by Tanya Huang
Have you ever felt envy when others spoke of their plans to go abroad? Have you ever restrained yourself from the dream of traveling to a foreign country because you are just a poor student? Now a trend called “work and travel” can help you fulfill your dream without financial burdens. This is a project that provides you with a job in a specific place like Yellowstone National Park, Sea World, or Glacier National Park in Montana. You will have the chance to earn money as well as plan trips to nearby cities by yourself. There are several different places that offer jobs. If you want to embrace the beauty of nature, national parks will be a good destination. Yellowstone National Park is the most popular but Glacier National Park also has picturesque scenery. In these places, the most common jobs are cooking in a cafeteria and housekeeping in a hotel. On the other hand, if you choose an amusement park like Sea World or Six Flags, you are likely to have a job like being a clerk in a gift shop. Although Taiwanese seldom get jobs as waiters due to poor speech skills, you can still request it, but your employers have the right to decline. Those who went to Yellowstone enjoyed life there very much. They fell in love with the fresh air in the woods and were moved by the sound of the creeks. They also met a variety of people from different places who broadened their horizons. Some might view their labor as nothing at first, but they are always greatly rewarded in the end. One person said that he felt a sense of achievement after he finished cleaning the corner of a room. People who chose to go Glacier had unforgettable memories, too. They were startled by the magnificent scenes, and the tranquility sharpened their minds as they realized the greatness of nature. They said it seemed like they were living in a painting. To begin your own work–and-travel trip, you start with an idea: where should I go? What kind of job sounds really interesting to me? This is important since it affects which institute you should contact. For example, if you want to go to Yellowstone, CIEE would be the best choice for you. But if you prefer Sea World, Geolinks would be your only choice. These institutes begin accepting applications every September. They require an English oral test so that you understand which level you are at, and you can decide later which job to apply for based on your test results. Basically, there are two ways to apply for a job. One of them is called the ”road show,” which means that employers come to interview you. Many people worry about this part the most. A little tip for the interview: just speak up. The other method is the direct one, which means you find a job and contact the employer by yourself. The former is more convenient and safer but you can learn a lot more money from the latter. Some jobs like working on a farm will be found if you take the direct approach. Joining this project sounds like a lot of fun. However, it takes up at lest ten weeks of your summer vacation. In addition, you have to book your plane ticket on your own. Moreover, this is not really a way to make a lot of money. What you earn will simply offset the cost of your plane ticket and the fee charged by the institute. If you want to visit nearby places you will have to make hotel reservations and figure out the local transportation before you go. It takes a lot of preparation beforehand, and once you arrive there will still be difficulties. So be prepared, but have fun! For Further information: CIEE http://www.councilexchanges.org.tw/ Geolinks http://www.geo-links.com.tw/ There is a great amount of information on the Workantravel board on ptt. a
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May 2024
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