Working abroad

**Cosmo** · 09/04/2005, 8:19 PM

I'm half thinking of going working abroad for a laugh for a year in january.

Has anyone ever done the whole taken a year out?

Half thinking of Canada - anyone ever been there? Heard its a bit boring?

I've a mate doing that teaching english stuff in south korea next month - sounds interesting?

Bear in mind, ill be more than likely heading off on my own - my mates will be back from australia in 2 months and they tell me thats defo the place to go? (just seems a bit obvious seen as everyone has done it)

**Troy.McClure** · 09/04/2005, 10:54 PM

Have only been away for a summer myself. I went to France and loved it, half thinking about going back for a longer stint.

I was in South Korea last summer for 6 weeks and its one of the most boring places in the world and next to impossible to speak the lingo + you'll get fed up of the Confeucian system quite quite quickly. Your friend will quite quickly be turned to drink (like all the other exPats) however he will still earn quite a few pennys for himself as your accomodation is paid by your employer and you are paid western rates, while the cost of living is low enough.

As for Oz, from what Ive heard from people who've been there and New Zealand too, New Zealand seems to be the one to go for by a country mile, still have to hear a bad word said about the place.

**thejollyrodger** · 10/04/2005, 10:36 AM

Confeucian or Confucian?

Yeah I agree with what you said about NZ. Anyone who goes there thinks it brilliant.

**niamh** · 10/04/2005, 11:15 AM

Originally Posted by Cosmo

Half thinking of Canada - anyone ever been there? Heard its a bit boring?

I worked in Canada for a summer. Calgary to be exact. I found it great craic and the options for travelling in between. Montreal was a really kewl, trendy city and was buzzing the week we were there (F1 was on). Didn't like Toronto so much, but Calgary was great, especially during Stampede when it really came alive. Great money to be made if you work waitering/bar work for that fortnight...

**Neish** · 10/04/2005, 11:45 AM

Just back from a two week holiday in China was visiting a freind who is teaching in Guanghoz(China's 3rd largest city). Visited Guanghoz, Beijing, Hong Kong, and spend two days in Sanya on Hainian Island(The chinese Hawaii). Class Holiday Beijing is beautiful and would recomend it to anyone
Now we are thinking of a working holiday in OZ round Janunary time next year.

Anyone know of good organisations who could get non-students sorted with jobs down under?

**James** · 10/04/2005, 11:52 AM

done it in NY and Boston before, v easy to fall into the expat irish pub scene and miss alot of the experiance of living in a different culture.

**Cosmo** · 10/04/2005, 2:03 PM

Problem with the US though is getting a green card sorted though.

Neish, apparently its a piece of p**s getting work in australia when you get over there - my mates are over there 10 months and havent been in the one place for more than 2 months and got sorted with jobs whereever they were.

Reckon its a toss up between Canada, Australia and NZ

**James** · 10/04/2005, 2:05 PM

id go NZ given the chance

**niamh** · 10/04/2005, 2:31 PM

Def plan to see New Zealand. There over Oz though I'd like to visit Australia as well. Nice way to spend a month or so!!

**Gerrit** · 10/04/2005, 3:09 PM

I am currently working abroad

I am from Belgium, though living and working in Dublin since August 2004.

After Ireland I hope for another foreign experience, yet I'd like to go to a country with a lifestyle/culture more different from Belgium. Ireland and Belgium are a bit too similar, just like most countries of Western Europe, which is very nice for a first experience abroad. But the next one may be a bit more different.

Given that, I am currently gaining info on working in Mongolia. Really a different world, as the only big city Ulan Bator looks like a 50s USSR town, and the rest of the country constitutes of wilderness and small nomadic settlements.
Though far from sure if I'll ever get there apart from holidays, as there is not much employment opportunities for foreigners and wages are rather low compared to European standards. But one can only try...

I'd also be interested in going to Meditarranean Europe or the Middle-East/Israel for a while (if it is safe at least), Canada is an option (friends of mine live there and offer me to spend a summer there ; I'd only have to focus on applying for jobs, other than that they'd offer me a room for free), I'm still very interested in the Far North (Norway, Iceland, Greenland) and also Australia and the Pacific.

About the latter, it's mainly the smaller archipelagos such as Samoa, Tuvalu or Nauru that interest me, but I think it's better to work in Australia/NZ and travel around, as employment on the Pacific isles itself is very hard to get (they give almost all office jobs to locals, unless you have a skill no one on the islands has).

I'd advise you, Cosmo, to register with the forums of www.travellerspoint.com, where some members also know where to go and what preparations to take if you want to apply for jobs abroad. I'm a member there myself as well.

**strangeirish** · 10/04/2005, 6:12 PM

Live and work in the US. Pure Rat race I tell ya. Decent money but not a lot of time off.

When I was younger I worked abroad for an hour, but we couldn't agree on a price

**Neish** · 10/04/2005, 7:58 PM

Originally Posted by Cosmo

Problem with the US though is getting a green card sorted though.

Neish, apparently its a piece of p**s getting work in australia when you get over there - my mates are over there 10 months and havent been in the one place for more than 2 months and got sorted with jobs whereever they were.

