What better way to combine travel and sunshine with earning money and gaining some experience? Bagging yourself a summer job abroad might be the perfect experience for you.What summer job could you do?There really are too many summer jobs to mention, but you could work as a holiday rep, as a campsite courier either at a big organised family holiday park or perhaps at a festival; as a mentor on a sports camp, a lifeguard, fruit picking or as a bar worker.It goes without saying that if you want to work abroad in the summer then you’ll need a passport. For some jobs you will need to be over 18 (or 21) and for some specific jobs, such as lifeguard, you will need to be qualified.Getting a summer job abroad doesn’t have to part of any gap year plans that you have, it can just be a way of gaining experience and of earning some money whilst also seeing another country (or at least part of it)Although a summer job abroad is a good way of grabbing some sunshine as well as earning money, you shouldn’t expect it to be a holiday. You’ll be expected to work hard, just as you would if you were working here in the UK. For example, being a holiday rep might initially just look like great fun (and I’m sure it is) – it is also demanding.Paying tax on your earningsWhen you work abroad, the same rules apply – you will have to pay 20% income tax on your earnings. However, if you are employed by a non-UK company then you won’t pay national insurance.Where to find a summer jobThere are plenty of companies on the internet that list summer job opportunities abroad. For example gap year jobs lists many live opportunities and Summer Jobs Abroad allows you to search for the kind of job that you are interested in.Many people gain a great deal from their experience working abroad and really find that it adds to their confidence and also to their CV when they are applying for jobs back home. Don’t forget that it can be a great opportunity to develop your foreign language skills too.
