Being a chef is a wonderful job to travel with, you can go to almost any country and find work very quickly and the basic skills and techniques that you learn in your workplace here will translate very easily into international workplaces.
Australian chefs are well regarded internationally, we have a well structured apprenticeship system coupled with great training facilities and quality trainers.
But all that being said, the question still remains, how do you find a job in a country that you have never been to before? How do you know if the pay and conditions are correct? Do you need to have a job before you get there? Will there be language barriers? Do I have the right Visas and how do I go about sorting things like tax numbers and all of the other questions that might come up. I will attempt to answer what I can, with some answers from the personal experiences of Shana and I and also some links to helpful websites.
So lets start at the start:
Your apprenticeship is over and your feet are getting itchy, you have decided that it is time to get out there, broaden your horizons, see the world and take a working holiday.
The first thing you might want to think about is this, what sort of experience do you want? Would you like to gain some experience in a leading restaurant or is your main focus to travel and see as much as possible? As with Australia, the better the venue you work in, the longer the hours and the more devoted they will expect you to be with your work. It might be worth considering working in a simple pub/cafe when you first arrive, settle in and travel a bit and then spend your final 6 months grafting hard in an amazing restaurant.
Next, who will you go with? This decision might be easy, you might have a partner or a close friend who wants to do the same thing. For some people, you might be facing the daunting decision of if you should just go by yourself. This is a question that only you can answer, it must be said though that when you travel, you tend to make friends very quickly. You will come across other travellers and locals who understand the situation that you are in and you will be amazed by their generosity and willingness to open their lives to you. Our advice? Don't miss out on the trip of a lifetime just because you can't find anyone to come along.
Visas! Plan early, some visas can take a very long time to process. Make sure you have read the working visa requirements well (some require you to have a certain amount of savings in the bank and a return flight home paid for). Be very thorough in your application, some Visa applications require you to fly to Melbourne or Sydney to finalise your Visa. Adhere to the conditions of your Visa, things like overstaying your visa or breaching your visa conditions can mean that getting a visa in the future (even to a different country) can be more difficult.
To get a job first or wait until you get there? This is a big question and one that a lot of people get very nervous about. The first piece of advice I have is never pay a recruiter/ anyone to help you find work. For six months before you leave, have a good look at the jobs that come up in the area that you are planning on going to. Pay attention to things like the wages that are being offered, hours and responsibility levels. Also have a think about if there are any well known restaurants in that area that you aspire to work in, send your resume to these places first. Most recruitment companies will want to speak with you in person before they put you up for jobs but you can certainly phone them from Australia and get a feeling for what they are after and book an interview with them in the first few days of your arrival. Mostly, don’t stress too much, chefs are very highly sought after, if you really search for it, you will find work in your first couple of weeks.
Bank Accounts! These can be a bit of a nightmare to set up, especially since you will often be trying to set it up before you have a fixed address. Companies like first contact can assist you with setting up an account before you leave Australia if you think you will need it.
In many of the biggest cities like London, a lot of employers will pay for a recruitment company to help them find workers, the recruitment company will advertise and you will be applying for jobs through recruitment companies. Often these companies will have 10-15 different jobs going at any one time. These companies will tell you exactly what you will need and how to get things like Tax numbers etc. Don’t be daunted or feel pushed around by these companies, you are an asset to them so ask any questions that you may have and remember that you are the customer, not vice versa.
What about when you actually get into the kitchens, will there be language and cultural barriers? Of course there will, you are going to another country to immerse yourself in another culture so don’t get annoyed when you find it is also in your workplace. Be patient and understanding of the many cultures that you will come in contact with in the workplace and learn a little bit from each. Language barriers can be hard but in the kitchen, a lot of terminology is universal and basic gestures will get you a long way.
Workplace laws and rights. The UK and USA especially tend to have much more modern and rigorous workplace protocols and laws. Try to learn what you can and ask for the companies guidelines/ workplace protocols. The rules in the UK especially represent what Australian standards will be like in the next 5 years. Things like temperature logging and WHS laws that we are only just seeing implemented here have been operational in the UK for near on 10 years. If your workplace offers any courses or information sessions, do them, they will give you a far more sound understanding of best practise and your obligations in the workplace.
Lastly, have an amazing time. Working overseas is an amazing opportunity and travelling and working in another country can really shape you and your career in a short time. If you want to work somewhere amazing while you are there, keep trying, you will find something good. Or if you are finding your job too stressful and aren’t enjoying the experience, then take a break and go and see some of the amazing sites.
