It’s always nice to have some form of money coming in when you’re travelling, and if you don’t manage to find any form of work, you may have to cut your long vacation short. Most people who are going on a gap year will save a significant amount of money beforehand, but some find that this money soon runs out.

If you’re fortunate enough to be travelling in an English speaking country like USA or America, you may be able to pick up agriculture work like farming or fruit picking. This is something many travellers do when spending time in Australia, and there are plenty of opportunities out there.

Retail jobs can also be a good option, but again you may need to be able to speak the language to land a job. There is sometimes paid aid work in various countries throughout Africa and Asia, and this is another way of earning money but you’ll also be doing something you can be proud of. Many British people spend time as English teachers in Asian countries, and this is another option, and the good news is you rarely need a degree to be able to teach English abroad.

A career back can be perfect if you want to try out a new career, or if you’re looking to volunteer and give back to a community. You may also want to study a subject that you’re passionate about or simply take a gap year to explore the world.

There are so many reasons why people take career breaks, but sometimes circumstances prevent people from taking some time out. If you ‘can’t afford’ to give up your job or are worried about the impact on your career prospects, then you may want to think about the advantages. Some employees like seasoned travellers, or people who have dedicated their time to an area that they’re passionate about, and it could boost your career if you decide to return to the same type of role that you held previously.

It takes character, bravery and initiative to take a career break, but you should always leave your current employer on good terms, because you never know when you’ll need them again.

If you’ve always wanted to explore Australia, then you can get a working holiday visa. This lasts for 12 months, and you can extend it for a further 12 month if you’ve completed 3 months of agriculture work. This usually means fruit picking and farm hand jobs, but of course you don’t have to undertake this type of work if you’re only looking to stay down under for one year.

It can be a bit of a wake up call when you go from your 9-5 admin role in the UK to a fruit-picking job in Australia, but it’s all part of the experience. You can apply for sponsorships too, but competition for these roles are fierce. A working holiday visa is certainly more about holidaying than working, and if you’re looking to develop your career, this may not be the right type of visa for you.

As a rule of thumb, use this route if you want to earn some money to fund your holiday travels, but don’t use it if you’re looking to further your career.