Work and Travel Your Way around the World

Do You Know How To Travel for Cheap?

Get me out of here!

Sooner or later we all catch the travel bug – an uncontrollable compulsion to leave your routine lifestyle and explore the amazing world in which we live. 

Some dream of  a Bear Grylls style jungle adventure, others of a beautiful beach paradise – whatever it is you’re searching for, one thing’s for certain: the only way to satiate this drive is to up sticks and leave the monotony of a 9 – 5 lifestyle by getting out there and doing it!

Handling the funding of your trip is an obvious problem you may encounter – you may ask, “How can I afford to be away from home for 6 months or longer when I earn less than $20k a year!?” One solution is to travel one-third of the world in developing countries where the flexible dollar bends that little bit further. 

A more interesting option is to seek work in the countries you’re destined for. So, I hear you cry, which countries is it possible to find work and earn enough to continue plodding your way around the globe months at a time?

How To Find a Job Overseas

Finding work abroad, to a certain extent, depends on the strength of your resume. For young graduates with the prestige of a top university on their resume, the world is their proverbial oyster (immigration laws permitting!), but you don’t need to be a science boffin from Harvard to find work.

Canadian and European Ski resorts offer a range of jobs, from chalet hosts where your duties are similar to a house maid/chef, to working the bars and restaurants (for those with a resume full of service industry experience). 

Google searching ‘ski season jobs’ will provide you a with a host of companies ready to recruit young outgoing individuals where your flights and accommodation are paid for by the company – simply email them your resume with a cover letter and let the fun 

begin!

Beach resorts across Europe and North Africa recruit entertainment staff, dancers and singers every spring. Again, search online for ‘animation’ jobs and send off your resume. There’s a high demand for workers so you’re pretty much guaranteed a job where on top of a monthly wage, you can expect the company to pay your flights and provide accommodation.

Asia pacific is currently crying out for English teachers. Places like China, Taiwan, South Korea and Japan offer the best wages (around $1500-$3000 per month) for graduates, no teacher training required. 

Get online, search ‘teaching jobs Asia’ and send off your resume to either the schools themselves, or the plethora of teacher recruitment sites. On top of a generous monthly wage, you may have your flights paid for, and in some cases, accommodation thrown in also!

Australia, New Zealand and Canada offer ’1 year working travel visas’ to most nationalities, entitling you to stay in the country and work for up to 6 months of a year. 

A strong resume will land you amazing positions since these countries have small populations and a relatively healthy economy – both tradesmen and graduates are in demand. Unskilled workers are also in need, typical laboring jobs (gardeners, builders, fruit pickers, farmers) pay around $20-$30 USD an hour!

Don’t leave home without …

Actually, um … your passport? You’re leaving home to see the world; you’re not going to Mars. Wherever you end up, it’s certain you can find a shop selling whatever it is you so desperately need. 

It’s always a good idea to receive vaccinations from your GP before you go, but medical treatment is available the world over, just in case you forgot to receive your Hepatitis shots before you left home! 

I decided to seek work half way through a 6 month trip in South East Asia, and realized I didn’t have my resume with me. Online you can find free resume builders, ‘how to write a resume’ sites, or free resume samples where you just add your personal information and off you go. 

This service is available here at resumecompanion.com; it’s extremely helpful, easy to use, and proven to work since I managed to land a job overseas in no time! The one thing that is essential is that you have your passport…don’t leave home without it!

Get packing

So you’ve decided you want to go for it? The employment options above are the tip of the foreign worker iceberg, and once you get away you’ll open the door to the world of foreign workers, with job options circulating infinitely. 

The good news is that it is possible, no matter how broke you are! All you need to do is get online and get your resume out there….good luck and happy travels! 

Write a Resume like James Bond

If your resume were a person, whom would it resemble? If you’re like me, you might think James Bond would be a pretty badass persona for your resume. Making the transition from paper pushing, plain Jane resume writing to MI6 Secret Agent isn’t easy, but with enough tact, no mission is too difficult…

Always classy

Just like James, you exude class, as many situations demand it, such as a night of poker in a ritzy Monaco card parlor. It’s an exclusive club, and not just anyone can waltz in without first giving proper notice to the formalities of their mannerisms.

