Wednesday, June 5, 2013

Lesson #15:

Lesson #15: Hone Your Craft While Indulging Your Passion


That title was hard to write and perhaps a bit confusing. It's often hard to create a title that encapsulates everything I want to write about in a concise and interest-grabbing way.

What the title could have been is: Things I'm Going to Share With You About Ways to Expand Your Life While Also Doing Something You Love

...that still may sound confusing. Alas, let me just begin. 

Seems I'm on a particular theme here recently, that being TRAVEL. My blog is about much more than just travel, however, I find myself harping on it because it really has helped to form the me that is vibrant, curious, life-loving and a bit more interesting than if I had just stayed at home. And since my blog is about learning lessons and sharing them with the world, why not share some more on my favorite topic! (Travel...if you hadn't already guessed). 

So, you want to finally do it. You've finished school (college or high school) and you are ready to open up your world. You've decided you want to work with kids now you want resources. Here are some tools to help you navigate these opportunities. Other sites I will reference have even more information to help you out. Just do some good research then, BAM, go for it! 


Bunac is an organization in which I have participated. It grants you a temporary work visa in another country, (those being in the Commonwealth) and guides you in the process of finding a job, housing, and basically setting you up for a 6 month- yearlong work experience in another country. It's FABULOUS but is limited to certain restrictions, depending on the country:
  •  Age Restrictions (must be 18+ and often under 30)
  • Financial Responsibility (must have secured funds to support yourself for a given amount of time)
  • Must be recent college graduate (sorry...you can't go if you've graduated 2-3 years ago)
I'd recommend doing further research on the country you'd like to work in and find out what their requirements are. The advantage to securing this type of working visa is that you have tons of jobs available for you to choose from. They have live job listings available for each country so that you can secure something before leaving.


Check out the current job listings for Australia:


AVAILABLE JOBS
Current Available Jobs = 713
State
Generic Jobs
06-06-2013 Housekeeping
QLD - Mt Tamborine

Required a casual Housekeeper for approximately 24 hours per week. Weekend work is required although no nights/evenings are included.
06-06-2013 Wait staff
QLD - Beaumaris

Experienced wait person and assistant floor manager for busy Restaurant. Full time and Part time positions. Looking for outgoing and service orientated persons. Must able to work in fast pace environment and have own transport.
06-06-2013 Waitstaff
QLD - Cairns

Looking for a waiter/waitress Previous experience in a similar role essential. You will be required to; Greet guests Provide full a la carte service Upsell products Offer Food and Wine knowledge Cocktail knowledge Use a POS system Handle cash Work in a team Clean
06-06-2013 Waiting staff
QLD - Cairns

Seeking waiting staff Experience in contemporary Australian dining and food and wine knowledge essential. Approximately 30 hours a week available for the right candidate with the wage rate $20 - $25 per hour. You will be required to: Greet customers Follow an order of service Share knowledge of Food and Wine Use a POS system Handle money Be a team player Make cocktails
06-06-2013 Short order cook
QLD - Sunshine Coast

Must be experience cooking fish and chips ,operating 3x deep fryers and grill cooking.Immediate start.


Granted these may not be your dream jobs, but it's just the first few I came across. And, you aren't limited to just the jobs that appear in the job post site. The world is your oyster. 


I have not experienced this organization personally but I have heard about it. If you are interested in working with kids, starting out at summer camps is one of the best routes. You get lots of resume-building kid experience (if that's what you're also looking for) plus it's FUN. This organization seems to have a plethora of camps, located in the USA and abroad. If traveling outside the US is too much at first, why not try a stint in the USA. That way you have it under your belt and maybe the following year, with more experience and know-how, you'll be ready to take that next step. 


This organization links you up to volunteer, teaching or intern experiences. It can also direct you to securing a TEFL teaching certificate in order to teach English in other countries. Seems like a pretty sweet deal to me. 


There are also other resources for Au Pairing, these are just the two that I have used. Please see my post here or here for more information on becoming an Au Pair.  



This is another great resource. It has a lot of volunteering options, but can easily connect you to work with kids and can make that part of your travels. If you have money already saved up but would like the experience of working with kids, either for your resume, for your personal well-being, or because you want to give back, this is a great organization. We used them often when I was a travel agent for STA Travel. 

Now that I've given a few resources, here is some personal advice: 

If you feel you don't have any experience working with kids and think you won't be qualified or won't know what to do, try volunteering at a local Boys and Girls Club, school, or church. See if they need help with any of their functions that involve children. Ask a teacher you know if they need help in the classroom or if you can come read to the class one day. Become a mentor. Or a tutor. Of course, be prepared for some no's due to security. Also be prepared to be heavily screened. But that is a necessity and I'd rather go through the annoying screening to know that our kids are being kept safe. Once you feel like you've spent enough time around kids to feel confident (it shouldn't take that long, they're a pretty easy audience) then go out and start applying for some of the jobs listed above. 

What's that? You want to teach kids? As in a profession here in the States? Well...that is a whole 'nother post for a whole 'nother day. But it's a wonderful profession and I'd be happy to share that information in the near future. 

But for now, all you dreamers, wind catchers, wanderlusters, do your research and get out there. The world awaits. 




“Some girls need men to take them places. Others just click their heels, spread their own wings, and fly." - Coco J. Ginger

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