What does Working Holiday in Chile mean?
Working Holiday abroad - what is this?
With a working holiday (also called work and travel), many young people fulfill their dream of living abroad for a while and exploring foreign countries, cultures and languages. Especially after finishing school, many young people want a gap year abroad before they start to worry about future studies and jobs.
Mostly the term Work & Travel is associated with a stay abroad in Australia. However, Work & Travel is also available in many other countries around the world, including Chile. The terms "working holiday" and "work and travel" are often used interchangeably, both are forms of stays abroad where you can spend up to one year abroad, and many countries, including Chile, issue a special visa (working holiday visa, work and travel visa). Working Holiday visa holders may earn money in addition to traveling. However, due to cultural reasons, in Chile, the simpler option is often to work on food and lodging, thus saving on troublesome bureaucratic procedures, since there is no visa requirement.
A working holiday at the other end of the world should be well planned and well-organized, because you will go abroad for a long time! Chile Inside supports its participants during the entire planning and organization time with words and deeds and takes away from the participants the exhausting search for a suitable job and accommodation. Even during the stay abroad, Chile Inside gives assistance on the ground and participants will always be supported in case of any questions or problems that may arise.
Why doing Working Holiday in Chile?
Working Holiday programs were launched by Chile Inside back in 2005, long before the Chilean government introduced the Working Holiday Visa for Chile (2014). The working holiday programs of Chile Inside are in most of the cases placements in tourism and hotel business. Locations are available throughout the country, and participants can choose between working in cosmopolitan cities like Santiago de Chile, tourism destinations throughout the country or program locations in the countryside.
According to our own definition, the participants work for food and lodging, meaning that the program place provide accommodation and food (between one and three meals/day). A wage is not paid, but participants can live and work in one and the same place for up to 6 months, without incurring any additional costs.
At Working Holiday in Chile, you can also get to know the fascinating nature of the Andes, the Atacama Desert and Patagonia. Chile boasts a truly impressive variety of landscapes and climates and has been awarded many times as a top travel tip by the Lonely Planet. A great side effect of a working holiday program in Chile, which will surely convince your parents: you learn Spanish, gain plenty of life experience, acquire intercultural skills and give your resume a very special touch! With a Work & Travel program in Chile you can not only broaden your horizons but also have a lot of fun and get to know a new culture. This is a really great way to educate yourself and make new friends. Just imagine how many people from all over the world you can meet and how many exciting travel stories you'll experience.
Where do the participants work?
The Work & Travel programs in Chile are mainly offered in the tourism and hotel industry. The tasks are always related to the contact with the tourists themselves. The work may consist of operations at the reception, sales & marketing, room service, maintenance, sales and support of outdoor activities such as rafting, canopy, trekking, hiking, kayaking, surfing or horse riding, etc.
Possible program positions could be:
- Hostels
- Small hotels
- Lodges
- Tourist agencies
- Facilities for leisure time activities
- Surf schools
- Ski centers
- Restaurants
At Work & Travel Chile, there are no limits to your geographic creativity. Program sites are available throughout the country, in touristically developed areas. When organizing your Work & Travel job, Chile Inside will even consider your preferences regarding location and type of program location and place you in the best possible position. The absolute favorites here are program locations such as Santiago de Chile, Valparaiso, Viña del Mar, Pucón, Puerto Varas, Chiloe, Pichilemu, La Serena and San Pedro de Atacama, and during the summer months, the whole region of Patagonia. The most popular program sites are hostels, tour operators and surf schools. Most of the participants interested in tourism agencies are drawn to the Lake Region and Patagonia. High, snow-capped mountains and volcanoes, blue lakes and huge forests form the beautiful scenery of your job. With hotel work or similar program sites, we can really place participants throughout Chile. The majority prefers the vibrant metropolis of Santiago de Chile or coastal towns along the Pacific. Surf fanatics are logically also best kept on the coast and placed in the beach towns such as Maitencillo, Pichilemu or Matanzas.
Accommodation and meals
For a Working Holiday in Chile, accommodation and at least one, sometimes three, meals are always included. These services are provided directly by the respective program host and serve as consideration for the work. Thus, you can keep your living costs during your stay in Chile very low. In most of the cases, Work & Travelers are accommodated in shared rooms directly at the program place. These are shared with other employees, hostel guests or other work & travel agents.
You've probably already noticed that more and more young people go abroad immediately after leaving school or during their first years of study. Go with the flow and do not fall by the wayside! Gain important life and work experience abroad travelling to the beautiful country of Chile and become a Work & Traveler!
Read the program description here: Working Holiday in Chile