Finding Hospitality Jobs Abroad

Hospitality jobs are generally considered to be those related to either the food and beverage industry or the tourism industry. The three main types of hospitality jobs include those in eateries, pubs and bars and hotels or other types of accommodation.

These can often be great types of employment for gap year travellers who plan to spend a good amount of time in one location, though gappers will want to make sure that working at such a job is acceptable given the terms and conditions of their entry into a certain country. Gappers should remember that working informally or accepting payments “under the table” could leave them in violation of their visas or work permits and therefore in trouble with the law.

Answering Ads From Abroad

Gappers intent on working in the hospitality industry while abroad may be able to start their job search before leaving home. Getting hold of some local papers from their desired destination, or logging on to city-specific websites such as Craigslist and Gumtree may allow potential gap year travellers to find want ads from the city or town in which they are interested in staying.

These ads will give them an idea of which employers are recruiting, and for what. Gappers who decide to answer such ads should have a CV ready to email or fax, and should also be familiar with fair labour practices in that country including minimum wages and average wages for similar positions, average working hours and any perks of the job or practices that should not be associated with the job.

Working with Recruitment Agencies

Gappers may also do well to contact recruitment agencies when they are looking for hospitality jobs abroad. Such agencies make a profit by finding employment for others, though gappers will most likely need to provide written proof that they are allowed to live and work in the country for the time they desire.

Experience in the hospitality industry, training in associated skills and having references from past hospitality jobs can all be important for individuals trying to land jobs abroad by working with recruitment agencies. Having a polished CV ready to send out is also essential. When gappers are ready to find work through a recruitment agency they should also be ready to apply to employers currently recruiting.

Tapping Into Expat Networks

Gappers who have access to expat networks, such as former gappers who lived and worked in a specific location or know of Britons who are now living in that area, should feel free to try to tap into these sources when they are looking for hospitality jobs. There is no guarantee that such a network will result in actual employment opportunities, but at the very least a gapper will get a sense of which establishments are thought of highly and which are not. This alone can be very helpful when trying to target possible places of employment.

Finding hospitality jobs abroad should not necessarily be a daunting prospect. The available opportunities will obviously depend upon the location, but gappers interested in working in the hospitality industry should have many options when it comes to looking for such employment abroad. Having a CV and references ready, being able to explain why they want the job and why they are best suited for it, and knowing when they will be able to take up the job are all important for gappers searching for hospitality jobs. After all, the perfect job could drop into their lap at any minute!