Comments on: Work Your Way Around the World http://boingboing.net/2012/06/08/work-your-way-around-the-world.html Brain candy for Happy Mutants Tue, 18 Jun 2013 23:18:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.1 By: JimEJim http://boingboing.net/2012/06/08/work-your-way-around-the-world.html#comment-1448098 JimEJim Tue, 12 Jun 2012 20:41:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=163238#comment-1448098 Did you have jobs in those locations, and if so, what did you do?  Just curious to hear about your experiences. This is one of those things that I was always interested in, but due to various commitments at home was always too impractical for me.  Now I have a 2-year-old to contend with, so it's a bit harder, but I still fantasize about picking up the family and just staying abroad for extended periods of time.  We'll see... Did you have jobs in those locations, and if so, what did you do?  Just curious to hear about your experiences.

This is one of those things that I was always interested in, but due to various commitments at home was always too impractical for me.  Now I have a 2-year-old to contend with, so it’s a bit harder, but I still fantasize about picking up the family and just staying abroad for extended periods of time. 

We’ll see…

]]> By: darrylgrant http://boingboing.net/2012/06/08/work-your-way-around-the-world.html#comment-1447061 darrylgrant Mon, 11 Jun 2012 05:58:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=163238#comment-1447061 In my younger years I worked in many countries around the world. Always it was legal. I came across people doing "under the table" work but they were the exception. Most first-world countries offer "gap year" style work visas for people from other first-world countries. They tend to be limited to a year or two and many limit what sort of work you can take. Australia where I'm from takes thousands of backpackers every year on temporary work visas. Australian kids in their thousands travel to the UK to work for a year or two. Not sure if the U.S. offers but there are ads in the papers here encouraging young people to travel to the U.S. to work as camp counsellors.   In my younger years I worked in many countries around the world. Always it was legal. I came across people doing “under the table” work but they were the exception. Most first-world countries offer “gap year” style work visas for people from other first-world countries. They tend to be limited to a year or two and many limit what sort of work you can take. Australia where I’m from takes thousands of backpackers every year on temporary work visas. Australian kids in their thousands travel to the UK to work for a year or two. Not sure if the U.S. offers but there are ads in the papers here encouraging young people to travel to the U.S. to work as camp counsellors.  

]]> By: Ethan O'Brien http://boingboing.net/2012/06/08/work-your-way-around-the-world.html#comment-1446002 Ethan O'Brien Fri, 08 Jun 2012 23:38:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=163238#comment-1446002 I used this book successfully in 1992. Left for Europe with $500 dollars, returned to the states 3 years later with about $5,000. Picked lots of grapes, worked at ski resorts in the Alps, taught English in Prague, worked on US military bases. If you are in your early 20's and not afraid of living a little  rough, it works. I don't think older people would have as much fun or success with it... people are more accepting of young travelling backpackers than they are of older transients. I was invited into so many homes, and shown around by so many locals.  Time of my life. Being part of the economy is really different than being a tourist. I used this book successfully in 1992. Left for Europe with $500 dollars, returned to the states 3 years later with about $5,000. Picked lots of grapes, worked at ski resorts in the Alps, taught English in Prague, worked on US military bases.

If you are in your early 20′s and not afraid of living a little  rough, it works. I don’t think older people would have as much fun or success with it… people are more accepting of young travelling backpackers than they are of older transients.

I was invited into so many homes, and shown around by so many locals.  Time of my life.

Being part of the economy is really different than being a tourist.

