Workaway and similar services
Posted: Thu Nov 17, 2016 5:19 pm
I've recently decided to leave my job, take a break, and do some travelling. I've heard about the site Workway and similar ones, and it seems like a great idea: you work as a volunteer for, say, a couple of months in a place and you get free room and board. Typically you work a few hours per day so you still have plenty time left for sightseeing and socialising. It could be a good way to practise languages, stay for more time in places and experience the culture, meet people, and travel cheaply since accommodation and food costs can really add up. As well as the typical opportunities like working in hostels and on farms or teaching English, there are also more specialised ones like translation and IT.
Does anyone here have experience with services like this and have advice? I'm seriously considering giving it a try for my time off. It appears to tick a lot of the boxes: budget travel, language immersion (to some degree at least), experiencing cultures, and possibly even professional experience.
This is a list of tips that Serpent sent me (as she suggested that I start this topic after I mentioned it in my log):
The site also has advice for language learners, which includes being clear with the host that language learning is a priority for you.
Does anyone here have experience with services like this and have advice? I'm seriously considering giving it a try for my time off. It appears to tick a lot of the boxes: budget travel, language immersion (to some degree at least), experiencing cultures, and possibly even professional experience.
This is a list of tips that Serpent sent me (as she suggested that I start this topic after I mentioned it in my log):
-focus on the new or updated positions
-check the last visit date, the reply rate and expected timeframe
-many hosts don't update their page to show the actual available dates
-monitor your preferred search and get in touch asap if you see smth interesting
-communicate to ensure it's honestly a good fit. otherwise you'll get negative comments. but if things are really bad, leave. (and generally, always have backup options!)
The site also has advice for language learners, which includes being clear with the host that language learning is a priority for you.