Soon to be updated: Did I say four? Better make it seven!
Work Abroad: EscapetheCity, Jobomas, Au Pair
Work Remotely: DigitalNomads
Another honorable mention: Find a Crew
Since I first announced that I was applying for jobs in Latin America, I have been getting hit up a lot by people who want to know what resources I use to find these opportunities. There are many great websites out there but I mainly utilized the following four. I found them particularly helpful due to their user-friendly nature and the legitimacy of their postings. The first two are especially great because they focus on non-profits and/or environmental jobs so you get karma points for making a difference. The three that follow are work exchange websites where ‘employers’ post opportunities to live and eat with them in exchange for a certain amount of work.
So whether you want to live and work in a new place or are just looking for a way to cover one of your biggest expenses while traveling, these websites should help you make that goal a reality. These are definitely for the person who has more time than money and would really like to experience the culture by staying in one spot for an extended period of time.
Job, internship, and volunteer opportunities
idealist.org
This website is definitely my ‘go-to’ and is where I found my job in Nicaragua. It is free to use and offers a great many ways to customize your search (assuming you know what the hell you want). Currently the website boasts that it hosts over 104,000 employers from around the world.
Tips:
- Set up an account so you can bookmark the jobs you like and refer back to them.
- Learn your Boolean Search terms or use the advanced search options to further narrow results.
- If you are searching for jobs in a certain region, make sure to check ‘Local results only’ on the left hand side to eliminate the hundreds of extraneous ‘remote opportunities’.
- Why not take a look at the ‘remote opportunities’? If you can make money from anywhere, then you can be anywhere while working… think about it.
- Make sure you pay attention to whether or not it is a job, internship or volunteer opportunity. Sometimes this doesn’t matter when it comes to pay, room and board but just be aware that not all opportunities are ‘jobs’ (you can also filter based on this as well).
goodwork.ca
As the .ca alludes, this is a Canadian website. I have learned that other western countries (especially those in Western Europe) have a lot better resources for finding jobs in NGOs and other international organizations in their home language. If you are feeling really ambitious and/or speak one of these languages then I urge you to explore these options as the positions aren’t necessarily exclusively for their own citizens.
What makes goodwork.ca nice is that it is in English for us unilingual sloths in the States. And while many of the listings are for jobs in Canada and the U.S., you can search ‘other’ countries to get international listings. They do not have as extensive of a database as idealist.org but I was still able to find some good opportunities to apply for.
Work exchange opportunities.
workaway.info & helpx.net
I group these two together because they are basically the same beast, but workaway.info is prettier and seems to have more options available. And since they both cost money, I would recommend you only sign up with one; however, if you are just itching to be overwhelmed by options (many are probably duplicates) then go big and buy a subscription to both! YOLO right? How these sites work is that you pay to set up an account, you search the region you want to go, and it connects you with people who need help in hostels, spas, farms, schools, etc. and would be willing to host and feed (typically) you in exchange for a predetermined amount of work. Sometimes they accept people for a week or two and sometimes they are looking for people to come on a more long-term basis. Pretty cool right? Well if you still aren’t sure if it is worth the investment then definitely take advantage of the fact that you can search opportunities without paying. You just won’t be given any contact details until you pay up!
Accounts are good for two years and cost:
workaway.info: 23 Euros for 1 person or 30 Euros for a couple (I’m not really sure how they keep your buddy from using your account)
helpx.net: 20 Euros for 1 person
An honorable mention
wwoofinternational.org
No international job search blog would be complete without mentioning the OG (that’s Original Gangsta for all you youngins). I have never personally used the service but oh boy have I considered it many times! The reason it doesn’t make the ‘real list’ is because it is more complicated, limited and probably more expensive in the end, when all we really want is the path of least resistance right?
When you get into the nitty gritty of it all, you realize that wwoofing consists of many chapters based in cities, countries or regions and all have their own sets of rules and fees. It is also designed exclusively for connecting travelers with work on organic farms. Talk about a niche! But if you are specifically looking to gain experience with organic farming practices then this is probably your best bet. It works like the other work away experiences where you commit to working a predetermined amount of time (you agree with your potential host before going down) in exchange for free room and board. You can find opportunities like this on the other two but wwoofing will definitely offer you the most options… specific to organic farming that is.
And finally…
Be sure to bookmark this page for the next time you are sitting in your cube, counting down the time until the weekend or your next vacation. Facebook may be blocked at your work but I would sure as hell bet that my website isn’t (yet… maybe one day I will be on that level). Remember that travel doesn’t have to be expensive and it can be way cheaper than living your life at home. So quit saying that a lack of money is keeping you from exploring when in reality it is only your fear that keeps you at home.
Cheers!