]]> By: snowmentality http://boingboing.net/2012/06/08/work-your-way-around-the-world.html#comment-1445944 snowmentality Fri, 08 Jun 2012 22:10:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=163238#comment-1445944 Teaching English overseas is also a potential solution for young, unemployed graduates. A friend of mine with an MA in English lit was stuck living with his parents and searching fruitlessly for a job until he got the idea of applying to teach English in South Korea. It turns out a master's degree in English is <em>super-marketable</em> in South Korea. The master's degree qualified him to teach English at the university level -- and it turns out his summer program studying Shakespeare, and his part-time job teaching English as a second language, made him very desirable and hireable. He had no trouble getting a full-time university teaching job with decent salary and benefits, including subsidized housing (and they helped him deal with all visas and work permits). He loves teaching and is really good at it. In the U.S., at best, he might have been able to patch together some part-time adjunct gigs at community colleges, making little more than minimum wage with no benefits. Going overseas was a much better career and financial move. And he's gotten to have some amazing experiences and see some awesome parts of the world. Teaching English overseas is also a potential solution for young, unemployed graduates. A friend of mine with an MA in English lit was stuck living with his parents and searching fruitlessly for a job until he got the idea of applying to teach English in South Korea. It turns out a master’s degree in English is super-marketable in South Korea. The master’s degree qualified him to teach English at the university level — and it turns out his summer program studying Shakespeare, and his part-time job teaching English as a second language, made him very desirable and hireable. He had no trouble getting a full-time university teaching job with decent salary and benefits, including subsidized housing (and they helped him deal with all visas and work permits). He loves teaching and is really good at it.

In the U.S., at best, he might have been able to patch together some part-time adjunct gigs at community colleges, making little more than minimum wage with no benefits. Going overseas was a much better career and financial move. And he’s gotten to have some amazing experiences and see some awesome parts of the world.

]]> By: Larry http://boingboing.net/2012/06/08/work-your-way-around-the-world.html#comment-1445910 Larry Fri, 08 Jun 2012 21:14:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=163238#comment-1445910 Thanks.  Good luck with la migra, wherever you get caught. Thanks.  Good luck with la migra, wherever you get caught.

]]> By: Antinous / Moderator http://boingboing.net/2012/06/08/work-your-way-around-the-world.html#comment-1445899 Antinous / Moderator Fri, 08 Jun 2012 20:56:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=163238#comment-1445899 Um, no. "Can't recommend too much" means that no matter how much you recommend it, it's not too much. Um, no. “Can’t recommend too much” means that no matter how much you recommend it, it’s not too much.

]]> By: Nick Thomas http://boingboing.net/2012/06/08/work-your-way-around-the-world.html#comment-1445824 Nick Thomas Fri, 08 Jun 2012 19:08:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=163238#comment-1445824 I would add to this list a book called Vagabonding;The Art of Long Term Travel, by Ralf Potts http://www.vagabonding.net/ I got this book from a friend and it totally helped prepare me to travel abroad, as much as a book can. The best advice I personally could give, is "Just go, already!" I spent 2 months in S. America and 2 in SE Asia. I had no plans, only bought 1 way tickets, and made my itinerary as I went. If you are craving adventure (which I was), over-planning is your biggest enemy. I would add to this list a book called Vagabonding;The Art of Long Term Travel, by Ralf Potts http://www.vagabonding.net/ I got this book from a friend and it totally helped prepare me to travel abroad, as much as a book can. The best advice I personally could give, is “Just go, already!” I spent 2 months in S. America and 2 in SE Asia. I had no plans, only bought 1 way tickets, and made my itinerary as I went. If you are craving adventure (which I was), over-planning is your biggest enemy.

]]> By: penguinchris http://boingboing.net/2012/06/08/work-your-way-around-the-world.html#comment-1445787 penguinchris Fri, 08 Jun 2012 18:24:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=163238#comment-1445787 I got a job teaching not English but high-school science in an English immersion school in Bangkok. I interviewed over Skype beforehand and sent e-mails back and forth. I got my final e-mail from them while in the airport in Seoul during my layover there saying that the guy in charge of hiring decided to hire his friend instead who had just called that morning looking for a job. Having paid for the flight myself, I stayed in Bangkok for about a month looking for another job. I had a couple of interviews - it really is quite easy to get interviews actually. But there were quite a lot of people waiting outside at the interviews. I think the number of people who go home without a job (including myself) is higher than anyone thinks - it's not a guaranteed thing by any means, despite what you hear about how easy it is. It's really only an option for people who are outgoing with a lot of charisma. Which explains, I suppose, why most foreigners you meet while traveling in places like that are outgoing but shallow (if not outright douchey). Never mind that I had two years teaching experience, knew some Thai and was familiar with the culture etc. - the guy with the loudest voice is basically who will alway get the job (to be fair I'd be a terrible English teacher, that's why I was excited about the unusual science teacher position). My point is that I'm bitter and jealous about people who manage to actually live this lifestyle. Er... I mean that it really isn't going to work for everyone and it's not a matter of starting capital or any other form of privilege. I really wish there were other sorts of opportunities for this kind of travel, for different kinds of people. I got a job teaching not English but high-school science in an English immersion school in Bangkok. I interviewed over Skype beforehand and sent e-mails back and forth. I got my final e-mail from them while in the airport in Seoul during my layover there saying that the guy in charge of hiring decided to hire his friend instead who had just called that morning looking for a job.

