Working nine-to-five and having the time of my life

[dropcap]I[/dropcap] suppose I could be the metaphorical whore in travelling terms: I’ve been around. I’m addicted, and those who have picked up the craving will sympathise. Money has restrained me to Europe so far (apart from a very British trip to Thailand with my family as a teenager) and that indeed probably links to the motives behind finding work abroad. I always put aside a good part of my loan so I can go and visit friends during the holidays.

When working, you support yourself and can spend extended periods of time in another country. Most importantly for me, as I am hooked on learning other languages, you are totally surrounded by the language, culture and traditions of the country you are working in. This is no gap-year-volunteering-in-Kenya or rafting-in-Laos kind of experience. Here is a summary of my main experiences working abroad, and a caveat to some of the perils…

Au-pair work

Straight out of sixth form, an 18 year old, wide-eyed Francophile, I found an au-pair job in Brussels through aupair-world.co.uk. What I experienced in the capital of eurocracy was far from the boring reputation that precedes it. However, I often reflect that even if I had escaped to Tenby it would have been equally as exhilarating as it was my first taste of freedom, having flown the nest.

I landed in the four-strong brood of a balding Belgian marketing executive with anger problems and a Jekyll and Hyde-esque doctor, his wife. To cut a long story short, they wanted my blood and a pound of flesh under the terms of what was essentially a slave labour contract. I left.

photo: Rick Payette/flickr

I then stumbled upon my next family, the husband I discovered (after some googling) was in the top 300 list of the largest fortunes in France. A lot of super-rich French businessmen move to Brussels due to the more elite-friendly tax system. So as you see, it really is the luck of the draw when it comes to au-pairing. I had a wonderful time in Brussels from then on, acting more as a babysitter than a nanny, and the fact that I was native English was indispensible.

I cannot think of any other job that allows you to earn a decent wage yet provides you with the benefits of free accommodation in a nice postcode, often free food and access to household appliances. However, unless you fit into the family like the missing piece or are thoroughly independent you will end up feeling tired of being the outsider observing another family’s life after one year. A year is definitely enough!

Door-to-door

One of the most challenging jobs that I had abroad was a door-to door position for the national energy company when I was living in Italy. Our job was to tour the council estates and poorer areas of different towns in the region in Liguria making sure that all the residents had the right energy plan. Not only did I learn how energy provision works but in the space

photo: Konrad Jagodziński/flickr

of a month I went into more than 100 Italian houses, and met the strangest characters.

We were plied with coffee, cigarettes and home-made liqueur (which wasn’t a problem for most of the salesmen who were all chain-smoking alcoholics who started the day with a spiked coffee and a glass of Prosecco). We were threatened and welcomed in, signed a contract with a man on probation under house arrest, I visited places and towns I wouldn’t have been able to otherwise and had a glimpse into real Italian life.

My year on the Erasmus scheme in Genoa, Italy, was a heady mix of delicious food, exclamations and gesticulations, sunsets and new emotions. I fell head over heels in love with Italy

My Italian improved dramatically, perfecting my use of formal address, but the main, and huge, drawback was that my pay never came through. They were complete crooks. I cannot stress the importance of looking after your own interests when taking on a part time or casual job, especially abroad.

Hostel

The most recent experience I had abroad was some work experience this Easter in a youth hostel in France. I was desperate to get abroad to France as soon as possible before the summer. The 18-year-old Francophile had been replaced by an Italian-loving student. I felt like I was cheating on the French.

My year on the Erasmus scheme in Genoa, Italy, was a heady mix of delicious food, exclamations and gesticulations, sunsets and new emotions. I fell head over heels in love with Italy

photo: Paulo Margari/flickr

and didn’t speak much French for a year. That made me hesitant to do so back at Warwick as I felt so rusty. The work experience was meant to be a re-awakening of my love for French, to get me speaking again.

I sent out CVs and covering letters to about twenty youth hostels in France and this was my only positive answer. The receptionist work was standard – I had already worked as a receptionist in the Alpine resort of Valfréjus, and was well accustomed to the dips and peaks and the need to be constantly on the ball in several languages.

However, there was nothing youthful about this hostel. There was so much backstabbing, deceit, unrequited love and jealousy amongst the staff it was more interesting as a social study. The barman was an extravagantly camp 40-year-old man who complained about having to lift a finger and tried to get me to do all the sweeping. There had been tension before and one staff member ‘accidentally fell’ down the trap door in the bar and seriously injured herself. The eccentric expatriated English night watchman and I observed the antics.

My French improved and I also realised that I really wanted to find work in music production, inspired by stories of France’s abundant music festivals. I feel that I was useful at the hostel and also in other jobs due to the fact I spoke English and other languages.

Work abroad. If you are a linguist or even if you just speak English there are so many possibilities, and you have such a strong advantage speaking English. I met a girl in Genoa who had done a TEFL course. She earned enough to pay her rent and save a considerable amount of money working four hours a day teaching English.

If you want to travel and have a more genuine experience in that country, find some work, and totally immerse yourself in the language and culture. Trust me, it’s worth it!