USA Short-Term Work

Traveling for long periods of time can get expensive; many travelers try their hand at odd jobs for a few weeks at a time to help finance another month or two of travel. A popular option is to work several hours a day at a hostel in exchange for free or discounted room and/or board. Most often, these short-term jobs are found by word of mouth, or simply by talking to the owner of a hostel or restaurant. Due to the high turnover in the tourism industry, many places are eager for help, even if it is only temporary. Good sites to search for hostels in the US along with the availability of short-term jobs are hostels.com, hiayh.org, and usahostels.com. Let’s Go lists temporary jobs of this nature whenever possible; look in the practical information sections of larger cities. Help-wanted sections in local newspapers and on websites like www.craigslist.org are helpful resources for short-term jobs in popular destinations. It is illegal to take a paid job without a work permit or visa.

Further Reading On Beyond Tourism.
Alternatives to the Peace Corps: A Guide of Global Volunteer Opportunities, by Paul Backhurst. Food First Books, 2005 ($12).
The Back Door Guide to Short-Term Job Adventures: Internships, Summer Jobs, Seasonal Work, Volunteer Vacations, and Transitions Abroad, by Michael Landes. Ten Speed Press, 2005 ($22).
Green Volunteers: The World Guide to Voluntary Work in Nature Conservation, ed. Fabio Ausenda. Universe, 2007 ($15).
International Job Finder: Where the Jobs Are Worldwide, by Daniel Lauber and Kraig Rice. Planning Communications, 2002 ($20).
Live and Work Abroad: A Guide for Modern Nomads, by Huw Francis and Michelyne Callan. Vacation-Work Publications, 2001 ($16).
Volunteer Vacations: Short-Term Adventures That Will Benefit You and Others, by Doug Cutchins, Anne Geissinger, and Bill McMillon. Chicago Review Press, 2006 ($18).
Work Your Way Around the World, by Susan Griffith. Vacation-Work Publications, 2007 ($22).

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Long-Term Work

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