Where will your Summer break take you?
Hundreds of students choose a working holiday with us every year. is it the perfect opportunity to save money and make memories at the same time. After all the studying, getting on that plane for the Summer of a lifetime is just what you need. We provide packages with accommodation and a network of fellow workers and potential employers. Read about the range of Summer Jobs abroad and check out the resorts.
Top Summer resorts to spend your gap year
Magaluf
A resort town on the Spanish island of Majorca famed for its nightlife and long sandy beach. An ever popular party place heaving with bars and clubs, cafes and restaurants. Magaluf also boasts a huge water park and the famous Pirates show of dancing and acrobatics. With so much on offer you can’t fail to spend a summer full of amazing memories.
Ibiza
Another of the Spanish Balearic Islands, Ibiza is home to world class beaches and some of the best nightclubs on the planet! There is more to Ibiza than just nightlife, however it boasts a huge dance scene attracting the best DJ’s from around the world.
Like any busy tourist resort you can expect plenty going on during the day too with beach clubs, boat trips & water parks. All this gives you plenty of summer job opportunities to find your fit for the perfect season.
Zante
On the Greek island of Zakynthos offering lively nightlife around a three and a half hours flight from the UK. Ever popular with British holidaymakers, it offers everything you could want from beautiful beaches, fun activities and plenty of bars and clubs. Home to the world famous Navagio (Shipwreck) beach this pocket of paradise could be the perfect place to spend your summer.
Malia
Located on the largest of the Greek islands, Crete, Malia boasts a huge beach and the long established Malia strip. One long road that has it all, shops, restaurants, bars, clubs and cafes. You’ll never have to venture far with everything going on, all this means lots of employers looking for temporary summer workers to meet the demands of peak season.
Kavos
The southernmost resort on the island of Corfu just off the mainland of Greece, Kavos is a popular holiday destination with young party goers. A long strip running parallel to the coast line hosts countless bars, restaurants, cafes and clubs. Come for the nightlife, but stay for the beautiful beaches and fun pass times on offer. Spend your summer in the sunshine with April through to September offering the best temperatures.
Ayia Napa
Found on the Southeast coast of the Mediterranean island of Cyprus, Ayia Napa is famous for its beaches and legendary nightlife. The main square is packed with restaurants, bars & clubs. A four-and-a-half hour flight from the UK you will find a resort full of everything to enjoy. Buzzing at night with clubs, Karaoke bars and foam parties, there’s still plenty to do during the day from water sports to chilled out beach clubs. This means plenty of job opportunities to keep the holidaymakers happy, so what better way to spend your summer season.
Tenerife
The largest of the Canary Islands & although located off the west coast of Africa, Tenerife is part of Spain. Its location means year round sunshine, making it a very popular destination for holidaymakers. This also means there are job opportunities all year round with both summer and winter seasons on offer. Playa de las Americas has the best nightlife with plentiful bars and clubs offering a lively music scene. With city-like resort’s Tenerife offers it all from water sports, windsurfing & diving to jeep safaris. A fun packed season around a four-and-a-half hour plane ride away is waiting for you.
Temporary Student Summer Jobs
Looking to spend your summer earning some extra money and gaining experience? Well, there are many ways to do it, but summer means one thing…..sunshine! So, to guarantee more of it, why not combine a job with a holiday resort. There are so many roles and locations to choose from. The perfect way to enjoy everything on offer and still have the chance to earn & learn, here are some of the most popular resorts.
Holiday Rep
Working as a Holiday Rep can be a way of gaining exceptional skills and will always look good on your C.V. Every resort needs someone to meet and greet passengers, help them safely to their accommodation and ensure they have all the information needed to enjoy a great holiday. You will need great communication skills, offer good customer service and be able to work under pressure.
Bar Work
With most holiday resorts heaving with bars & clubs, bar staff are always in demand. You will need to keep customers happy by making sure the drinks are flowing. Although this can be a great way to meet new people and enjoy working in a party atmosphere, it can be hard work especially in a busy venue. You will need good customer service skills, but don’t necessarily need previous experience.
Restaurant Staff
Working as restaurant staff can mean many different things. You could be serving or preparing food and drinks, taking orders and payments or helping to get people into the venue. Some roles like chef or supervisory jobs will require previous experience, but with so many hungry holidaymakers there are usually lots of restaurants looking for summer workers.
PR
The main job of a PR is to attract as many people as possible into their venue by approaching holidaymakers. This could be with a drinks offer, an event or simply convincing them it’s worth a stop! This takes confidence, the ability to talk to anyone and lots of stamina. Probably the best job for meeting people as you will talk to so many, but you will likely be on commission for the more people you get in, so don’t talk too long!
