this place from multiple sources, I am so happy that I never went there! Sometimes, talking to people about your plans can be really helpful!
It can also backfire, and you can be wrongly advised about places that you’ll end up loving. In the end, you should always rely on your own gut feeling and common sense to make up your own mind. Listen to advice, but don’t blindly trust what others say.
I truly hoped you found this helpful and with that said, I hope to see you around the world somewhere! Best of luck, and remember - I Believe in you! xo Nathalie
That was everything for now - If you liked this post, I really recommend reading ‘‘Pro’s and Con’s about using an Agency’.’’
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