An attitude that works
Japan, which is just opening to Taiwan applicants, is much more urbanized and offers more diversity in terms of jobs than either New Zealand or Australia. Ariwang (an online moniker that roughly translates as "King of Japan") has lived and studied in Japan. During his seven years in Tokyo, he had a number of short-term jobs, including making business plans for a publishing house, working as a convenience store clerk, directing traffic at night, and service station attendant.
Aspiring young applicants for Japan's working holiday program can either look for jobs through the Japan Association for Working Holiday Makers (JAWHM), an officially recognized nonprofit organization, or as Ariwang points out, they can flip through free magazines, available at major bus and railway stations around the country, showing local work opportunities. With a little bit of effort, it shouldn't be hard to find a suitable job.
He also suggests, however, that young people who want to take advantage of the working holiday program "should first think about what their objectives for working in Japan are."
Ariwang says if it's to earn as much money in as little time as possible to do some traveling, males can consider grave-shift jobs like his when he worked at a filling station in Roppongi, an area with a thriving nightlife. The hourly pay for the night shift topped ¥3,000 (about NT$1,100). (That's where he met the renowned Japanese film star Takako Matsu.) If your goal, however, is a more leisurely paced life that allows you to experience Japan and its people more in depth, you might consider opportunities in scenic areas around the country.
"Take a skiing enthusiast friend of mine, for instance. He looks for work at large ski resorts every winter, so that he can make money and ski for free. What can I say? He works hard and plays hard," Ariwang explains.
When studying for his doctorate at Kyushu University, Luo Jili, assistant professor in the Soochow University Department of Japanese, had a short-term job providing airport pick-up services for an airline. He suggests that young people who go to Japan on a working holiday program learn from the Japanese in the workplace-the way they speak with others, their sense of propriety, their methodical and conscientious attitude.
He shares an example. One time, he felt it would be too much of a hassle to explain clearly how to get to Huis Ten Bosch (a famous theme park in Kyushu), despite the fact that his company required that he do so for customers who had purchased tickets for self-paced tours. As a result, the customers took the wrong bus and not only did they get lost, it delayed the latter half of their trip. "After being raked over the coals, I never again dared to slack off. I have never forgotten the lesson I learned that day."
Language skills key
Working holidays boast a plethora of benefits, but bad experiences of youths working in Australia have also been making their way into the news lately. Complaints include the high living costs and that many find job hunting harder than expected. Young people often discover they have burned through their savings before they have found a job."
In order to prevent this kind of disaster, Christine, our working holiday model from Australia, suggests that young people that want to take advantage of similar programs do their homework before setting out. They need to familiarize themselves with the local conditions, social customs, and the people of their target country as well as study information they'll need to live and work there. When you arrive, you'll need to make friends with young people from other countries also living there to learn helpful information that you can best get from other backpackers, information that will help you land the kind of job you want.
Ariwang points out that most countries don't place any requirements on language skills of applicants, but in Japan, for example, if you don't speak Japanese it's very difficult to live there, much less get a job. "If you can't even understand what a customer is ordering, how do you expect the owner of a restaurant to hire you?"
Ariwang also explains that they look for the same things in potential employees abroad as they do in Taiwan. Young people that are positive, enterprising, and who speak the language well usually find they have more job opportunities. "The real key is still your personal competitiveness."
Because of the flexibility that they offer to potential travelers, working holiday programs have been embraced by young people the world over. They are obviously not perfect, but unhappy experiences also help us to learn and grow. Doing everything in your power to prepare before setting out is the best way to ensure that you really enjoy both your work and your play during your working holiday.