You should reflect this style in your resumeby using a professional and accurate email address. “Bond, James Bond” is about as direct as one could be. Skip the nicknames, humor and ironic number combinations; they only make you appear juvenile. Instead create a new address simply stating your last and first name.

Dress for the occasion

Whether it be a classically tailored black tux, or a crisp polo, Bond is always dressed to play a role. By dressing to impress he convinces people he belongs, and confidently displays authority through his appearance. Your resume should be the same.

Applying for an executive job? Then break out the black tux, meaning, skip the colored fonts, odd formats and frivolous page borders. Instead use a direct format, black font and concisely presented professional experiences. 

Just like Bond’s clothing, your resume should be neither too short, nor too long. That is, it must fill up the entire page. Remaining at one page is optimal, whilst two pages at a maximum. Anymore and your dragging excess clothe and look like fool.

All the skills for the job

Bond is a man of many talents, so his Additional Skills section is of course a mile long. Yours doesn’t have to be quite that long, but it should be of substantial quality.

The key to 007’s success in all far-flung places of the world is a deep toolbox of unique skills. Whether they are driving skills (cars, planes, boats and trains) or alpine climbing skills, James is uniquely positioned to succeed in diverse environments. You want the same in your resume, include unique skills that will make you stand out amongst applicants as uniquely equipped to excel.

Applying for a job in Hotel and Tourism industry? Include your personal travel log, foreign language ability and/or cultural awareness. Don’t shy away from displaying all licenses and certifications prominently. Registered nurses should display RN to signify their nursing license just as Bond uses 007 to indicate his license to kill.

By implementing some of these techniques taken from undoubtedly the world’s most capable employee, you can also make your resume appear equally equipped to tackle any job short of international espionage. 

3 Secrets to a Sexy Resume

Leave a Little to the Imagination

It’s simple.

Imagine that your resume struts into your workplace to let you know it’s leaving you. It’s leaving you. Your resume is leaving you and there’s nothing you can do about it.

Apart from just standing there in amazement with the revelation that your resume can both walk and talk, you’re just as perplexed with the question, “Why doesn’t my resume love me any more?”

Heartbreaking as it is, we all know it takes two to tango in a relationship, and your resume probably had some underlying resentment with YOU. You just didn’t know it.

To keep your resume by your side loyal to your cause and supportive of your career, they need a great deal of attention, you must see them as your high maintenance partner, and they need to feel stunning.

A Touch of Make-up. 

 “An unfulfilled vocation drains the color from a man’s entire existence.” – Honore De Balzac

You must love your job for it should shine on your resume, you must know its curves and the way it dances when the office lights are out. It’s fine to mention your responsibilities but do you know how much revenue your company makes? How about the amount of staff it employs?

The greater the picture you can create of your experiences the more likely the next hiring manager will show more interest in your ever growing stunning professional resume.

Embellish that career document, make it stand out and be proud to say it’s yours. Your resume will be thankful for the extra attention and will reward you with more interviews.

Play Hard To Get. 

Sometimes it really is better to write a resume leaving a little bit to the imagination. Baring all to the employer leaves no excitement; it may even be off putting.

If you’re a housewife you probably shouldn’t mention it, it’s probably quite apparent that if you’re a female and you haven’t been employed for several years that you well be a stay at home mum. Save it for the interview.

Likewise, if you know your job inside out and can list every responsibility under the sun, save it to 5 – 7 bullet points at a maximum. Your Hiring Manager may fall in love with your resume but it certainly doesn’t want to sleep with, or on it.

Leave A Number. 

It happens more often than you think. Your resume feels great; it exudes confidence and is grasping the Hiring Manager by the tie.

It’s even demanded its own inbox tray, your name at the top of the pile. But the situation is about to turn nasty, and quick, because you wrote the wrong phone number on your own resume.

A little tip to seal your ideal career date – Add dashes between your area code and the phone number. This will make it easier to read and will help you to double check any possible errors.

So there you have it. A few pointers on how to write a resume so smoldering with exquisiteness and attention to detail, that your potential employer will have no choice to but bow down to the employment gods and shout “How did I ever live without you!?”

THE MULTIPLE WAYS YOUR RESUME COULD DIE

Stage 1: The job application

Do you ever wonder what happens to your resume once you click that send button and it’s sent whooshing off into the great and almighty cyberspace? 


