How to Live and Work Abroad {Realistically}

The number one question I get from friends and family curious about my lifestyle is, “How do you constantly get to travel?” It’s a fair question since I have traveled abroad to over 25 countries {and lived in four of them} since graduating from university five years ago. That being said, I’m not some fancy “Instagram Influencer” getting paid to see the world. In fact, more often than not, I’m living on a shoestring budget. I have, however, made travel my number one priority in life.

I figured I would share the ways I managed to live abroad over the last five or six years. Most of them also include working abroad, since student loans don’t pay themselves. Furthermore, all of these options are realistic ways to live abroad, meaning they aren’t too far fetched or seemingly impossible to the average person. I have personally done most of these myself, or had a close friend share their experience with me.

 

Study Abroad

For many expats, a desire to travel the world starts with a study abroad program. That was indeed the case for me when I studied abroad in New Zealand during my third year at university. I was always interested in travel prior to this, but after living abroad in the South Pacific, it was the only thing I could think about.

Studying abroad allows you to live in a foreign country, with a bit of hand holding along the way. You are provided with assistance prior to arrival, when you land, and throughout the entire semester should you need it. It’s a great way to immerse yourself into a new culture without the added stress of going at it alone. You will learn so many valuable lessons when you study abroad. In 27 years, those six months in New Zealand still remain the absolute happiest time of my life.

How you arrange to study abroad completely depends on your university. At California State University, Chico for example, I studied abroad through a program called USAC.

Requirements: You must be enrolled in a university or junior college in order to apply for a study abroad program.

Why People Don’t: It’s esssspensive. And I get it. I am still paying off student loans that helped me fund my semester abroad. That being said, there are some extremely affordable locations to study abroad. For example, you can study in Thailand, Indonesia, or China for less than $3,000 per semester. Plus, the cost of living in Asia is very low compared to the popular destinations like France, Italy, Spain, etc. in Europe.

Working Holiday Visa in New Zealand

Following my Study Abroad experience, I moved back to New Zealand. Full disclosure, the move itself was influenced by a boyfriend at the time, but regardless I still had to find a way to work and live in the country. As an American, obtaining a Working Holiday Visa in New Zealand is relatively easy. When I was granted my Working Holiday Visa, it allowed me to work and live in the country for a year {for residents of the UK or Canada it’s up to 23 months!}.

I was fortunate enough to find a job within two weeks of arriving in the country. Fresh out of university and lacking experience in basically everything, I landed the role as Inventory Manager of a surf shop in an Auckland mall. I had zero retail experience, but a friend referred me to the manager and somehow I weaseled my way into her heart. To this day, it remains the best job I’ve ever had and I am eternally grateful to the people that helped me get it.

I have to admit that I was pretty poor over the course of my time in New Zealand. I could barely pay rent and my students loans, leaving me barely any money for traveling. However, if you have more experience than I did in, basically anything, you may find it easier find a higher paying job. This way you will do more than break even. I also lived in Auckland, which is the most expensive city in the entire country.

Requirements {for a US citizen}: You must be between 18-30 years old and have approximately $3,000 USD in the bank prior to arriving. You can find out more information here.

Why People Don’t: It’s so far away. New Zealand is one of those places people dream about visiting, but don’t. Once again, I completely understand. It’s an island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean and it feels very detached from the rest of the world. Unlike Europe or Asia, you can’t jet off to a new country every weekend.

That being said, New Zealand on it’s own is worth it. It’s especially a goldmine for those interested in adventure travel. Don’t get me wrong, the wine tasting alone sold me personally, however there is so much to do between the north and south island you won’t be disappointed.

Work and Holiday Visa in Australia

From New Zealand, my partner and I moved to Melbourne, Australia. I was given very short notice that we would be moving to Australia {two weeks…} which meant I had to apply for a visa very quickly. Honestly as I recall it now, I can hardly believe I went along with it. Lucky for me, the Australian visa process is also a simple one.

As Americans, we can only apply for a ‘Work and Holiday’ visa and not a ‘Working Holiday’ visa, though they are extremely similar. Unfortunately, unlike New Zealand, you cannot work for the same employer for longer than 6 months. This made finding someone to hire me in Melbourne very difficult.

I only lived in Australia for a brief period of time, but while I did I found work at a Formula 1 Grand Prix shop. Again, very random. And again, not great pay. That being said, if you have experience as a waitress or bartender, you may have more luck. Still I was able to pay rent and pay off my monthly student loans.

Requirements: You must be between 18-30, have graduated from high school, and have approximately $4,000 when you arrive in Australia. You also must apply from outside of Australia and can only hold this visa once. For example, I am now unable to apply for a Work and Holiday visa because I’ve already applied and received one in the past. You can find more information here.

Why People Don’t: Australia is esssspensive. Once again, money becomes an issue for people wanting to live and work abroad in Australia. It’s no secret that Australia is an expensive country to reside in. However, with higher living costs comes higher pay. For example, minimum wage in Australia is $17.70 an hour. You can definitely live comfortably in Australia if you work hard and manage your money well.

Au Pair

For six months, I lived with a family in London as an Au Pair. I found them on the website Au Pair World and applied directly. I had absolutely no idea what I was getting myself into before arriving at the airport, but after six months I was sobbing on my way back to Heathrow because I didn’t want to leave. An Au Pair differs from a nanny in the sense that they truly become part of the family. It’s a way to gain insight into another culture, in exchange for child care and light house work.

Everyone is going to have an individual experience as an Au Pair, mostly because every family is different. My host family put together a formal contract of which we both signed, but this isn’t required in every country. The greatest benefit of being an Au Pair is that you get your rent {and usually meals} covered. You thought I was going to say spending time with tiny humans… NOPE. For me, it meant I didn’t have to pay to live in the most expensive city in the world: London. On top of that I was payed $250.00 per week.

