LinkedIn is something that every one with internet access can take advantage of but did you know you can use it to support your travels and find work around the world? I've used it for years to find work in the hospitality industry but you can use it for ANY industry in ANY country in the world. It's a powerful tool that everyone should utilize, whether you're looking for full-time work or a seasonal gig.
My name is Aurélie. I’m 25 years old and I am from the South of France. I have travelled the world since I was three years old with my parents and started to travel by myself when I was 16 in different countries such as America, Russia, and Spain.
When I was 18, I went to Australia, where I learnt English to be able to find a job. Did you know many countries are eligible to get a year Work & Holiday visa for Australia? Japan and New Zealand also offer Working Holiday Visas for a wide variety of countries.
This is also where I started to learn about the hospitality industry. I gained experience there for 4 years. My first experience was in small cafe in Surfers Paradise and then I got employed by the QT Hotel as a waitress. I moved to Melbourne where I studied Business Management for two years. During my studies I worked at the Rydges Hotel as a waitress and moved forward as a restaurant supervisor. I even got the title of "Employee of the Year 2015."
We’re not a regular travel blog; we’re a collection of women living around the world, all with different backgrounds, jobs, desires, & nationalities. What do we have in common? A passion for life abroad. Each article is written from the 1st-hand perspective of a woman who has actually done or experienced what she writes about.
Learn more about the author by clicking her bio pic at the start or end of each article.
In 2016, I decided to leave Australia and travel the world with a backpack around Asia and Africa without working as I had made enough money in Australia to afford it. After a year, I went back home where I had to find a job to make some money to be able to travel more.
This is when my father talked to me about LinkedIn, a social network which I had never heard about it.
Requirements to use LinkedIn:
- There are NONE! Anyone can create a profile.
- A high level of English will give you more opportunities globally
LinkedIn is a website and an app for professional development. There are an unimaginable amount of jobs available through this platform. If you take it seriously and use it to your advantage, LinkedIn can open doors around the world.
Tips to using LinkedIn to it's full potential
Tip #1: Make a complete profile
Important things to include:
- Your CV/Resume
- A professional description
- A professional picture
- Your skills & competencies
- Educational Background
You can upload any additional information you would like. For example I added good feedback that I had received from customers, it's a good thing for your future manager to see! I also added my previous salaries.
If you did some volunteer work I'd add that as well as it shows your motivation. Lastly, a letter of recommendation makes a huge difference.
Tip #2: Don't be shy to reach out to others
You just need to connect with people that you used to work with or that you would like to work with.
Just like you connect with people on any other social platform but again, think professionally!
Be sure to write if you are looking for new opportunities and managers or directors will check your profile and write you a message. You can also take the initiative and write your own message to companies, such as,
"Thank you for connecting with me. I was wondering if you were looking for someone as a ---. I am very motivated to work with you, I heard so much about your company…"
Tip #3: Understand the different profile "levels"
Some profiles are "Premium," which means if you want to contact them, you also need to pay to get a premium account. The Basic Premium account goes from 25€ per month to the Premium Business at 50€. You can also be a Premium Recruiter at the price of 100€ per month and it allows you to see who has checked your profile.
If you're looking for a more permanent position, I think Premium is worth it. For seasonal jobs, the basic profile has had plenty of opportunities. You can also try Premium for a month for free to see the differences before committing to a monthly fee.
Tip #4: Use the filters & research potential employers
I always do my own research by using the filters of what type of job I'm looking for and where I want to go. You can even write articles about your job or interview experiences and post pictures. It's exactly like Facebook but for work.
I got my first job on LinkedIn when a director wrote me asking if I was interested to work in Dubai for a restaurant opening. I obviously was! We went through two interviews and I got the job and signed a one year contract. They paid for my flight (one way), accommodation and food. It was supposed to be a year contract but I left after six months for personal reasons. I stayed in touch with all the managers and people that I met there, which helped me to find other jobs later on.
By uploading my resume online, more and more directors have contacted me for seasonal work, mostly on boats, in Greece, Australia, again in Dubai, or Qatar.
You can accept to know more about the job offer or just say that you are not interested at it. They will appreciated your positive or negative answer. It's always better for them to know instead of waiting for your answer.
I got another job in Niseko, Japan for the winter season in 2017. I had to pay for my flight but accommodation and food were included. I was originally hired as Restaurant Supervisor but they soon asked me if I was interested in stepping up to become a Restaurant Manager, which of course I accepted the challenge.
Traveling and working around the world has continued to give me the most incredible experiences. If you're itching to quit your job and travel, read up on some common mindset changes that need to happen to get you fully prepared to move abroad!
Tip #5: Use your connections to build new relationships
Spring 2018, I posted on Facebook that I was ready to work anywhere for the upcoming season. I was motivated to go to any place of the world where I could learn a new language. My ex-manager from Dubai, F. who is Italian, got me a job in Capri, in Italy, where I did my summer season. I now can speak Italian thanks to that opportunity. Even if you don't choose to use LinkedIn, you can still keep in touch with everyone you've worked with. That's really how hospitality industry works for me. It is a small world and you will work again and again with the same people, just in different countries. It makes it such a different experience from other industries.
Bonus tip!
There is another app called "Sharp," think of it as a remix of Tinder and LinkedIn, but this time you meet people in your own field around you.
It was very good, at first, when I used it. I was sharing my experiences and meeting people, too, but I am guessing people did not really get it's intention as I received some disturbing messages. I gave up on this one. If you choose to try it out just be wary!
If you work in the hospitality industry, you can also use the website, hotellerie-restauration.fr. This site is mostly for people who wants to work in France and in different parts of the world but only in hospitality. That's where I found my job for this summer. I am now working on a beautiful French island until September. I'm guessing, you finally understand what I mean by using social media for work!!! That's right!! I am making some more money to travel even more. Next I'm thinking about moving to South America, to learn Spanish!
Don't forget to keep uploading your resume everywhere and add the languages you speak. LinkedIn is open to everyone in the world! Whatever type of job you are looking for and for how long you want to work, just have a look, it doesn’t cost anything! Take your chance, work, get money and travel some more!!!
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