For some of you, sure. 

Stage 2: Waiting for a job response

Those of you that receive that long awaited phone call weeks later from a prospective employer know that you’ve moved on to the second step, but what about the thousands of job seekers who never hear back?


Well, here is what happened to that resume you just spent hours working on.


First, it will probably sit in an inbox with some overworked receptionist eventually to be passed onto HR. This secretary’s only concern is to briefly sift through the thousands of resumes on offer, separating resumes that have obvious errors with those that don’t.  Errors can range from spelling to grammar to just the plain ugly. 


For those of you with many of these errors your journey ends here. 

Stage 3: The door of employment

For the other half of you who spent countless hours sprucing your resume up for the employment ball and continuously proofing your resume to the point where it shall dance with glee, you are in luck. 


You’ve passed the gates of level one and will now be ushered on to level two. 

Stage 4: Unloved resume

In this round it’s all about stuffing. It’s not just about saturating the resume with details but choosing the right spices to make the key holder to the gate salivate. If your resume is filled with obvious tasks like answering the phone, filing, or customer service your resume will more than likely meet Mr P. Shredder for lunch.

Shredders Love Resumes

Death number two.

Stage 5: Handle the boss

The handful of you, who quantified your experience and adamantly followed your due diligence to demonstrate your unique skill sets when building a resume, will see your resume laid before the supreme decider. Here, the final key holder will decide the fate of your resume. 


At this point, it’s no longer about following a certain set of rules or guidelines. It’s also a smidgen of luck. Maybe you share the same Alma Mater-one point added. Maybe you share the same name as the bully that used to steal his cheese and cucumber sandwiches in school- trash can-nil point.  

Stage 6: Everlasting resume mystery

It’s impossible to gauge what makes two identical resumes in skill and format stand out from one another besides the internal workings of the supreme decider.  But truth be told, the goal of your resume is to avoid death at all cost and make it to the final round so at least you are a contender. 

Mother’s Day Resume

A Resume Has Never Tasted So Good

 Mother’s Resume

Loving Blvd. 123 Care Lane,

Career Objective: To get these kids out of the house by the time they are 18 so I can finally have peace and quiet again, even if it will occasionally make me sad. I would also like to achieve this with minimal gray hairs and wrinkles, and with my sanity intact.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:

Health Instructor

·       Ensure proper diet is followed, including finishing those Brussels Sprouts

·       Encourage outdoor activities requiring involvement of oft-uninvited younger sibling

·       Heal boo-boos with kisses, hurt feelings with hugs and tears with a soft shoulder

·       Ban use of fireworks, trampolines and bb guns

Chef

·       Specialties include Spagetti-o’s, Mac’n’cheese, Jell-o and soft cookies

·       Catering meals including PB&J, fresh fruit and some vegetables, but not broccoli

·       Speed cooking, ability to prepare a meal magically in 30 minutes or less

·       Ability to mask any food as another, including broccoli

Chauffeur

·       Superior Mini-van handling skills, including canine awareness and DVD operations

·       Ability to transport entire soccer team to and from tournaments

·       Persuasion ability when in co-pilot role to convince husband to stop for directions

·       Master of Eye-Spy-With-My-Little-Eye

EDUCATION:

·       48+ years of Mom’s and Grandma’s sagely words of advice

ADDITIONAL SKILLS:

·       Removal of play-doh, dog urine, dirt, vomit and food stains from multiple flooring surfaces and walls

·       Skilled conflict resolution negotiator, skillful use of “time-outs”

·       Fluent in Pig-Latin

AWARDS AND HONORS:

·       Mother of the Year, every year since being qualified

·       Sweetest Wife, awarded almost weekly, but still too infrequently

REFERENCES:

·       Two healthy, happy kids and one relieved husband

·       One approving grandmother assumedly approving mother-in-law

·       One fat cat (literally, fed way too much)

Oompa-Loompa’s Takes Willy Wonka to Court!

Oompa Loompa’s: A Menace in the Workplace?

Oompa Loompa’s Take Willy Wonka to Court

Yesterday was a hot press day on the Munich court floor as three disgruntled former employees of the cocoa bean baron, Mr. Willy Wonka, claimed a serious loompa hole in their contracts prevented them from bubblegum compensation, after their “Unfair Dismissal”.