Of course, getting to know your kids in such a unique circumstance is completely rewarding. That being said, you are living full-time with the family, which means you are expected {by the kids standards} to work 24/7 unless you get outside and do some sightseeing. The family I worked for was truly incredible, and provided me with an unforgettable experience. I never felt overworked or underappreciated {in comparison to some other Au Pair’s I know}.

Requirements: You must be between 18-30 and have some child care experience. This is all dependent on what your host family considers experience. For example, I did some baby-sitting growing up, but I wouldn’t consider myself to be all-knowing by any means.

Why People Don’t: They don’t know it exists. Being an Au Pair isn’t extremely common in the states. The idea of doing so overseas was something I hadn’t even heard of until I did some research online. I mean, if you’ve ever had a baby-sitting gig, you can probably find a family to Au Pair for. Spain, Italy, France, Greece, Chile, Argentina, Mexico, New Zealand. The list goes on and on… What are you waiting for?

Teach English

Teaching English is definitely the best way to live and work abroad. It’s actually a great way to make a living in general. As with many of these options, your individual circumstance is going to be dependent on the country you choose to live in. For example, you will most likely be working as a freelancer in Europe, whereas you will find stability and great pay in Asia. This is my current occupation, and it’s honestly the most ideal opportunity thus far which allows me to live in a foreign country.

I get paid nearly $2,000 USD a month, have a studio apartment fully paid for by my employer, receive a bonus of one month’s salary upon completing my contract, and have both my flight to {and eventually from} South Korea reimbursed. Plus, as an American, I do not get double taxed for working here! It’s a pretty spectacular situation I find myself in if I do say so myself.

Requirements: Again, this is all dependent on the country you plan on teaching in, but in general you must hold a Bachelor’s degree and be TEFL certified. If you have previous teaching experience, you are more likely to be hired {as with any job}, but ultimately you do not need any prior experience in the field.

Why People Don’t: Lack of experience. Which as I’ve just pointed out, is a bullshit excuse. You don’t need any prior experience. I had no teaching experience prior to arriving in Korea and I’ve been just fine. I took a TEFL course and additionally spent 20 hours in an in-person course that attempted to prepare me for teaching English. While it was somewhat useful, I can promise you you will more so learn on the spot after you get to Korea.

Also, some countries don’t even require a Bachelor’s degree, nor do they need to see you are TEFL certified. Of course, these options aren’t always the most secure, but nonetheless they exist. Interested in working in South Korea? Find out more, here.

Cruise Ship Employee

Disclaimer, I have not personally had this experience, but know someone that has {and continues to do so!} There are so many opportunities when you are looking to work on a cruise ship. From retail, to hospitality, to technical work. You will most likely find your niche on any given boat. Contract lengths can vary from four months to nearly a year, and life on board is a unique experience. For the most part, you are working 7 days a week for up to 12 hours a day {talk about grueling}. That being said, you will have the opportunity to visit exotic locations around the world and get incredible perspective living on the sea.

Requirements: You must be 21 years or older and have some experience in the particular field you plan to apply for. You must hold a valid passport and be granted a C1/D visa. There is also an English fluency requirement on most ships. You can find out more information here.

Why People Don’t: You live on a boat. This is why I have never pursued a career at sea… because you are at sea. While this can be fun for a couple of weeks, I don’t know how comfortable I would be spending months at a time on a boat. However, if you are someone with sturdy sea legs, this may be your answer!

Work for an International Company

This is another one I have yet to accomplish, but know multiple people that have made it happen. I was nearly offered a position to work in the London office of my last company {dreaaaaam right?}. But I really disliked my working environment and had already made plans to move to South Korea {zero regrets}. That being said, if you already know you want to work abroad, interview with a company that has multiple offices abroad. You never know when an opportunity may come your way.

Requirements: This is completely dependent, but one definite requirement is kicking ass at said company to ensure a positive response when you bring up the idea of working overseas.

Why People Don’t: It’s easier said than done. Trust me, the amount of people in my life that told me I should pursue this avenue to work abroad… endless. And yet, it hasn’t happened for me. There are so many factors involved that are out of your control, I can understand how impossible it may feel. Even so, it has worked out for multiple friends of mine that now work in London and Tokyo.

Live at Home

And finally, live at home for a while. I am aware that this is literally the opposite of living and working abroad, however it’s something I’ve done in the past. It was the only way I was able to live and work in Europe for an entire year. My Au Pair wages got me through life in London, but I wasn’t able to save much. Even so, I was able to travel to over 15 countries in three months after leaving London because I lived at home and saved my money prior to arriving.

I saved $25,000 while still living within my means, paying a car payment, and paying off my student loan each month. Of course, this option is only dependent on your circumstance. Lucky for me, my parents welcomed me with arms wide open and were happy to have my living at home.  I plan on doing this again next year in order to save and prepare for my next adventure abroad.

Requirements: The world’s most generous parents {shoutout to my mom and dad!}

Why People Don’t: A lack of independence. Sure, moving back home isn’t the most ideal situation for everyone. It can be a huge adjustment and you lose a bit of your independence when you are living under someone else’s roof. That being said, it can also be a perfect opportunity to spend quality time with your family. We aren’t getting any younger, my friends, and neither are our parents.

Now, I understand that these options may not be reasonable for everyone. However, these are the ways I personally have been able to live and work abroad for the majority of my twenties.

None of these options are easy per say. They all require work, determination, and an open mind. That being said, now you at least know how to begin achieving a life abroad. My only question for you is,

What are you waiting for?