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Experienced Travelers on Finding Work

Would you like to find work as ugo let's? Talk to some people today we're gonna have, um, some people on to talk. I've talked all day. Let's, get some of these guys on. Okay, so this's rob. Hey, rob this's rob. He runs a web site called adventure rob and he has done he's from england. And you could tell by his accent he has done a working holiday and australia. And he currently is a private english teacher in japan. Yes, and the next we have shannon sharon has volunteered around the world and has a great book, calls the she looks them again. The travellers know volunteers, travelers hand bar. And she runs a web site called a little adrift. And she is a phenomenal resource for knowing how to volunteer. And you're working overseas. You know, his great get paying jobs, but a lot of times you want to give back and volunteer and have those opportunities. And shannon knows all that. And next we have turner bar. This is yeah, that's me. You know, I'm here, um uh all right, turn everywhere you...

turn more runs a website called around the world in eighty jobs and his goal is to get you a job, how many have you had so far? They come like around in thirty five thirty six close the halfway around the world and he has had a lot of the random type of you know, jobs that travelers tend to get and so he knows a lot about you know, heidi sort of set yourself up and go about the process of now you're in this country what do you know so turns up here um we have his face on the screen that's asking the first question how do you find all these jobs you've landed in the country where you go to find a job? The question of the day this is actually something I don't even answer on my website that often I'm kind of mysterious about it well we got you here now so you got me here now I'm stuck in the corner so I will give you the direct answer how I do it I hustle this is when I talk to everybody it is one hundred percent like I'm more about networking when I first started doing this I looked online for resource is and I just couldn't find anything I like there was a lot of spam e websites or websites in one of these huge course fees but I thought that they had to have had jobs overseas I knew that there wass and so I just started and basic when I get to repent you say I start out or with couch surfing and I just start meeting people and they said that he starts in on a ring and it just gets bigger and bigger and bigger than more people in need, and you just meet expats like you said earlier for black oh um basically just like we talked about expats and the expats are really key because, you know, these guys have been there some nice for ten, twenty years and some of them started businesses there, so they know the lay of the land better than anybody and so getting in with them and just kind of being cool, you're going to figure out really quickly what is one of the real opportunities there being a foreigner? Do you ever get the hostels and sort of asked you at the desk like, what were some jobs? Do you find them to be decent resources in some places for these point to you in the right direction? I think it's a good starting starting point and it really varies what country are? As you said, if you're like in australia, new zealand, these air like meccas for people who were getting there it's very set up much more a set of process been going to some of the countries I'm coming in and getting something finding jobs so in those countries you have the hostel is definitely the way to go, but in other places hostile is fine as well, but you can also use couch surfing to meet more locals and they meet expects that own like bars they own restaurants they own adventure travel companies it's anywhere there's tours there's gonna be jobs great advice, eso you do a lot more volunteering overseas and so what's the process like for finding a volunteer job. I mean, find volunteer opportunities when you travel isn't similar. You just kind of talk and ask people is a do you have a different process? You know, when I first left to travel, I thought that I had to arrange it all ahead of time and I think the same thing that turner found there were all of these web sites some of them were charging thousands of dollars to offer my time, and so now that I traveled a lot more, I wind up doing a lot of what he does show up in a place the networking aspect is a little bit different, whereas cafes and if you go to sort of the organic shops often they're connected and where the ngos or the places you might want to volunteer and so asking there and checking the boards and and tapping into the sort of social angle and all of in the lonely planet guidebooks often list out a few maybe social enterprises or businesses that have a social mission behind them if you go there that's a great starting point ask them what help is majored in the region and no point you in the right direction of somewhere where you might be ableto help serve and that's always how I find my volunteer opportunities now or my volunteer website grasses volunteering of course finding those opportunities and putting them on the map so that there's no sea and then they're just small organizations that might be the hand so should it also has a great website grassroots volunteering dot com that lists aa lot of these small local sustainable initiatives for no fee that you know because travelers like are we going to give our time we don't want to pay some organization five thousand dollars tio connect us and they're going to take you know in ninety percent office management fear right well sharing inside just connect you with people and great rob because were you so you have a little different perspective you know the english man you got a working