Traveling the Outback Can Prove Easier With a Job

November 3, 2011

Australia has a well-earned reputation as a rugged, but beautiful land. It also boasts one of the largest economies in the world with a massive wealth of resources and major investments in both financial and service sectors.

This uncommon combination makes Australia an attractive place for many businesses. Indeed, CBS’ Moneywatch.com reports that when Brookfield Global Relocation Services released its list of the top 10 countries in the world whose businesses are planning to set up offices abroad, Australia ranked 6th. With four of the world’s 10 largest companies based in the country as well as major economic and cultural centers like Sydney, Perth, Melbourne and Canberra, the country offers something for almost anyone.

This diversity of atmospheres and industries also makes Australia an appealing place for Americans looking to travel and work at the same time. As one of the top cultural exchange organizations in the U.S., InterExchange runs a “work and travel” program in Australia to help young U.S. and Canadian citizens find opportunities to work their way through a trip Down Under.

Programs like Working Abroad offer travelers a unique opportunity to experience the infectious, fun-loving Australian culture up-close over the course of months, which allows for a full immersion into the culture. Travelers can see the world from a different perspective while also having the opportunity to understand the environment in which that viewpoint developed.

There are numerous opportunities scattered around the country with equal resources to support those traveling across the massive continent. Already more than 115,000 people visit Australia each year on the popular one-year Working Holiday Visas, drawn by the opportunity to see the country’s countless natural and man-made wonders, from the Great Barrier Reef to Uluru to the Sydney Opera House.

The program benefits far more than just the people who take the opportunity to travel. Because InterExchange completes evaluations of applicants, employers are more confident about the caliber of candidates who might fill their seasonal positions.

By working with InterExchange, program participants have access to diverse jobs in Australia across numerous functions and industries, from office work to farm work, catering to tourism, child care to hospitality. With a fresh pool of interested applicants, employers are able to fill openings for which it can be challenging to find local candidates.

With the country’s extensive hostel network, American visitors can both work and travel to extend their options and take in all Australia has to offer.