Having paid for the flight myself, I stayed in Bangkok for about a month looking for another job. I had a couple of interviews – it really is quite easy to get interviews actually. But there were quite a lot of people waiting outside at the interviews. I think the number of people who go home without a job (including myself) is higher than anyone thinks – it’s not a guaranteed thing by any means, despite what you hear about how easy it is.

It’s really only an option for people who are outgoing with a lot of charisma. Which explains, I suppose, why most foreigners you meet while traveling in places like that are outgoing but shallow (if not outright douchey). Never mind that I had two years teaching experience, knew some Thai and was familiar with the culture etc. – the guy with the loudest voice is basically who will alway get the job (to be fair I’d be a terrible English teacher, that’s why I was excited about the unusual science teacher position).

My point is that I’m bitter and jealous about people who manage to actually live this lifestyle. Er… I mean that it really isn’t going to work for everyone and it’s not a matter of starting capital or any other form of privilege. I really wish there were other sorts of opportunities for this kind of travel, for different kinds of people.

]]> By: kairos http://boingboing.net/2012/06/08/work-your-way-around-the-world.html#comment-1445772 kairos Fri, 08 Jun 2012 17:57:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=163238#comment-1445772 If you're trying to see the world on a trickle of walking-around money earned from odd jobs, and you're overly worried about staying fully within the bounds of local immigration, labor, and tax law....I'd have to guess that you joined the wrong queue somewhere along the line. If you’re trying to see the world on a trickle of walking-around money earned from odd jobs, and you’re overly worried about staying fully within the bounds of local immigration, labor, and tax law….I’d have to guess that you joined the wrong queue somewhere along the line.

]]> By: BadKittyM http://boingboing.net/2012/06/08/work-your-way-around-the-world.html#comment-1445707 BadKittyM Fri, 08 Jun 2012 16:41:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=163238#comment-1445707  "...and what to do about paperwork and visas in that particular place."  ”…and what to do about paperwork and visas in that particular place.”

]]> By: millie fink http://boingboing.net/2012/06/08/work-your-way-around-the-world.html#comment-1445692 millie fink Fri, 08 Jun 2012 16:26:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=163238#comment-1445692 I could care less.  ;) I could care less. 

;)

]]> By: Larry http://boingboing.net/2012/06/08/work-your-way-around-the-world.html#comment-1445675 Larry Fri, 08 Jun 2012 16:00:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=163238#comment-1445675 Is all this really legal?  I'm pretty sure you can't come to the US as a tourist, and just find work somewhere until you make enough to move along to your next destination.  We tend to call those folks illegals and treat them pretty rough (as Rick Perry would say). I'd be surprised if it was legal in most countries. Except, maybe, within the EU, for citizens of any country that's an EU member. Is all this really legal?  I’m pretty sure you can’t come to the US as a tourist, and just find work somewhere until you make enough to move along to your next destination.  We tend to call those folks illegals and treat them pretty rough (as Rick Perry would say). I’d be surprised if it was legal in most countries. Except, maybe, within the EU, for citizens of any country that’s an EU member.

]]> By: ftjfxf http://boingboing.net/2012/06/08/work-your-way-around-the-world.html#comment-1445661 ftjfxf Fri, 08 Jun 2012 15:45:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=163238#comment-1445661 I could be wrong about this, but I think "can't recommend too much" implies, well, that you can't recommend it very much. You might have been going for "can't recommend enough."   I could be wrong about this, but I think “can’t recommend too much” implies, well, that you can’t recommend it very much. You might have been going for “can’t recommend enough.”  

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