Ticket Sellers
Working as a Ticket Seller means promoting an event or activity such as a club night, boat trip or watersports. Each resort will have different things on offer, but all require ticket sellers to make sure it sells! You will need to be confident approaching holidaymakers (often in groups) and convince them it’s worth parting with their cash. A popular role as it offers flexible hours, but as it’s commission based, the more you sell, the more you earn.
DJ
Finding work as a DJ can be tough, employers are looking for someone they are confident can get their venue busy. Experience can really help to show what you can do, but a talent for mixing and playing music is key. If you know what can fill a dance floor or keep a bar busy, you could land a dream job & have the summer of a lifetime!
How to find a job
You’ve made the decision that a seasonal job abroad is for you, so how do you find work and what role? Once you land in a resort there are some key points that could help ensure you enjoy the experience.
Things to consider:
- Using a working holidays company like Ace means you will have introductions to employers looking for workers. There will be recruitment days where you’ll have the opportunity to promote yourself.
- You may have to do a work trial – Many employers want to see you can do the job before employing you, and be confident you can handle the pressures of the role and perform well before offering you the job. For something like bar work this could just be a few hours or 1 night.
- Showcase your skills – You don’t always need previous experience to land a summer job. Most employers are happy to offer training to do the job as long as you can show the right attitude, willingness to work and show good customer service & people skills.
- Apply for jobs that match your skills or experience – Some roles require previous experience or an existing skill set. For example you will not land a job as a DJ or Dancer without being able to prove you can do the job. If you do have a specific skill like a tattoo artist or fitness instructor, it’s worth seeing if you can put this to use.
Useful Tips for students looking for a summer job
Tip 1
You may need to try different roles – Don’t give up if the first thing you try doesn’t go well. This doesn’t have to mean you get the next flight home. Trying something else could change your summer for the better.
Tip 2
You’re on a working holiday – Remember to get paid, you will need to work. That means turning up and doing the job. In a party resort it’s very easy to take the night off to enjoy a club night or want to lie in after a late night. Work hard, play hard means you get the best of both worlds and money in your pocket
Tip 3
You’re a long way from home – If you’ve never spent time away from family and friends, this can be a shock at first, but it does get easier as you meet new friends and take your down time to enjoy what the resort has to offer. Any season doesn’t last forever, so as long as you’re getting something from it and enjoying the highs, any lows should pass.
Tip 4
Reach out – If you have any questions, any concerns or are struggling in any way your Reps are there to help. You will hopefully also build a friendship group with like minded workers and other people you meet in your resort that can all offer support in different ways.
Tip 5
Think about the type of work – Most roles in a resort mean dealing with holidaymakers, overall this can be great fun but make sure you are happy working and interacting with people. These aren’t 9-5 office based jobs! Would you prefer to work during the day or at night? Most jobs are at night meaning you get that lie in, some do offer day work but that means getting out of bed before many so consider carefully.
Tip 6
What will you gain from the experience – It’s important to think about why you want to work a summer abroad. Do you want to meet new people, live & work in the sun, immerse yourself in a different culture, learn new skills? Will your role fulfil this? If you know the reason you’re doing it, you’re more likely to find the right role and the right resort for you.
Accommodation when working abroad
When working a summer abroad, you will also need somewhere to live. Finding the right accommodation that’s affordable and in the right location can be difficult. The benefit of using a working holidays company like Ace means this can be taken care of for you. Sourcing apartments in central locations with the best amenities due to long standing relationships with reputable landlords.
Student job FAQ
Not every employer will require a copy of your CV. However, if you have any previous work experience it’s worth putting something together as this could really help your chances of getting the job you want.
Most summer jobs do not require previous work experience. However, some will ask you to do a work trial prior to offering you the job to ensure you can perform the tasks required. Some roles like supervisory/managerial or skilled work such as Photographer or Hairdresser will require previous work experience.
This really is a matter of opinion. The ‘best’ resort for you will be one that offers what you’re looking for from your experience, and what you are hoping to get from a working summer abroad. All resorts have job opportunities so consider the location you will be living and working in. Does it have activities available you would enjoy in your down time, places you would want to explore, a culture & nightlife you’d like to be part of?
The application process will depend on the employer and the role. For example a Holiday Rep role with a large travel company will typically start with an online form followed by a formal application process, if successful progressing to interviews etc. Smaller employers in a resort will usually want to meet you face to face and offer a work trial initially before providing a job offer.
Most roles pay an average of 50-100 Euros per day. This will depend on the employer, the type of work. Some roles offer commission giving the opportunity to earn more based on your success.
If you need to return home for any reason, you are free to book a flight home at any time. A full summer season is typically from April through to September with the peak months being June/July/August. You do not have to work a full 6 months, however most employers recruit at the start of a season and again during peak months.
If you have any more questions get in touch with one of our reps!
