Best Gap Year Jobs

LindsayLotz

I'm thinking of taking a gap year next year and I'm looking for some great ideas of what kind of jobs I could look for. Something where I will get a really good experience, meets lots of interesting people, have fun and develop new skills.

So far, I have come up with the following:
- English language teacher in SE Asia or UAE
- Au pair
- Children's entertainer
- Cruise ship staff
- Holiday rep
- Irish bar staff

Also, do you feel you can have a 'gap' which is too long, like 5 years? I have a degree but I do not really want to work in it at the moment and I don't know when/if I will ever know what I want. I want cool stories to tell when I'm older, not to be someone who was just a primary school teacher or office worker all their life. Is it possible to make a decent living from these kind of jobs?

But most important are the suggestions!! Thank you!

Sky King

I would check out the 'work away' jobs and do a few of those. Basically, you do a few hours work a day in return for bed and board. You'd need a few bob saved if you want to go do anything though, that's the only thing, since you dont get paid.

I'd mix and match a few of them - go to a whaling station in argintina followed by a south african vineyard followed by a ski resort hostel etc etc

would love go to do that myself.

Immaculate Pasta

LindsayLotz wrote: »

Something where I will get a really good experience, meets lots of interesting people, have fun and develop new skills.

Work in the dole office :cool:

brian plank

LindsayLotz wrote: »

I have a degree but I do not really want to work in it at the moment and I don't know when/if I will ever know what I want.

it's an art degree isn't it?

LindsayLotz

^^^ Surprisingly, no

DATABOY

<please refrain from text speak on this site, moderator>

neil_hosey

The King of Moo

LindsayLotz wrote: »

I'm thinking of taking a gap year next year and I'm looking for some great ideas of what kind of jobs I could look for. Something where I will get a really good experience, meets lots of interesting people, have fun and develop new skills.

So far, I have come up with the following:
- English language teacher in SE Asia or UAE
- Au pair
- Children's entertainer
- Cruise ship staff
- Holiday rep
- Irish bar staff

Also, do you feel you can have a 'gap' which is too long, like 5 years? I have a degree but I do not really want to work in it at the moment and I don't know when/if I will ever know what I want. I want cool stories to tell when I'm older, not to be someone who was just a primary school teacher or office worker all their life. Is it possible to make a decent living from these kind of jobs?

But most important are the suggestions!! Thank you!

I don't think 5 years can be considered a gap. I think whatever you do before and after that five-year period are the gaps.

Don't assume, like many people, that English-language teaching is easy, as it's not unless you've got a good grasp of grammar, the ability to see the language from a learner's perspective, and a talent for teaching. If you're going to the Middle East, make sure you go to a good school (this may require doing the full four-week CELT training course, which I'd recommend anyway). Most Middle-Eastern Arabic guys I know have no problem with a non-Arab woman, but I've heard of the odd bad story of female teachers in the Middle East trying to teach men who refused to co-operate with them.
Do your research on any schools you might apply for, and brush up on your grammar.

I want cool stories to tell when I'm older, not to be someone who was just a primary school teacher or office worker all their life. Is it possible to make a decent living from these kind of jobs?

Bless.

What's wrong with being a primary-school teacher or an office worker? I hope you're not too optimistic about what the world has to offer.
From experience, I know that it's possible to make a living from teaching English. Just don't expect to be rolling in cash. The best route for that is to get work in a language school in Ireland, but you have to be very good for that, and work hard and show initiative to get more responsibility, and it's still mostly part-time work, and seasonal too, for most teachers.
What a lot of people do is teach during the summer in Ireland when there are more students, and go somewhere like Spain for the winter. Lots of people teach full-time in Spain and manage ok moneywise.
You'll also need to do the full four-week training course to teach here.

ScumLord

LindsayLotz wrote: »

I'm thinking of taking a gap year next year and I'm looking for some great ideas of what kind of jobs I could look for.

That's the cue on the left, it's next to the cue of single parents desperately looking for work so they can feed their children playstations. Don't go into that line whatever you do, they regularly kill the weak and sell their organs on the black market.

LindsayLotz

I actually do have a qualification to teach english to non natives so that is sorted, I did it a couple of years ago but I haven't used it as I have been in university finishing my degree.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with being a teacher or office worker, I may end up being one myself one day you never know. But I do know, I don't want a mainstream career job right away, like taking an accounting internship for KPMG now and working there for the rest of my life. I want to see some of the world, have new experiences I didn't know were possible. A girl can dream, eh?

Where To

LindsayLotz wrote: »

I'm thinking of taking a gap year next year and I'm looking for some great ideas of what kind of jobs I could look for. Something where I will get a really good experience, meets lots of interesting people, have fun and develop new skills.

So far, I have come up with the following:
- English language teacher in SE Asia or UAE
- Au pair
- Children's entertainer
- Cruise ship staff
- Holiday rep
- Irish bar staff

A job's a job OP, what you might find 'interesting and exciting' might be drastically different from someone else.

Sykk

brian plank wrote: »

it's an art degree isn't it?

I don't get the whole sterotype about why science degrees are better than arts degrees? Can someone explain?

Cliona99

If you choose to become an au pair, do a lot of research. Choose your employer carefully. Try to get a written contract stating how many hours per day/week you'll work and for how much money. Don't accept an absolute pittance just because your room and board are covered.

If you're a bit eco-minded you could try WWOOF-ing? (World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms...shouldn't it be WOOOF-ing?) www.wwoof.org

A surprisingly fun and lucrative summer job that I had was selling concessions. Anywhere there's a park or a beach or a stadium, you'll find people selling food and drink. I did it in Boston and it's still one of the best jobs I ever had. (short term anyway. Couldn't imagine doing it all winter).