Curious About Working Holidays? (feat. Working Holiday Tips)

Hello everyone

This is AWork Study Abroad :)

You've probably heard of working holidays before

But if you're a beginner who hasn't really looked into it yet

you might be wondering what the difference is between a working holiday and language study abroad

And you're probably also curious about what characteristics each one has.

So in this post about working holidays

we'll give you a simple, easy-to-follow rundown :)

< What Is a Working Holiday? >

A working holiday is, a program in which countries sign an agreement

allowing young people to freely live in a country for about a year

so they can freely work, travel, or study=

freely permitting them to experience the life and culture of the country they visit,

and learn the language — it's a youth exchange mobility program.

That's why, when it comes to getting a visa,

you'll receive a working visa or working holiday visa,

which means you can work and earn money in that country.

In that sense, this is different from language study abroad, which goes for academic purposes —

you can probably see the difference, right?

After all, a regular tourist visa usually doesn't allow you to work abroad.

Most people end up working at restaurants, factories, or farms,

but if your conversational skills are strong, you might land more specialized

and slightly easier(?) jobs, such as being a barista.

< Which Countries Have a Working Holiday Agreement with Korea? >

Currently, 23 countries have a working holiday agreement with Korea.

1) Oceania

Australia, New Zealand

2) North America

Canada, United States

3) South America

Chile, Argentina

4) Northern Europe

Denmark, Sweden

5) Central Europe

Germany, Austria, Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary

6) Western Europe

Ireland, United Kingdom, France, Netherlands, Belgium

7) Southern Europe

Spain, Italy, Portugal

8) East Asia

Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan

9) West Asia

Israel

You can go on a working holiday from Korea to the 23 countries above,

and for detailed recruitment info and eligibility requirements,

you can check the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' Working Holiday Info Center.

>>> Go to the site <<<

It's also important to look into safety information

and each country's age restrictions before you go.

Australia's working holiday is popular not only because it's an English-speaking country

but also because, as of 2020, it had the highest minimum wage,

making it a popular destination for young people.

Since there are no eligibility requirements besides age,

it's one of the most popular destinations for young Koreans.

< Working Holiday Tips! >

1) Consider the job field

It's a good idea to check which fields

need workers in each country.

Once you've chosen your desired working holiday country,

it'd be great if there's a job field you can actually work in.

For example, in Japan, the IT and hotel industries

need a lot of foreign workers,

while in Australia, fields like nursing, tourism, and construction

need a lot of manpower and offer plenty of opportunities.

2) Consider the cost of living

Not every country has the same cost of living as Korea.

We mentioned above that Australia has the highest minimum wage,

but if you consider the commonly cited cost-of-living measure, the ‘Big Mac Index,’

Australia's prices are also fairly high,

so life there may not be as comfortable as you might expect.

3) Start your job search from Korea!

When people think of working abroad,

they usually apply for a visa after securing a job,

but many people planning a working holiday

tend to think "I'll enter the country first!"

In that case, you may run into unexpected difficulties once you arrive.

That's why, before you leave for your working holiday,

it's a good idea to check job sites in advance

and find out whether video interviews are possible.

Of course it's not easy,

but it'd be even better if you can land a job before you leave.

4) Do plenty of research

As with everything, a working holiday

is a battle of information.

Since you'll be living in another country,

you may need a lot of information from many different angles.

Rather than blindly trusting whatever you find in one place,

if you gather information from multiple sources and refer to plenty of real-life cases,

you'll be able to have a more successful working holiday.

5) Work matters, but make sure to enjoy yourself too!

Just because you went on a working holiday to work

doesn't mean you should spend all day and night doing nothing but work —

if you do, you might lose sight of your original goal 

of improving your language skills and experiencing the culture.

So even while you're working and earning money,

make sure to travel to nearby areas too,

experience the local culture, and meet all kinds of friends —

and always keep in mind

the reason you came on a working holiday in the first place :)

Today, we talked about what a working holiday means, which countries have agreements with Korea,

and what mindset is good to have while on one.

On top of that, the AWork Study Abroad website

offers a variety of content to help with your language study life, so please check it out,

and feel free to ask us anything anytime :)

Curious what language study programs

AWork Study Abroad is currently running?

☑️Go to AWork Study Abroad☑️

Business Hours 10:00 - 19:00 ( Closed on weekends / public holidays )

Email info@aworkacademy.com

Contact 1855-0631