holiday you went australia they you move to japan tio teach english so you know whereas turner and shannon sort of go and so I thought the way the land what what did you do on when I could I tried to plan in advance that there asked especially for countries like australia there are websites designed for backpackers to find jobs especially like farming jobs and they could be looking for you may realize you mean like watching yes similar to working out yeah. And what about when you went to japan to teach english when I went to thailand I it was like, oh, how the heck do I find a teaching job? And I found this great web site john dot com and that's like the website english teachers in thailand is what about for japan? Because I know there are a lot of companies that are like oh, we'll help you find a job in japan and then no there are a lot of recruitment companies and also I could call it a jobs history craigslist there are web sites designed for teacher and student matching like a dating service almost and I find them some of them are quite good giving private students. So what example? One in case anyone here wants to teach in japan six students dot net dot com maybe it was ok. And so having gone through this process in a couple of countries, what advice would you have for people who are completely new to this I you know, I've done in a couple of countries so you know, it doesn't really bother me to just go and show up but maybe people might be a little nervous what advice did you have for them? Andi I researched the timing about some jobs are we around like teaching which is not not so much a problem they can be a problem at certain times of year in japan, for example, of the tax year ends in december. So in december everyone's to finish their work and they don't care about lenny english traitor in january, his resolutions to stuff and what you want to start moaning that ends a good time to go on their also seasonal jobs. Like if you want to be a ski instructor, you need to be there at the right time to make sure you get those jobs because they go quickly yeah, I think that's a really good point, you know, couple years ago I went to the island in greece called ceos it's kind of a backpacker party island I want for my birthday I I really met some great people and I stayed ah, long term I came back the following season to hang out with them but they all the season starts in june they were all there in april early may to sort of, you know, guaranteed their jobs for when the tourist season came because if they came in june all the jobs would be gone and you know, nothing will really be left. So it's I think it's really important to you if you want to work this summer come early because that will then help you know where I can build everything up uh, shannon is going to go back and forth. It's really think you're in the middle, so you're always second. Um, what? What did I see? You have for people, you know, looking for volunteer opportunities and sort of suddenly and so he find work here. He network, you ask organizations, you know, I'm that's easy. You've done. I've I haven't done what advice would you have for me? You know, if you were telling me the first time here, matt here's, how you do it, I'm too old advice, one of them, you know, if you're volunteering it's on you to really understand the culture, you're going tohave a window into the local communities that some travelers don't be in a really remote village and have access to this culture, and they're they're looking to you, teo already know a little bit of their cultural norm that may include covering up your shoulders or not having direct contact with men and that's, not a great culture. I contact all of these sorts of things you can research ahead of time, so they feel more comfortable. Miller, you don't want to show up, and then it doesn't feel like you made a really big so paul, by not bringing appropriate clothing, and then once you arrive it the open minded one hundred percent zero expectations they willing to ask questions and you know, figure out what it is that your role in that community is going to be while you're volunteering great turner yeah hey, um so tell tell everyone which you're sort of advice you have for people sort of, you know, they've got it on the ground, they've network, but they're still convene some apprehension and, you know, fear is and, you know, what advice would you give people who are nervous about the prospect of working overseas? I think you should really just be patient with it, you know, that it is a process and it you know, you're in a completely new environment, you don't know anybody, you know, you're going through, everything is different, so you got to be at a lot of patients with yourself and just the situation and and just think to clarify from before, when I say networking that has such a dirty connotation to it, I don't mean that you're like walking around in a business suit with I got or like, you're at some bar, what I get tie on and a drink up to your chest and you're going I mean, you're just cool, you're hanging out with different people and you're just socializing, and actually I wouldn't even put my agenda out like up in people's face like I want this this and this I would just be cool and find out what people's projects they're working on and find out about them because they they will start talking about what they're doing and it's amazing older different projects people have and then from there if you're open minded enough you'll see opportunities and it may not come in this exact form that you're thinking of but if you're open when that you're just cool that you'll find they will invite you invite you into activities just like you and stuff and then in your circle just gets bigger and bigger and you'll get more crazy jobs