Veldskoen’s top 5 jobs for a traveling gap year (that aren’t teaching English or au pair work).

So, you’ve just finished school, and you want to travel, but you have no money.

Have you considered a gap year ? 👇🏽 

A gap year is a semester or full year of experiential learning typically taken between high school graduation and college enrollment. Gap years are intended to give students a break from academics to discover themselves and consider what kind of education and career they want to pursue.

Gap year is typically a European or English phrase but is catching on quickly here in the states as it strengthens your University earning experience.

A gap year or working holiday helps to pay the way, Many Gap years include teaching English of Au pairing, but you have no desire to teach English online, and taking care of other people’s kids is not your cup of tea. 

Not to worry. We were also 18 once (20, if high school was tough); we feel your pain. So asked around the office to come come up with for gap year opportunities that allow travel to some of the world’s top destinations but don’t include rearing or educating other people’s offspring.

There are so many places in the world to do a gap year or take some time to absorb another culture. Just think, you could be sipping wine and watching the sun go down on a Parisian street.

Working on a farm

Farm work holds a variety of benefits for young travelers. It’s often manual labor, such as planting crops and harvesting, so you won’t necessarily need a qualification to do it. Also, it’s seasonal. Seasons are simultaneously happening all around the world. You can complete different seasons in different locations around the globe, moving whenever the season ends. 

New Zealand and Australia are often looking for farmworkers. Doing a three-month farm hand stint in Australia will also qualify you for a full two-year work visa. So, an agriculture working holiday can be a convenient gateway to a more extended stay. 

If you are keen to work on a farm but worried about not moving around enough to satisfy your wanderlust, WWOOFing could be a good alternative for you. With WWOOF, or World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms, 

you would typically work on an organic farm for room and board, but not for a paycheck.

One of the perks is the flexibility offered regarding how long you want to stay in each location.

WWOOFing isn’t going to build you a nest egg, but you will be able to see the world and not have to eat your shoes (or your host farmer) to survive. The only cost involved with WWOOFing is a minimal database access fee. The WWOOF site allows you to set up an account as a prospective volunteer and connect with farmers in your target destinations. 

Music Festival staff

If you want to follow the music, you may consider working at music festivals. Summer Festival guide is constantly looking for photographers, journalists, and bloggers to cover their festivals all over Europe.

You won’t be paid big bucks, but you may receive free room and board, and you’ll have free access to massive festival shows and stars.

You will also be credited for any work you do for them. So, if you are planning on going into media and events anyway, this is a great way to build up a portfolio. 

If you don’t have much skill with words or a DSLR camera, you may also consider working as a roadie for one or two bands, traveling cross country, or even cross-continent with them. 

Roadie Jobs typically entail carrying and setting up equipment at concerts. Still, more specialized music jobs are available like sound technician work or artist management at sites like Music Jobs.

 

Cruise Ship Staff

Working a cruise ship has the advantage of offering utterly unqualified work as a steward (read glorified waiter/ toilet cleaner) or qualified work for trained professionals, like entertainment positions, masseuses, doctors, hairdressers, or yoga instructors. 

Also, the fact that you will be living on the boat means you will receive safety training, lodging, and food, in addition to your paycheck.

So, if you want to use your gap year to see the world and make a bit of money, this is not a bad option. 

Depending on where you are at in your training and career path, a cruise job might be a quick and easy way to step up and ship out.

Check out All Cruise Jobs to find a job you and a cruise you are suited for.

Super Yachts offer many of the same perks as cruise ships, with a smaller staff and perhaps slightly more responsibility.

If you are in a serious relationship, some superyachts prefer to hire couples to prevent the team from getting too cozy with the guests. (People get lonely out at sea)

Hospitality/Tourism

The hospitality and tourism industry also has a variety of skilled and unskilled jobs available. If you are a free spirit, you can hop on a plane and begin handing out your CV for waiting, bartending, or barista work as soon as your feet hit the ground.

This type of work is easy to pick up and put down to allow flexibility to travel. However, payment and security are not always guaranteed, as in the case of more formal working contracts.

Your mom will not necessarily think this is the most solid option for sending you across the world.

If you are keen on a more structured work environment in the hospitality industry. Check out Caterer Global or Hotel Career. These sites compile job openings at fantastic hotels throughout the world.

Seasonal Jobs

 

A seasonal job is a great way to live and work abroad. Suppose you have a particular skill like skiing, snowboarding, or scuba diving ( with accreditation, of course), you can do specialized resort work. New Zealand has a great selection of ski resorts to apply to. Scuba instructors are sought after in Costa Rica, and you can train while you are there.