Culture- Working Holiday

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[Culture]

Working Holiday

by Lee Hyeon-ju, Culture Reporter, twohj1218@mju.ac.kr

For the youth, working abroad might gives them expectancies and excitement. With the increasingly tight job market in South Korea, more and more young people are looking for information about overseas employment. On YouTube, channels such as English conversation, international couples and lifestyle v-logs has become popular. Due to the popularity, language schools have had an unexpected boom. Along with these trends, students are paying attentions to “Working Holiday.”

Working Holiday is a system that is designed to work legally while traveling abroad and to cover shortage of expenses. A normal tourist visa does not allow you to work in your country of origin, but you can get a job if you get a Working Holiday Visa. It was specially designed to promote mutual understanding and promote exchanges among countries by providing various opportunities for young people aged 18 to 30.

- The Newly Added Working Holiday Authority

< Poland >

• Official Language : Polish

• Period of stay: 12 months

• Quota: 200 persons per year

• Major cities include Warsaw, Wroclaw and Kraków

• Affordable prices

  < Spain >

• Official Language : Spanish

• Period of stay: 12 months

• Quota: 1,000 persons per year

• Major cities include Barcelona, Madrid, Granada, and Seville

  * The Working Holiday Agreement was signed earlier this year

  and the application period for the visa is expected to take effect.

  - Do you want to learn British English?

  <United Kingdom>

• Official Language: English

• Certified English transcript is necessary

• The period of stay: maximum 24 months

• Quota: 1,000 persons per year

• Major cities include London, Cambridge, and Oxford

• It has the longest stay of two years and is good for traveling to Europe

  <Ireland>

• Official Language: English, Gaelic

• The period of stay: 12 months

• Quota: 600 persons per year

• Major cities include Dublin, Galway, and Cork

• Countries that use English in Europe, except for the UK

  - Visa applications are available year-round

  <Sweden>

• official language : Swedish (but more than 80% of Swedes speak English)

• The period of stay: 12 months

• There is no limit to the number of workers

• Major cities include Stockholm and Halmstad

• Recommended for those who want to experience Nordic life

  <Italy>

• Official language :  Italian

• The period of stay: 12 months

• Quota: 500 persons per year

• Major cities include Rome, Milano, and Venice

• Recommended for those who are interested in or majoring in fashion, cooking, and coffee

  - Unusual Countries

  <Republic of Chile>

• Official Language: Spanish

• There is no limit to the number of workers

• Major cities include Santiago, Valparaiso, and vina del mar

• Opportunities to live in South America

  <Portugal>

• Official Language: Portuguese

• The period of stay: maximum 12 months

• There is no limit to the number of workers

• Major cities include Lisbon, Porto, and Sintra

• There is no limit to language training or employment!

  For more information, please visit the Ministry of Foreign Affairs ‘Working Holiday Info Center.’ (http://whic.mofa.go.kr/index.do)

Real experience interview

Q. Could you tell me about yourself and the experience when you came to UK?

I am 23 years old Kim Min. I am majoring English and Chinese in the Department of International Business Language at Seokyeong Univ. I am interested in animal and environmental activities, and I am a student who loves performing arts such as musicals and theater. UK was a country that I loved, so I decided to here as a working holiday. The fact that I enjoyed musicals in London, the city of West End, and the brand Lush I loved since high school made me come here. Lush is not only good at products, but also has a variety of nature conservation and LGBT support campaigns. The value of Lush 's movement matches the value I seek. I had a dream that I wanted to work at the corporate headquarters of Lush. I also worked as a part timer for about a year in Korea Lush.

Q. Please tell us about the initial settlement and language.

It usually takes more than a week to get a house in London. When I arrived at the UK, I went to seeing the next day. The house was in good condition, and the distance from the language institute was so close that I could have my room three days after arriving. I was lucky. I would like to say, never contract a room in Korea and never leave the country. You should check heating, waterworks, cleanliness, etc. with your eyes. I recommend you to go to the language institute if you really need it. I think that it is good to have time to adjust to a month in a language school because it would be very hard at first even if you are good at English.

Q. What are the benefits of Working Holiday in the UK?

I like the working environment. The UK is legally obligated to pay four weeks of paid leave a year! In addition, Lush allows 5-6 weeks of paid leave. So I could travel to other European countries once every two months. And in my case, my colleagues are almost all British, so my English-speaking skill has really been increased. I can go to any gallery, museum, etc. that are open for free at any time of day. The best thing is that I could get a wide range of thoughts, opinions, and self-reliance.

Q. Finally, could you tell anything you would like to advise the beginners of working holiday?

I do not know where you will go, but you must study the language of the country beforehand. Even if you can speak only English, the English you learn in Korea is really different from the English native speakers use to communicate in daily life. (Especially in Britain!)

If you want to go to English speaking countries, Britain is not likely to get a Working Holiday Visa at once, so it is good to think about the two-person, three-person country. I personally think Canada is the next working holiday country. If you are considering quiet and quiet English, I recommend New Zealand, Canada and Ireland. If you want to feel lively, I recommend England and Australia. I have never lived apart from my own family for 23 years, and I have never been on my own trip. Do not worry. Challenge yourself. 💕­­­­­­

Do you like to challenge in a new place than happiness in a comfortable and familiar place? No one knows what life is like in that place, and whether new opportunities are waiting for us. If there are people who have a dream to live abroad, and courage to leave and if you have the courage to leave, why do not you try to prepare for working holiday?

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