To American college graduates, the idea of “gap year”– a year dedicated to taking time off to travel- has always been a foreign concept that never really seemed like a viable option for those close to finishing up their degrees. Furthermore, the thought of moving abroad to work or even start a career is almost laughable to many simply because we as Americans are unaccustomed to the idea of long-term travel. We’ve been groomed to think that going to college, graduating, getting a job, getting married and having kids (without pause) is what every person’s goals should be. Change might come slow in the States, but one thing is for certain, millennials are traveling at a faster rate than any other generation before and every year they make up a larger portion of international travelers from all over the world.
On top of this boost in travel, The U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics reported in March 2016 that overall unemployment had, yet again, risen to 5%.- Of this percentage, 8.4% is made up of unemployed young adults ages 20 to 24. The job market is more competitive than ever and salaries and benefits are decreasing compared to similar positions held by generation X when they first graduated from college decades ago. It’s no wonder why more and more soon-to-be grads are thinking outside the box and looking into all of their options after graduating like traveling, working abroad or volunteering for a while. Australia has become a hot spot for gap year takers and has done an excellent job at welcoming visitors from all over the globe for 1-2 year stays. From beautiful beaches, a laid back attitude and higher wages for almost any job you can think of,Australia might be the answer you’ve been waiting for if you’re considering taking some time off to travel and work.
The Process
Gaining a working holiday visa for Australia might sound like a long and complicated process but that couldn’t be farther from the truth. For Americans, the process is actually very easy. Depending on what country you are from, the Australian government has set quotas limiting how many working holiday visas will be granted per year. Luckily for citizens of the United States, the quota is unlimited, and you are almost guaranteed a visa as long as you are at least 18, have a college degree, and have no criminal history. If you are interested in applying for a working holiday visa, simply head over to the Australian immigration website and begin filling out the online application. Once you pay the $440 AUD fee (approx. $340 USD) and click submit, you can expect to receive an email from the government within a few business days with your granted visa information.
For other countries, however, quotas could be as little as 500 visas per year, and Laura Fernandez, a Spanish citizen who quit her corporate job to travel, barely missed the cut off. She explains that she feels extremely lucky to have gotten her application in on time before they reached their quote, and since 2015 was the first year the Australian government granted working holiday visas to Spanish citizens, they reached their quota almost instantly and many were left to wait until the next year to apply again.
For millennials like Laura who are coming from countries suffering from economic instability, going overseas to work while traveling isn’t just about being young and having fun, it’s about getting an opportunity to work for higher wages while at the same time gaining invaluable life experiences. It also doesn’t hurt that Australia has some of the most beautiful beaches in the world and yes, kangaroos really are everywhere!
Life Down Under
Immersing yourself in another culture is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Australia might seem like any other English speaking country from the outside, but on the inside it’s a whole new world. Pedestrians walk barefoot, friends gather to barbeque at the beach and hippie vans roam the highways. It is a slower lifestyle, and more emphasis is placed on one’s overall living experience rather than working yourself to death to make as much money as possible. This is why the visa is called “working holiday” and not just “working.” The Australian government makes it clear on their website that the purpose of this visa is for travel first, and work second. With this visa comes restrictions, and you are only permitted to work for the same employer for up to 6 months. The minimum wage in Australia is currently $16 AUD per hour; however, many jobs will start at $18, which is equivalent to approximately $14 USD. Granted, consumer prices are over 13% higher than in the States, but if you are making Australian dollars to pay for Australian goods, there isn’t much of a difference and there is a benefit in using Australian currency when you travel and purchase foreign products later on.
Mia Ylipaavalniemi from Finland has worked in retail for most of her young adult life and had no problem scoring a sales position at a local department store in Sydney. With wages to brag about and a flexible work schedule, she says she couldn’t be happier about making the decision to move to Australia. Employees in Australia get paid more if they work nights, Saturdays and even more if they work on Sundays. Their whole concept of work ethic is so different from what we as Americans are used to. Mia only has a year to legally be in Australia working; however, she explains that she doesn’t know if she will pursue another year or not- “Who knows where I will be at that time, right now I’m just living my life one day at a time.” When she’s not at work, you can find Mia lounging at the beach, exploring the city and meeting new friends from different countries. She is currently sharing an apartment with 2 Spaniards, 1 Dutchman and 1 Italian.
Australia isn’t the only place college grads are traveling to after graduation though; Germany has also seen an increase in expats as well as Norway, and the UK. The first step towards moving abroad is finding the courage to make this big decision for yourself. It is a scary decision to make and it should be something you think through thoroughly. But once you make that decision to live somewhere outside of your home country, you have already leaped over a huge hurdle. Do your research and talk to as many people as possible who have done this sort of thing. If you don’t know someone personally, reach out to strangers on social media, you might be pleasantly surprised at how receptive people can be. Nowadays, there are so many websites and apps that make it easy to connect with people looking to meet others and make new friends. Traveling and working abroad will change your life forever; you will grow as a person and learn more about yourself than you ever thought possible.
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