It was claimed that Mr. Wonka, an eccentric and intriguing character to many, fired the three Oompa-Loompa’s: Nigel Jockrash, Reginald Langley and Bonbobo Braithwaite from their positions for their incessant practical jokes, ending in the death of a Mongolian Quality Control Inspector last February.

Anonymous Tip-Off

One anonymous source from within the Gobstopper department claimed the now infamously dubbed “Tootsie Pop Trio” trespassed onto the lollipop factory work floor without permission to distract their unsuspecting co-worker into a humiliating act of “Fudge in the Middle”. 

This supposedly heinous act coaxes a victim into a pool of steaming sugar laden liquid, once stuck in, Oompa-Loompa’s prod the helpless soul with a large lollipop head until the panic stricken individual admits defeat and gives up their candy bars and fizzy drinks. 

Addictions in the Workplace

“There is a dark underbelly of sugar addiction in the Wonka factory”, proclaimed defence counsel, “fuelling frantic acts of foolery and in this unfortunate case, death”. The unnamed Mongolian Quality Control Inspector died from suspected over embarrassment whilst trapped in the fudge, a harsh punishment since the Wonka factory had passed all inspections.

Prosecution suggested the “Tootsie Pop Trio” were merely minding their own business and that any allegations that they were high on their own supply…are “Unmitigated lies to scapegoat small people for the profits of a chocolate factory that is out of control”. They also stated that they were unable to receive references from Mr. Wonka for their new resume.

Mr. Wonka Speaks

Willy Wonka refused to comment but has previously mentioned if he had an everlasting gobstopper for each Oompa Loompa who’s complained of his company work environment he’d shove one in their mouth and the other…

The case is to be continued.

3 Cars Just Like A Resume

Sell Yourself Like He Sells Cars

When approaching the mandatory, and often dreaded task of writing or updating your resume, there are different avenues people can take to help them. One popular way is to copy another resume, changing only vital information like name, employer titles, addresses, etc.


Another popular technique is to apply no technique at all and just list as much random personal information about oneself as possible. 


Both of these methods will create a haphazard resume that gives Hiring Managers about as clear of an impression of the applicant as a blind man trying to distinguish between an orange and a tangerine.


Instead, when writing your resume, your ultimate goal should be to stand out from the crowd, to highlight your greatest strengths and achievements, and to focus on fulfilling the qualifications the employer is seeking. 

Build A Simple Resume

If you are having a difficult time trying to make yourself appealing in your resume, and you are a man, perhaps try thinking about yourself as if you were a car.


The concept is simple. In your resume you sell yourself. Imagine you’re not a human but an automobile, and you are trying to sell this automobile. 


This will help you understand what to highlight and what to feature in an effort to appear as hirable or sellable as possible. Let’s glance at a few common types of resumes, and their motor vehicle equivalents.

The Cadillac

This is the senior level candidate. You have years of experience, or in auto terms, slapped quite a few miles on your odometer. 


You’ve proven your reliability and experience and this is something to highlight, dependability, in both machine form and human form. 


This is done on your resume listing through your years of experience, promotions, achievements and managerial experience. You’re confident and dependable.

The Nissan GT-R 

You are a newcomer. Perhaps you just graduated University. You’ve been in development for quite a while, and you are packed with knowledge.


 In car form this translates to heavy investment in research and development. These are your strengths, your technical capabilities. In human form this means you have a background of highly applicable study. 


You have knowledge that you can draw upon as your strength. You’re technologically savvy and ready for rapid speed and performance growth.

The F-150

Like the Cadillac you are a candidate that exemplifies dependability. Not packed with technology like the fresh university graduates, you instead make a name for yourself with high payloads and practical, applicable utility. 


You have metal working, welding, and heavy equipment operation skills. You do what you do and you do it well, this is the calling card of the pick-up truck.


In conclusion, each vehicle is unique in its strengths and areas of expertise or focus. The key is identifying your greatest strengths and featuring them in your application process. 


By presenting strengths in a prominent fashion, you are pronouncing to HR managers all over the world that you’re ready to put the pedal to the metal.