France or UK???

[moabeat21]

Hi,

Im planning to work and travel from late december 2008 to june 2009 (maximum).

I cant decide between France and UK+Ireland


From your experience, which Trip would you recommend (considering the time of year, amount of money I have to spend etc.), where would it be more likely to get a job (very simple work and travel jobs), which country(ies) is more appropriate for work and travel/backpacking in general?

I understand english quite well, but I would want to improve my speaking.

My french isnt so good in general - how possible is it for me to get a job then?

I could really use french for my studies, which start in autumn 2009, but really good english is quite essential.


I hope you can help me! thank you for your time!


arian

[b0diebrun0]

I imagine it is a lot easier to find work in the UK - better rates of pay too. If you click on the link below there is a ton of information on backpacking around the UK - the job section is pretty good. You may be able to get a job lined up before you actually get there. Mind you, there is always the possibility of doing a ski season in France - though its probably all booked up by now.

Backpax Magazine

[herrbert]

Can you provide us with some details, like where do you come from, and how are you planning to stay in Europe (as a tourist, 3 months in a maximum in the EU, so a big problem for France, unless you are a EU citizen.)

What kind of jobs are you looking for, if you are willing to work, there always is something you can do, but don't expect too much if you don't speak the language. (If you speak a not so common language, you can always try to get a job at a callcenter)

[moabeat21]

Thank you for your replies!

Im from Berlin, Germany(EU citizen) and I want to work and travel in the UK and maybe Ireland from mid december to approximately end of june(max.)

As i said, my english is quite good, my french not so. As you can imagine my German is fluent=)

I would be looking for a simple job, to keep my travelling costs low, I dont mind any kind of work...

[Eagle]

moabeat21, first of all, Welcome! I have a few comments to add as well.

From the information that you provided, my preference would be to focus on the U.K. and Ireland this time. You indicated that you can function fairly well in English, so that would certainly be a benefit. One other aspect of choosing the U.K. this time is that it would give you exposure and some practise with the various accents that are prevalent there.

For example, the accent in London is somewhat different than the Liverpool accent, and a Dublin accent is noticeably different than a Belfast accent. I find it interesting to listen to people from different areas. You will probably find also that some of the expressions used there are different than the "standard" English spoken in Canada and the U.S. A famous person (I can't remember who it was?) once commented that people in the U.K. and North Americans were "separated by a common language".

If you decide to look for work in the U.K., you might try smaller towns as well as London and the larger cities. When I was in Bath and the Cotswolds last fall, there were quite a few people from Poland working there.

If your French "isn't so good in general", that may be a problem when looking for work?

Good luck and happy travels!

[moabeat21]

Thank you very much for the information!

Ive now decided to do the UK Trip.

Does anyone of you have information about working as a fundraiser or any experience with it?

I found this job offer at the website posted by bodiebruno above.

www.funjobs4u.co.uk/flash_index.html

[moabeat21]

Some more questions...


What route should i take? first ireland than scotland and than england? any suggestions? could you state some must see places/cities.

thank you=)

[crystal]

I have worked for charities involved in fund raising. If you want more detailed help with something specific PM me and I'll try and help out.
The problem you may find there is a lot of those posts are voluntary and only basic expenses are paid.

As far as route is concern you have such a large time frame I don't think that matters too much the UK and Ireland are not than big :-) . I guess if you posted some of your interests it may help people to suggest suitable cities and places. London is always more expensive than anywhere else in the country and generally the South East is also expensive.

The minimum wage in the UK is £5.80 (ish) if you are over 21, it is lower if you are younger. You will be competing for jobs with an influx of Eastern European workers. Most of those workers start off by signing up with agencies. Be warned - I have worked for these agencies in factories and they can be unreliable with the hours they offer. There has also been reports of dodgy agencies offering below minimum wage - this is illegal and don't accept it. If I was you I would try to find work on your own without an agency.

Try this site www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk . This is the official site for job seekers in the UK. You can search for jobs nationally.

Good luck
Any questions you have even when you get to the UK PM me and I'll try to help.