The holidays have just begun. Although thoughts about relaxation, vacation and rest are already in the minds, it is also worth thinking about working during the holidays. This is the last moment to find something interesting and at a convenient time. Job on vacation (holiday) abroad – what to pay attention to? How and where to find it?
The coronavirus pandemic is somewhat forgotten, which makes it much easier to plan a trip abroad. In most cases, all restrictions have been lifted – tests and additional formalities are no longer required. Due to the next stage of defrosting the economy, the labor market is in demand for seasonal workers.
The minimum wage in Europe in 2022
How to find a job on vacation?
You can find job offers on vacation on europa.jobs, but also on other classifieds websites. Regardless of the chosen portal or agency, we always recommend checking the employer. Especially when we are talking about seasonal job offers.
As this is a short-term job and it is quite common to hire young people with no experience, it is easy to fall into the trap of fraudsters.
Where to look for a job on vacation abroad?
Germany, along with the Netherlands, remain at the top of the chosen earning destinations for both short and long periods of time. You can as well find a vacation job in:
- Belgium
- France
- Norway
- Spain
- Sweden
- Greece
- Italy
The most popular industries for the seasonal period are production and gardening / harvesting. You should also not avoid job offers related to the gastronomy / hotel industry or caring for the elderly people.
Below you can see the average gross hourly rates for the seasonal period in the above-mentioned industries. The rates are derived from job offers published on the europa.jobs portal.
Country | Production | Hardening/Harvesting | Construction | Gastronomy/Hotel industry | Caring for elderly people |
| Germany | EUR 12.5 | EUR 14 | EUR 15 | EUR 14 | EUR 15 |
| Netherlands | EUR 13.4 | EUR 12.5 | EUR 13.2 | EUR 12 | EUR 12.4 |
| Belgium | EUR 15 | EUR 12 | EUR 14.7 | EUR 12.5 | EUR 13 |
| France | EUR 13 | EUR 10.8 | EUR 13.4 | EUR 11.5 | EUR 12.5 |
| Sweden | – | – | EUR 15 | EUR 12.4 | – |
| Austria | – | EUR 13 | EUR 13 | EUR 15 | – |
| Italy | – | EUR 9.5 | – | EUR 15 | – |
Work in production / warehouse
In 2022, among the users of the europa.jobs portal, production / warehouse jobs were at the top of the most popular industries for the seasonal period. This fact is no longer a surprise to anyone. Better employment conditions, most often indoor work, higher salary – all this we will find in job offers for a warehouse worker, logistic department employee or work in production.
This work is most often associated with packing, sorting, assembly, etc.
It all depends on the profile of the company in which we decide to be hired.It is worth, therefore, asking exactly what will be our responsibilities, even before signing the contract. Workers for these types of jobs are needed all year round, but the demand for more workers usually increases seasonally. That’s why, also working in a warehouse or in production becomes a great place to „earn extra money”.
Work in gardening – planting, harvesting, cultivating
Another industry that welcomes foreign vacation workers with open arms is agriculture and horticulture. Something perfect, for those who don’t have great interpersonal and linguistic skills. Although it sometimes happens that the employer requires communicative knowledge of a given language, be sure to read the offer carefully before applying. Otherwise, you may be in for an unpleasant surprise.
Jobs in the cultivation of flowers, vegetables and fruit have been for many years, attracting temporary workers during the season. Here usually contracts lasting several weeks are offered, although you can find such a job even for several months.
Work in the construction industry – painter, fitter, manual worker
Construction work is different from the rest of the industries listed in the article. First of all, we are here already talking about specific qualifications. Even with manual work, a person must have a basic knowledge of construction. On the other hand, if you are a specialist in the construction industry you can earn a lot of extra money.
As in the case of working in production, it is more of a permanent job.
However, during the holiday season, renovations / construction of small facilities are planned quite often. This is when seasonal workers are in demand.
Knowledge of a foreign language and physical fitness – these are the basic requirements for similar jobs.
Work in gastronomy / hotel industry – waiters, maids
The most popular industries that are looking for employees during the holidays are those related to summer recreation. If you feel good at dealing with people and are able to quickly establish friendly relations, you can try working in the gastronomy or hotel industry.
There are many job offers for waiters and waitresses. However, language skills are also important here. The same applies to, in case of working in resorts and hotels in customer service.
