HELLO
Yay, summer's here.... oh wait. Well it was here anyway, blink and you missed it. If that lovely weather has got you yearning for foreign climes, and the subsequent cold and rain has made you yearn even more, we are here to help!
Today's newsletter is packed with lovely career breaks, tips and advice, and our new feature highlighting a section of the site. We've also got our usual round-up of free stuff, competitions and discounts, the photo corner, a joke (actually funny this time) and possibly the most useful blog post we've ever published on how to get a job.
Thank you to all the lovely people who sent us positive comments on our shiny new revamped site. We really do appreciate it! If you've got any suggestions for what we should have on the site - or shock horror, if you've spotted a mistake - let us know!
SPONSORED: RALEIGH
Want to explore different cultures, meet new people and go on an incredible adventure all while doing something worthwhile? It’s time to unleash your inner Bear Grylls, release your David Attenborough and summon the Amelia Earhart in you!
Raleigh International need Volunteer Managers aged 25-75 to help lead expedition programmes in Malaysian Borneo, Nicaragua & Costa Rica, Nepal and Tanzania. You’ll spend 8 or 13 weeks out on project sites leading groups of young volunteers, or supporting the smooth running of the expedition from fieldbase.
The work focuses on water, sanitation and hygiene, protecting vulnerable environments, building community resilience and developing young leaders. You could be working at project sites deep in the Malaysian jungle conserving one of the most bio-diverse places on the planet, working alongside community members in rural Nicaragua or trekking in the foothills of The Himalayas. Choose between a range of Project Manager roles and whichever role you choose, you’ll create positive change in remote communities around the world that need it most. What are you waiting for?! Click here to apply now.
FREE STUFF, DISCOUNTS AND COMPETITIONS
Win a trip around the world for a whole year! Fab competition from Canon - just write a 50-word story and post it with a pic on Instagram.
Win a trip around the UK with first class train tickets from GWR. All you have to do is submit a photo of somewhere they go to. Also, they're having a sale at the moment, so if you want to go and visit your nan before your career break, now's the time!
£9 a month sim-only offer from Virgin gives you 4G data (12 month contract) - ends today so hurry!
Free app to help you stay safe while you travel - with both physical and digital security covered.
Free travel writing downloads from Birds of a Feather - these are amazingly useful if you want to write or blog about your travels.
Free ebook on how to travel like a pro for signing up to the Nomadasaurus newsletter (what a great name!)
Free app to find cheap bus, train and plane tickets in the UK and across Europe. This is one of the most useful apps we've seen because it shows you the time taken as well as the price and company. Special thanks to the guys at Gopili for giving us the heads-up!
NEW AND UPDATED CAREER BREAKS
Literally everything on the site was updated when we relaunched, and we added some new career breaks too. You can see all our fab career breaks here.
**NEW SECTION** NEW ON THE SITE
Over the coming months, we'll be highlighting some new features and sections on the site, so you don't miss anything.
This month we want to direct you to our shiny new Destinations section. It means if you've got your heart set on a particular place, you can look at all the career breaks in that region, and all the organisations that can help you travel there.
Click here to look at our Destinations pages.
ON THE BLOG
This is probably the most useful post we've ever published on how to get a job. It's an interview with social media recruitment expert Tony Restell and OMG he dishes up so much insider info! Basically, he goes into how the jobs market has changed over the last 5 years, and what you need to do to get a job interview (spoiler: it's not that hard).
Read the interview with Tony here.
PHOTO CORNER - YOUR MONTHLY DOSE OF INSPIRATION
The winners of the iPhone photography competition have been announced. The photos are from all around the world and cover a range of subjects. Check it out!
TIP OF THE MONTH
Get a big mesh bag to do your laundry in while you travel. It means you're less likely to lose socks, and if you're doing a small load, can share a machine with someone else. (Thanks to the WI walkers whom we spotted doing this!)
If you have a tip for us, email us or tweet us.
QUESTION OF THE MONTH
Today's question comes from a reader who wishes to remain anonymous. He says: "I've been offered a sabbatical from work for my career break, but they said I can't do any paid work elsewhere while I'm on sabbatical. Can they do that?"
The short answer is yes, they can, and in fact, this is normal practice. While you're on sabbatical, you're still technically employed by the company so they can stipulate that you may not work anywhere else. The exception is if you're volunteering and receiving an allowance or stipend (or expenses).
If you've got a question, get in touch! We never reveal your name (unless you want us to!)
JOKE
Regular readers will be SHOCKED to hear that we received a COMPLAINT about the quality of the jokes in this newsletter. Mr M, we hope this one we nicked from Simon Lomas on Twitter is up to your standards!
My local pub has one of those machines that you have to hit as hard as you can.
A broken jukebox.
FINALLY
We're enjoying playing around with the new site and we hope you are too. We have lots of plans for new features and content. If you have any ideas for what you'd like to see - or even if you want to work or partner with us, get in touch!
Until next time,
Love,
The Career Break Site
xxx