Working along the way

Hi all,

I need some advice about the possibilities of finding work while travelling. My girlfriend and I are planning to go to Europe, Australasia, US, Canada, S. America for approx. 15 months or so starting end March next year.

Has anyone experiences of picking up work in exchange for a bed in a hostel? We need work permits for US, Canada, Australasia and S.America so I guess that would just leave Europe (unless you can still work without one for a few hours here and there in the other continents??)

This will affect our decision on when to leave also as we want to set off at the end of this year if there is a strong possibility of finding some work whether in hostels or fruit picking etc which is 3 months earlier than the original planned date.

If we can save on daily expenses for a few days every so often then we could probably leave at the end of December as I am itching to go as soon as possible!

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Have you heard about couchsurfing? I highly recommend it as a way of defraying costs as well as meeting awesome locals!

Just google "couchsurfing".

Thanks for that Lamb Chop but I'm not so keen on that option mainly beacuse we are travelling as a couple so it complicates thngs. I will check it out at least though!

We were three people travelling me and my husband and a single male friend and we stayed with people around the world
www.hospitalityclub.org
great way of meeting local people who you wouldn't see under normal circumstances.
Working well for the better paid jobs you will need a working Visa and in the main companies would expect you to stay for I suspect at least 6 months which I guess is not what you are about. When we were in Australia we met many young people working in bars and on the land ( this is hard graft and can mean 12 hrs a day) you would get your accommodation and food thrown in. If I were you I'd do quite a bit of research in this area before you leave and have some contacts. We have a contact in China who I know last year was looking for people to teach english for 3 months, not sure what qualifications are required but if you are interested I could ask.
You could try asking hostels if you can work for your accommodation, it's worth asking and you can't loose anything.
Best of luck
Jean

Good link there Jean, will be doing some research on the site soon. Also appreciate the offer of speaking to your contact in China but we will not be going there as part of our RTW so that won't be necessary but thanks all the same.

Looks like we should be sensible and just leave after working the extra 3 months at home. I just really wanted to leave as soon as possible!!! I guess it won't hurt too much to stay another 3 months if it gives us some piece of mind that the cash won't run out too soon on the trip.

Thanks again

Everyone is always itching to get off especially when you are young, but lets face it, the reality is that it can be pretty miserable if you have no money left and you are thousands of miles away from home. The 3 months extra work is nothing to do and will pass in no time at all. You can use the time in extra time in planning. Good planning on the casual work front will always pay dividends and will give you a sense of security.
Best of luck and keep safe.
We leave in two days for our 4 months trip round Europe and can't wait to get off.
Jean

If your in Canada specifically in Alberta, (not sure if you would be able to do this without a permit or not). You could spend a week working in the oil and gas industry in the northern part of the province (fort macmurray), and while the work is long hours, and quite physical, you would be able to make around CDN $3500 a week ( 7 days of work) ...thats with no experience.

Thanks xelA. I have checked out the location of Alberta and it seems a little off the planned Canadian route (stop in Vancouver which seems the closest!) but it would certainly be an experience and I will keep it in mind as an option if our plans change

If your in Canada specifically in Alberta, (not sure if you would be able to do this without a permit or not). You could spend a week working in the oil and gas industry in the northern part of the province (fort macmurray), and while the work is long hours, and quite physical, you would be able to make around CDN $3500 a week ( 7 days of work) ...thats with no experience.

I doubt that. It's not 2007 anymore, people aren't just hiring warm bodies. And even in 2007, an inexperienced labourer at my company would have made $15/hour, 65-80 hours per week...at most $1500/week once you factor in the overtime pay. Plus $45 per day meal allowance, which might net you another $100 after you've actually eaten. The higher paying union jobs always needed either contacts (in the real world "need contacts" translates as "need to come from Newfoundland") or experience.

Working for your bed in a hostel in Aus and NZ is not a viable option.
These jobs are few and far between and every backpacker in the place is after them! You would be very lucky indeed to land one.

My friend did indeed land a receptionists job at Auckland hostel - but we were well known there and long term (9 months)

2wanderers wrote:

If your in Canada specifically in Alberta, (not sure if you would be able to do this without a permit or not). You could spend a week working in the oil and gas industry in the northern part of the province (fort macmurray), and while the work is long hours, and quite physical, you would be able to make around CDN $3500 a week ( 7 days of work) ...thats with no experience.

I doubt that. It's not 2007 anymore, people aren't just hiring warm bodies. And even in 2007, an inexperienced labourer at my company would have made $15/hour, 65-80 hours per week...at most $1500/week once you factor in the overtime pay. Plus $45 per day meal allowance, which might net you another $100 after you've actually eaten. The higher paying union jobs always needed either contacts (in the real world "need contacts" translates as "need to come from Newfoundland") or experience.

Um...no. I was offered a job up north. Pays $29/hour over 12 hours, plus $145 a day in sub pay. So $29/hr X 8 hours a day, $29 X 4 hours X 1.5 (overtime pay), multiply it our and add it up, you'll end up in the $3000- $4000 range. And yes this is with no experience. It may have slowed down most everywhere because of the economy, but its still busy up there.

Pray tell what the job is, that you are getting with absolutely no experience. Because I know a few oilfield workers - many from the Ft Mac area - who'd love to know.

Also, even if you work 7 days per week, those figures just barely break a $3000 gross. Add vacation pay, minus taxes...$2010. A typical 3 week on/1 week off rotation would average $2300/week gross, $1507 net...good money, but not the advertised $3500/week. Is it union? How much for dues?

It may have slowed down most everywhere because of the economy, but its still busy up there.

There's work in McMurray. But not as much as NE BC, which still has a lot of untapped conventional oil, and has kept humming through the whole downturn. Our Ft Mac operation has gone from 35 crews to 12. Most of the plants are on a holding pattern, so production workers are still employed, but almost all the expansion work (with a couple of exceptions like Total and Nexen) is on hold, meaning that construction jobs are rare.

Yes, you would a lose a good chunk of it to taxes, but if you are only working for a few weeks to make some money to travel, then your going to get these taxes refunded. Regardless, the point wasn't the exact dollar figure, it was that there is good money to be made up there if you can get a work permit. For reference it is a pipe lining job, and many people up there had a hard time believing the pay. If you would really like to know the specifics, message me. The original post wasn't meant to start a discussion about the state of the economy. If you note the title, it is about working along the way. This is an option. And just to check your math.. $29/hr X 8 hours = $232, $29 X 4 hours X 1.5 (overtime) = $174, add the $145 a day sub. This equals $551 X 7 days= $3857. I guess you could consider that barely breaking $3000 a week, but its more then the $3500 (which was obviously an estimate, as wages could go up or down until the time that the work will be done) that i quoted. This is on the 10 days on 4 days off rotation, by the way.