If your knowledge of a foreign language does not allow you to freely and easily communicate, you can also try your strength at cleaning leisure facilities or helping in the kitchen.
Caring for elderly people – helping at home
The least popular industry, but at the same time the most demanding.
It is worth realizing that, we are usually talking about the round-the-clock care for an elderly person who is probably ill or physically disabled. The basic trait of a caregiver is empathy and resistance to stress.
Generally, there are no set qualifications that a caregiver must have. However, the following people are more willingly being employed:
- with a diploma of completing courses / studies in nursing, physiotherapy or psychology
- with knowledge of a foreign language
- with experience
Most job offers for caregivers can be found in Germany and the Netherlands.
Additional vacation industries
Animator
In fact, it is only a small part of the vacation work abroad. In many countries, animators are being looked for, and you can become a leisure supervising teacher. It all depends on your experience and skills.
Let’s start with this – how to become an animator on vacation. Animator – a profession that combines various skills of a person: from recreation to education. The main task of the animator is to make the vacationers’ free time more attractive. Most often, these people are employed in hotels / holiday homes.
What does an animator do?
- Sports activities / tournaments / matches
- Choreography – learning to dance / performances / concerts
- Artistic Workshops
- Recreational activities for children
- Organization of trips
So far, only a hotel technical school prepares the profession of an animator. Apart from that, you can find various courses / trainings that are organized by travel agencies. First of all, a person should be open in communication and willing to learn different things.
As mentioned at the beginning, animators are most often employed in hotels in tourist destinations (e.g. Turkey, Egypt, Italy or Spain). It is a seasonal job only (usually summer, because then there are the most tourists). Despite the different skills, the basic requirement is knowledge of a foreign language, preferably several.
The salary of the animator ranges from EUR 500 to 2000 / month.
Seasonal job in Portugal – what does it look like?
Leisure teacher
If a person would like to work as a leisure teacher but do not have a university degree as a teacher, it is possible to complete the online training courses. There are several different offers from both private and government organizations.
Important! The organization that offers these types of courses should have the status of an educational institution. Then, after completing the course, the diploma will be valid throughout the European Union.
The leisure teacher mainly works with children in various recreational camps / camps. His tasks should include:
- organizing and conducting educational activities
- communication with children
- looking after children
- keeping a diary of activities
It is also a job that requires from a person empathy, an open mind and, perhaps most importantly, the ability to communicate with children.
A leisure teacher abroad can count on earnings in the amount of EUR 300-400 gross / week.
Where can you work at the age of 16?
A person aged 16 has the right to work full-time (i.e. 8 hours a day) on a contract of employment, commission or specific task. The only condition before signing the contract with a young person, is the consent of the guardian for the selected type of employment / scope of work. And if we are talking about concluding an employment contract, you should also have:
- certificate of completion of at least eight-year of primary school education
- doctor’s judgment
These people can practically be employed in all industries, except for hazardous work and those that require too much physical effort (e.g. unloading goods, working in a hospital or in a warehouse / production).
Important! Despite the fact that young people aged 16 years can work full-time, it is forbidden to work overtime and night shifts.
It is easiest for people aged 16 to find employment in the following industries:
- Work in a restaurant (food truck)
- work in the shop
- Inventory
- Handing out leaflets
- Animals care
Advantages and disadvantages of seasonal work, job on vacation
As already mentioned at the beginning, the main disadvantage of summer jobs abroad is the employers, who by all means try to deceive the young employee. Therefore, we recommend:
- check the contact details of the agency / company
- check: Tax Identification Number / National Court Register / National Register of Employment Agencies
- not to work without a signed contract
- read the contract in detail immediately before signing it.
The frequently mentioned disadvantages include:
- hard physical work
- overtime work
- shifts of 10-12 hours
- stay in employee hotels
- work in remote parts of the city or in villages
It is for a reason that it is a summer job, i.e. for a short period of time (2-3 months), which is an advantage in itself.
What’s more, behind all the above-mentioned disadvantages, we find another huge advantage – a quick output. Earnings in the seasonal period are several times higher than out-of-season work.
The advantages include:
- employment without the required experience
- work without knowledge of foreign languages
- possible group trip
- with accommodation / meals
Are you thinking about job on vacation?