you know, I think that goes back to what we're talking about earlier being flexible being versatile you know, being open tio finding jobs I mean, these are jobs that keep you traveling, you know? You've had thirty five of them so clearly it's not trying to make a career out of that, you know, again it's just a job, you know, to keep you on the road they are going to find the one I'm trying to find the one that well, we all are really, um out of all the jobs you've had since you had thirty five what was the most interesting? Oh yes oh actually let's talk with us what was the worst job you had? It was the worst one you've done um, well, I just published the video yesterday on tiger temple um, I went there in thailand and take the most controversial uh, tourist spot in all of thailand. I volunteered there for three weeks, I was supposed to be four weeks, but I didn't make it all the way through, and I felt just so ethically, like a conundrum about the places it was, like a circus s o that one wasn't wasn't the brightest spot for me, but, you know, probably like half of my jobs are, like, ridiculously exhausting, like, you know, you're working in a field and it gives you such an appreciation for the hard lives of these people have, like being it's harvesting a gob roberta keeler comes from like, you getting me, so I got the job had our love, the jobs you get, you know, labor intensive farm work or what kind of jobs I have these thirty five jobs, bin it's, a mix like a third of them have been, like, really jobs you can get. So, like, I was an extra in a national geographic documentary, I was a ghost. I've worked on reality shows as like the set guy doing camera work, I also don't volunteer stuff with elephants with tigers have also done working christmas markets in different cultural events. So it's really run the game it I don't like to pitch in and also have actually done some really good ones that get paid a lot like have you copy editing and work like this online with different like english speakers ok, cool cool uh learning mistakes you've made in the process of finding a job that you would tell people to avoid making some states like in hindsight, I won't do that again I think if you go into it with an open mind and also try to get some skills and your belt as much as possible particularly like computer skills like social media like any of these kind of skills you can package up and use and don't sell yourself short you guys like for example, you could go to any country pretty much and there's a bunch of businesses that don't know how to use social media they don't know how to make videos they don't know how to do all this and you have a package a bill skill they don't think that you don't have any skills you just need to refine it or and then work on telling and you know you fail of it you'll feel a lot next point of it but then you'll get better and better great um what about you? Ok, so um two part question here one what worse some of the most interesting voluntary experiences you have um and where some of the mistakes you you made when you started off trying to volunteer that you know you would avoid doing again so I tend tio teach or work with children or students because you know, specialized volunteering is is I thought people use your skill importantly, you know, for me I'm like the two gentlemen on the call it doesn't really do a lot of good for me teo offer you know, muscle is not a lot that I can do that a local couldn't be better and so I've talking bush in the fall and it was one of the most rewarding because I spend a month and a half teaching some young monks english and that they were nami and fun and inquisitive and it was really a coup it syrian then I've done that again in northern thailand and I've taught in mexico and guatemala and a bunch of different places but throughout all of that I guess one of the mistakes that I made it was not asking enough questions in the early days and also assuming that because I wanted to help that they needed it questions because you say so asking how long your organization is working within the community are they actively you know, working with these people long term or is it solely something where they're using your money teo you know, bring you in to give you this sort of like, hug the children type experience if the sole reason that the volunteers are there is tio post a picture of their facebook got well maybe that's not an organization that has the long term dignity of the community in mind and so when you ask questions about like what are you doing? How is this impacting their long term ability to sustain themselves? You're making a positive impact there and you have a great time you're there on your trip he wants it work for you if you want to make sure that it's doing something really good you know you say you work for a few things like getting through that you know, if you're a traveler you know how long do these jobs last? Are they a week of two weeks? You have to make a year commitment six months, twelve, twelve weeks it depends on how you define service doesn't mean you're going to find one dave honoring there's this amazing organization in linkoping laos and it's called big brother mouse and I love their model some people say you should never you know some people when you read about the problems with voluntary they never do anything that's not a six months ten or hear your you're hurting the local community well they brother mouth springs and volunteers people who are passing for a day or two days you can show up in the morning and anyone who also shows up there people who drink laotians people dream of being tour guides they show up and you tutor them for two hours and it's free and it's fun and you've done a little bit of good and they show up every day and get a new crop