As we travel the Earth, taking steps in new places, it feels good to leave something behind. It’s one thing to blow through a destination, and another to connect with it. It’s a strange thing I’ve noticed: the adventurous backpacker, is the new resort vacationer. Each country has its well-traveled roads. Backpacking made easy, lined with hostels, cafes and bars. Each country has its tours, and guided expeditions. These things keep the traveler in a bubble, walking the same path that every other traveler walks. Authentic, real experiences in a country are a rare diamond find, that I see people dreaming about. Longing to feel a part of a new place, travellers will go to in search of ways to be less foreign.

One can’t break free of the well-walked path, going out to the clubs in the Philippines, with a crowd of other foreigners like yourself. One can’t break out of the bubble eating pizza somewhere in India. Authentic experiences come from authentic people. Connect with people. Leave something behind.

There are people, everywhere, willing to open their doors to travelers. There are those, willing to trade food for a little help, or a couch, for a new friendship.

Volunteering or finding a work trade, is one of my favourite ways to see the world. It’s the chance to live with local people, diving into local projects and local businesses. It’s an experience of what it means to live somewhere and the people you meet make it even more worth it. Through this exchange, we reinvent the cost of travel, harnessing the currency of skills and labour.

How to Connect

HelpX.net

Helpx was the first website I discovered, years ago. Since then, the sign-up fee has gone up a little, but don’t let the cost scare you away. Paying for a membership ensures to hosts that you’re serious, and also adds legitimacy to the people hosting you.

Helpx is a database of hosts around the world. There are a wide range of experiences from organic farm stays and hostels, to simply, a local looking for help on their boat. I highly recommend.

WorkAway.info

WorkAway is almost identical to helpx in the way it runs. It’s slightly more expensive but allows you to upload video to your profile. It seems to be the more popular choice between people I’ve met traveling, but from my experience, hosts on WorkAway are also on Helpx, although a certain site may be more commonly used depending on which country you’re in. Both sites however, allow you to browse options before paying a membership fee. It may be worth the time to check out both Helpx and WorkAway before choosing your route.

HippoHelp.com

A completely free version of the above two options that allows you to register through your FaceBook account. I’ve never used this one myself, but have heard good reviews. HippoHelp offers an interavtive map that allows you to better choose hosts based on location.

WWOOF.net

Perhaps the most well-known, WWOOFing is a great site for travellers interested in agriculture and working outside. The above sites that I have mentioned offer a variety of experiences, but wwoofing is strictly organic farm stays. They operate is 83 countries around the world. Wwoofing also requires a membership fee.

TrustedHouseSitters.com

My most recent discovery. Trusted Pet Sitters is also an international database. The membership fee is $100, making it the priciest option I’ve listed, and it’s also the most competitive. Trusted Pet Sitters connects you to people traveling, looking for someone to care for their pets while they’re away. This is done on an exchange basis. Pet sitters live in the hosts home while caring for their pets. Hosts on this website are not looking for a young partier, so be prepared to up the profile, and give off a professional vibe. It’s hard to build up a reputation and a long list of reviews until you gain momentum, but once you do, this website offers some luxurious options.

GreatAuPair.com

This one isn’t a volunteer site. Great Au Pair connects you to live in nanny jobs around the world, that pay. The site also has opportunities for pet/ house sitting, personal assistant, and tutoring. If you like working with children, it’s worth checking out.

Creating Your Profile

This is your resume. Sell yourself. Hosts are often looking for a variety of skills such as carpentry, electrical, gardening/ landscaping, experience with animals, customer service, food preparation, language…Of course it depends on what you’re applying for, but get creative and dig deep into what you can do. Talk about past work experience and talk about your hobbies. It’s always helpful, too, to take a look at other profiles on that site, and see what other people say.

Include pictures! Select nice photos of yourself, and make them relevant to the kind of things your applying for. If you’re going for pet sitting, you want photos of you with animals. If you’re going for farming, find photos of you on a farm. And if you have the platform to upload a video, do it, it makes a difference, trust me.

Reaching Out

Take your email to a host seriously. This is your cover letter essentially. Introduce yourself. Tell them why you want to work with them, specifically. In this letter, you’ll want to focus more on what you can do for THEM, and less on what they can do for you. Always offer to video chat with a host prior to arriving.

Then, FOLLOW UP, FOLLOW UP, FOLLOW UP

I really can’t preach this enough. Most of the gigs I’ve landed, from volunteering to actual jobs have been because I followed up. If you don’t get an answer, a week to two weeks later, send another message, expressing your interest again. It works, almost every time.

Asking the Right Questions

From my hosting experience, there are things that I’ve learnt should definitely be clarified. If you don’t ask these questions before arriving, be sure to ask them upon meeting your host.

How many hours a day will I work?

Do I get days off?

What specific things are you expecting of me?

Are there any costs that I need to cover?

I have had Helpx experiences where I find that I end up over worked because I didn’t clarify what they were expecting of me. Yes, you want to be helpful, but you also want to enjoy the place you’re in. Most placements require 4 hours of work a day and give you 1-2 days off a week. They usually cover all food costs for you as well. Beware of volunteer traps where you end up paying to work for free.

How do I arrive at your place?

Where will I sleep?

What kinds of things do you usually eat?

Have you hosted before?

What problems have you had with past volunteers?

Ask all the questions that come to mind. It’s better for everything to be out in the open.

How to be a Good Worker

So you got the gig. I’ll let you in on a little secret. Hosts don’t want another 18 year old they need to babysit. Or a 20 year old, or a 25 year old…

Hosts appreciate if you can look after yourself. Ask if you have questions, of course, but also, do what is asked of you and notice what needs to be done before they tell you. Make yourself useful and available. Don’t hide in your room. Don’t stay out too late every night. This is a work trade, so it’s important to put in your share. Work hard, it won’t go unnoticed.

Getting your first few hosts will be the trickiest. The more hosts you get the more reviews you’ll have to back you up, and it will become easier. You want good reviews, so do a good job.

Staying Safe

The membership fee to these sites helps weed through hosts that you may not want to stay with, but you should be aware that there is always a risk involved when you go to stay with someone you’ve never met, especially if you’re away from home, off the grid or don’t speak the language. That’s why it’s important to ask questions before arriving. Video chatting prior to traveling is a good idea for both you and your host. And do listen to that gut feeling. If a situation doesn’t feel right, it might not be. It’s okay to leave..

As a girl, who travels alone, I can say I’ve never had any issues, but I have heard stories. It’s not to say be afraid, but be aware. Make sure someone knows where you are. Give your hosts address to a friend or family member before you head out. And always know the bus/ flight options for if you do need to leave in a hurry.

Create Your Own Opportunities

I met a girl this past year in Thailand, Sarah, who told me of her remarkable experience in Vietnam. She simply contacted a hospital, completely on her own, looking for a volunteer placement. The hospital invited her, and she spent a year working there. A month into being in Vietnam, one of the ladies working at the hospital, offered her a room in her home. Her stories of this experience were beautiful, and inspiring.

The networks and data bases are great and make things easier, but you can get creative and find other ways to volunteer as you travel, on your own. Reach out to people.

Becoming a Professional Volunteer