Working in 6 different countries : Abby shares her tips & stories

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Hello, can you introduce yourself?

Abby

Hello, I’m Abby, a 27-year-old from a beachy city in Australia. I am a serial mover, having lived and worked in six different countries – or you could say, a nomad! My number one passion in life is traveling and experiencing as much of the world as possible. I have spent all of my late teens and twenties travelling the globe and collecting experiences along the way.

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What motivated you to work abroad for about 6 months in each country? How do you usually choose your destinations?

Abby

I was first inspired to work abroad in my first year after high school, as I didn’t really know what I wanted to do with my life yet or whether I wanted to study at university — so I thought travelling might help.

Unfortunately — or fortunately, depending on how you look at it — I got addicted to the experiences I was having and kept on moving around!

I first chose the U.S. for a summer camp experience because that’s all I knew at the time. After that came my first real Working Holiday Visa in Canada, which I only learned about while I was in the U.S.

Most of the places I’ve lived and worked weren’t necessarily planned. They came about as I discovered visa opportunities or was inspired by people I met along the way and what they had done.

Discover our Guide to Working Holiday in Canada

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What types of work permits did you have in each country?

Abby

I’m very lucky, as an Australian, that we have a lot of mutual agreements with other countries that allow us to work and holiday easily abroad. In most cases, these have been ‘Working Holiday’ visas, which are aimed at people between 18 and 30 or 35.

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What was your first destination country, and what were your expectations before you left?

Abby

My first overseas work experience was in the U.S. for four months at a summer camp. I expected it to be just like the movies. In some ways it was, but there was also so much culture and variety of life there!

My first proper working holiday was in Canada for two years. I went over with an open mind and was excited for new experiences. Having already visited parts of the U.S., I assumed it would be quite similar in terms of nature, people, and lifestyle.

But Canada absolutely exceeded all my expectations and will always feel like a second home to me.

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Did you face any particular challenges when settling in these countries (housing, work, language, administrative procedures)?

Abby

Of course! Every country has come with its own challenges — some were easier than others. Japan and France were definitely the most difficult for me as an English speaker. I did my best to learn the languages, but I still needed a lot of help when it came to understanding tax information, pay slips, registering with the local town hall, etc.

Countries like Canada were much easier, but still required a lot of administrative work to get set up. It’s definitely tiring to go through the process of opening bank accounts, filing taxes, setting up phone numbers, finding work and accommodation, etc.

But I’ve found that doing these tasks so often has helped me grow in self-reliance, financial literacy, and global understanding.

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In each country where you worked, how did you find the job market?

Abby

In a way, the job market has felt the same to me all over the world. In industries like hospitality, there’s always a need for workers, and hiring international staff often benefits the business.

That said, countries where I didn’t speak the language fluently were definitely more challenging when it came to finding work — but in the end, I always managed to find something. You have to stay optimistic, look hard, and not be too picky.

Tips to find jobs during a WHV

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What types of jobs did you have in these countries, and how did you find those opportunities?

Abby

Hospitality is the main industry I have been in. From working in hotel reception, housekeeping and serving (F&B). I always look at websites such as Seek and Indeed, but I have also found Facebook communities to be a great advantage too! I found my first job in France through a local community group where companies would actively post job positions for the area. So now when I am looking for a job in a new country, I always search through the usual job postings, Facebook groups or I do my research on the area and directly message companies and businesses I am interested in!

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Did you notice any significant differences in terms of the cost of living and salaries between these countries?

Abby

Coming from Australia where our wages are quite high, I definitely felt a bit of pressure in all of the other countries I have worked in. However, I found that most of the time, the pay would even out with the country’s cost of living. Living this kind of lifestyle is not a long term saving-solution that’s for sure. In all of my overseas work experiences, I was able to always have enough money to live comfortably and travel after my working season/temporary job was over.

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Can you share your best travel memories? And the less good ones?

Abby

My number one travel memory is seeing Mount Everest for the first time. I am a big mountain lover, and seeing the tallest mountain in the world was a spiritual experience for me. I completed the two-week trek to base camp and back, without a doubt my most cherished and talked about experience.

There is always going to be ‘less-than-ideal travel experiences’ but without shading or giving hate to any country or city, I would say that these bad experiences have all been at the fault of my poor planning or poor weather. Also plenty of places I have visited and thought, “Yep, I’ve seen it and don’t need to come back”. That’s okay too!

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Do you have any tips to share for those who would like to work abroad for a few months, like you did?

Abby

I would say the biggest thing is to go into it with an open mind. You are not always going to find the exact job you want and maybe not the exact place you had in mind to live. You have to loosen your expectations when you move abroad to be open to whatever comes your way.

My number one tip would be to research as much as you can. Use social media as much as possible. Look up locations and hashtags on TikTok and Instagram specifically to get an understanding of what real life looks like in the places you want to go to. Use this to find businesses and potential job opportunities.

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What was the biggest lesson you learned from your experiences abroad?

Abby

Everything is temporary. Your hardest and most difficult experiences are going to pass and in the same sense, your best and greatest experiences are also fleeting. This is a great practice of gratitude for me and also helps me get through some difficult experiences I may have while traveling.

I find that a lot of people are afraid to make the first step to move abroad because they wonder if they won’t like it or if things won’t work out but I always say “You can just leave”, and that’s the beauty of living this lifestyle. If something isn’t working for you, try something else! You also find so much deep appreciation for life because you understand things will change and not last forever.

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What are your future plans?

Abby

For now, I am living on a small island in the tropical north of Australia. I have been craving being in Australia for some time now, and being here is like being on holiday but still within Australia! At the moment, my focus is to spend more time with family and do small trips in Australia but I am already getting ‘itchy feet’ and thinking about plans to Southeast Asia in the near future.

Abby: Living and working in 6 different countries

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