of volunteers but it's something they wouldn't have anyways and so in that way it really depends on what you're looking to do sometimes the best, most rewarding ones do last three months or six months rob you've been kind of quiet where were you? What were some of the mistakes you made in your job hunts? I mean, do you think it would be easier for you to sort of land in the australia and find a job there or, you know, get a job ahead of time in japan or when and stars on in australia I want the biggest mistakes I assume was that farming jobs actually easy to get because I thought there were many but actually there's a lot of cues there I went to one farm on dh theirs of a camper vans waiting and they asked him the guys had have only been waiting in some of their free mom's waiting for a job because they're waiting for the harvest to start so so there was a big mistake s o I actually skipped that drug carried on goes into, you know, the timing yeah farm jobs off season yeah and in japan I actually got the job before I went there it was a receptionist in fukushima on dh that was this a spare of the moment thing I just googled jobs in japan found that didn't include a day after a week after I was there starting work great great so um all good tips do you have any questions for our panel here yeah I'm curious for shannon as she's done any volunteer work for the peace corps or she's considered joining them or any recommendations tio some corporations they're similar to them so I have not worked with the peace corps I definitely I support their long term michigan communities over the long term which is exactly ideal there are actually some other ones I believe wouldn't walk and is a u s based one that is similar in that caesar paid for you to go overseas in work really long term your two years on grassroots volunteering I have independent volunteer companies and on that page there's some links so sorry I don't have them on me but there are definitely some u s based organizations that are similar to the experts that send you overseas long term great do you have anything else for before they got a lot of people are really asking just for them to really reiterate their sites and how people will contact them that way we will do another hole another plug for everybody anyone else so okay, so shannon last words, what's your final piece of advice for people who are looking for volunteer opportunities around the world besides gillian, your website grassroots following hearing dot com but word that my last piece of advice is to define that your service however you want if your dream is to go work on a farm for six months and get paid, you can also add on some volunteering, and it really can look like whatever you want. You don't have to use thes sites that, as you said, are charging like five thousand dollars for an experience. Once you leave to travel, there are so many places in meat and the places you're going to be, and so just ask around being positive and be open and you will find a way due to serve it. It's going to happen s o my sights are grassroots volunteering that lord a little adrift dot com and my book is the volunteer travelers great when we do the sign off will repeat that all that again s gonna double one side. Well, um turner so I said, I second one what shane and actually said, avoid these third party sites like the plague that air just profiteering off people, they're really tourism companies, any job that you can think of you can create you khun dio I mean, I was just in the philippines three weeks ago and I went down there and I raised five thousand dollars for kids and I like set up my own volunteering like I got people involved and I like one with the red cross and get it all and I didn't pay any organization anything and I know other people going down there that were like trying to get in these organizations and famous money now you can create your own job but you want tio really once you get going it out there it will blow your mind what opportunities are out there just talk to everybody and be open minded in your world will change great and one final question for you and getting all these jobs how does it really take for you to get set up? You know, rob kind of came with a lot of jobs when you go there and you sort of talked around and atthe is it can't find a job within a week two weeks a month I stuck there for sure yeah of course you can yeah I mean it really depends on different types of programs if you like signing up to be an english teacher in asia okay, you probably go to recruiting firm ahead of time and it's all set up and it's like a process if you're looking for anything else you can set stuff very rapidly if you get lucky and you hit the right time frame or you just if you're right place, right time there's a lot of fluctuation is a lot of people moving going, but it definitely realistic that you could get something in a week and it's even more realistic that if you could maybe find something you like in a week, but within a month something else will happen that you'll love even more for sure right there in rob any parting words, an advice for people looking to worry especially teach overseas we're having my advice would be just just to go for it it's always going to be a great experience even if it's bad then you get a great story out of it. Time to time the stairs sort of any ranges just go and have some fun and things usually work out great. So against again, thank you, rob rob, you could find him adventure rob, dot com and shannon can be found at a little jeff dot com and we'll grassroots volunteering dot or ge and turner can be found at around the world in eighty jobs dot com so thank you guys for being here, so terms very laid back kind of guy around the world in eighty haircut someone, um, tio all three of