Reckon its a toss up between Canada, Australia and NZ

I've also have several mates over there, but was chatting to one of their mothers recently she saying the opposite their finding it hard to get jobs, 3 of them have jobs due to their trades but the others with no trades get a day labouring here a day painting there and they mpoved 3 times just about surviving

I plan to work 6 months and travel 6 months

**Green Tribe** · 10/04/2005, 9:29 PM

Originally Posted by strangeirish

Live and work in the US. Pure Rat race I tell ya. Decent money but not a lot of time off.

When I was younger I worked abroad for an hour, but we couldn't agree on a price

hi strangeirish, don't know where u are exactly in the US, but do u happen to know much about Miami, what it is like to live and work in?

cheers!

**strangeirish** · 10/04/2005, 10:04 PM

Originally Posted by kerr's tribe

hi strangeirish, don't know where u are exactly in the US, but do u happen to know much about Miami, what it is like to live and work in?

cheers!

I'm in Jacksonville, North East Florida. Been to Miami loads of times, but have never worked there. Very expensive from what I understand. In recent years it has become a hot spot for Celebs and the like, Southbeach being the main place to flaunt your wears. There is a heavy Hispanic population in Miami, so a grasp of the Spanish language is a must! They can't tell the difference if you use a Cork accent though

. Weather is perfect almost all year round, with the exception of hurricane season. A lot of posers and fakers down there, but other than that, I'd say it's an alright place to visit. Don't know about working or living there though.

**Green Tribe** · 10/04/2005, 10:25 PM

Originally Posted by strangeirish

I'm in Jacksonville, North East Florida. Been to Miami loads of times, but have never worked there. Very expensive from what I understand. In recent years it has become a hot spot for Celebs and the like, Southbeach being the main place to flaunt your wears. There is a heavy Hispanic population in Miami, so a grasp of the Spanish language is a must! They can't tell the difference if you use a Cork accent though

. Weather is perfect almost all year round, with the exception of hurricane season. A lot of posers and fakers down there, but other than that, I'd say it's an alright place to visit. Don't know about working or living there though.

oh, cheers! i thought it would be a flash place. Posers and fakers would annoy me, i would end up ripping the p1sh out of them,winding them up

not for me i think! Do a lot of the americans annoy you the way they go on, wired to the moon etc, full of BS.. Floridians that i have met seem to be a bit more 'normal' though

**Closed Account 2** · 10/04/2005, 10:53 PM

Originally Posted by strangeirish

Live and work in the US. Pure Rat race I tell ya. Decent money but not a lot of time off.

When I was younger I worked abroad for an hour, but we couldn't agree on a price

Post of the month!

**strangeirish** · 10/04/2005, 11:10 PM

Originally Posted by kerr's tribe

Do a lot of the americans annoy you the way they go on, wired to the moon etc, full of BS.. Floridians that i have met seem to be a bit more 'normal' though

They are all a bit whingey, but the folks from the southern US are a little bit more easy going, and a little bit more in touch with reality, no matter what you read in the media.(And yes, a lot of them do annoy the sh*te out of me. If I hear one more speech with freedom and liberty in it, I'm going to have to drop kick the speaker in the boll***s)

**Green Tribe** · 11/04/2005, 12:21 AM

Originally Posted by strangeirish

They are all a bit whingey, but the folks from the southern US are a little bit more easy going, and a little bit more in touch with reality, no matter what you read in the media.(And yes, a lot of them do annoy the sh*te out of me. If I hear one more speech with freedom and liberty in it, I'm going to have to drop kick the speaker in the boll***s)

i wouldn't trust myself in their presence, i would probably come out with some sarky comment

**hamish** · 18/04/2006, 11:45 PM

Couldn't fins an appropriate thread but I have mentioned in other threads that many US new jobs are "McJobs". The following report might, perhaps, bear that out. Given the Prime Time programme tonight, maybe Ireland will have an even greater degree of outsourcing in the future.
Wonder of Metrostars, Strangeirish, Dancinpants and co have any comments on the following?? Seems a tad pessimistic to me???

http://www.counterpunch.org/roberts04182006.html

Extracts:
Ninety-five percent of the new jobs created are in domestic services. The US economy no longer creates jobs in export or export-competitive sectors.

From January 2001 to January 2006 the US economy lost 2.9 million manufacturing jobs. The promised replacement jobs--“new economy” high-tech knowledge jobs--have failed to materialize

A country that loses high value-added jobs and gains low value-added jobs is in danger of losing its prosperity. Offshoring raises corporate profits in the short-run at the expense of destroying the domestic consumer market in the long-run.
That last paragraph makes a great deal of sense - for any country.

The following article again rings true for us too.
http://www.informationclearinghouse....ticle12780.htm

**Magicme** · 19/04/2006, 7:58 AM

I lived in Canada as a kid and went back when I was 15 for a 3 month holiday. What a place. Its America without Americans! Canadians are lovely. Less whinging, more tolerant etc. I didnt want to leave. Only for my kids I would be living there or in France. Edmonton is where I lived and its a thriving bustling city with lots to do. Vancouver is great (especially the gas district) and Vancouver Island is one of the most beautiful places I have ever been, particularly the town of Whistletree Junction (population 13 when I was there!)

There are less dangerous creatures in Canada than in Oz so thats where I would like to be!

I still have contacts there that may be able to get you work if you wanted?