them you know, kind of you kind of have that central theme of just go for it you know it's not as hard as you think it is return it just shows up in places and has found thirty five jobs you know, some of it for mark some of it copy anything working in bars and hotels and tell about getting there and asking around there are all these third party services that will set you up with jobs and volunteer opportunities, but they're taking a massive cut and they're not really need that much you can go and show up I mean, I just showed up in thailand it was like I think I'll stay longer I will find a job you'll remember that if you're flexible in your open easier to find a job, use your skills yet turner talked about this you know, if you have, um you know, online skills if you have, you know, web scale social media sales if you shannon is a writer, so she teaches english use whatever skills you have um you know, if your photographer right maybe start helping companies you know so their websites and take pictures for them so they can sort of have a portfolio for a site use your skills that you have skills, you have a skill where will ask you later use it to your advantage getting a job overseas if you're flexible is a lot easier than you think, and if you are going to get a job and is going to be on the table, just I really can't reiterate it enough. No, you're right, you know what is the norm and what the repercussions are? Um turner never had a visa. You get these transient jobs? Not a problem, he's comfortable doing that other people that not you know, that might not be the case, so I would talk about working finding a job. But if you love your job and want to take it with you or want to come back to it where you do that, um, does anyone here plan on, you know, quitting their job and coming back to her or would like to take it with them? Want to? Yeah, you want take care is with you with me with you okay, what? Waiting for, uh, right now I'm working in vacation rentals, something I could do mobile that's great. So yeah, I mean, if you have a job that allows you to work from your computer it's so much easier to sort of take it, take that with you, we're going to talk with someone who took her job with her and her computer on the road when you do, I was working in marketing and I just like the last three months off to go travelling, but I'd love to be able to do more traveling while doing that on the road perfectly I'm online marketer and I worked from amsterdam for three months yeah, yeah that's great, yeah, I have the luxury of being well, take my job on the road because my job is being on the road, but you know, a lot of people people think, oh, if you're going to take a curb rate, if you're going to travel, you know, if you're going to quit your job and have the gap in your resume, you're now like, unemployable and doesn't really need that, you know, maybe years ago it might be career suicide. But now, as the economy has become much more integrated, social media is much more important what skills are much more important having the ability to stay? You know, I worked, you know, I've traveled, I've been to other cultures, I have foreign perspective on things is awesome and because travel also, um, teaches you a lot of the soft skills that you can't be talking school I can, you can be taught, you know, how to use twitter and, you know, marketing and how they're making business plan you can be taught people skills you can't be taught how do they communicate well you can't be taught independence you also can't be taught editing skills because that should be a capital I um you can be taught that doubt to billy I mean so we've a lot of us here have traveled you know um so you know what are some of the things travel has sort of taught you about yourself your billy it's a sort of make it in the world you have yes yes it's me be more open and friendlier that it's not such a problem to meet new people that it's ok to go in and say hey where you from and chad and connect with somebody and then do names later on you know I will respond to hey canada if somebody comes at me no great canada I think taught me adaptability and creativity and getting by on a lot less than you think you would really need yeah you know we're in ukraine the guy doesn't speak in english and you have to get rid of that train station you know you have your dad or if you get a job if you accidentally get off at the wrong train station you have to figure out hi to get back on you know how to write things communication skills yes what you're just saying that like quick thinking being able to know how to solve a problem right there and then with the independent I have to go. What we do, yeah. Definitely teaches independence because you have to make it on your own. And so even if you're traveling with a cup as a couple, I always say, you know, break off a little bit and go because soul travels a wonderful experiences, uh, that teaches you so much about yourself and these these skills when you work in an office setting a really beneficial because everyone wants nice, happy co workers everyone want, um, you know, something hits. You know, if the crap hits the pet pan, you wouldn't be able to adapt to the situation you want to be able to independent. Your bosses want to have to hold your hand through everyone. Every project and traveled teaches a lot of these great skills. I am much more independent living in bangkok really taught me that. You know, I just plop myself down there. I love the language. I got the job, I got friends, I had a girlfriend. I mean, I had a whole develop its whole life in this foreign city halfway around the world. And really, if I could do that there, I could do it anywhere. And when you learned that makes you a better person, it also makes you much better employees.