Flying the nest: why consider letting your child work abroad

As a parent or guardian, you reasonably know that, at some point, your child will leave home to have adventures and experiences of their own – without you. But when that becomes reality, it can be hard for your concerns to not get the better of you.

With most of our team having gone off on their own work abroad adventure at some point, we know the benefits that are out there. But we also know that our program parents need a bit of reassurance as well. Here are the top reasons why your child should choose JENZA – from a parent’s perspective

We have 60 years of experience

We’ve got a young mindset, but we have decades of experience. Having helped over 500,000 students and young people with making their travel dreams come true in that time, we’ve seen it all and have helped our customers through it all – including a global pandemic.

We're a member of the WYSE Work Abroad Association and the British Educational Travel Association (BETA)

This membership means that we’re the first to hear about changes in global travel conditions, trends, issues, and partner discounts – which we can pass immediately and directly on to our customers. These memberships also provide our team with cutting edge training to ensure that we stay the best in the industry at what we do.

We offer a variety of working holiday and internship options

JENZA offers a variety of experiences – so you and your child can choose one that suits their travel goals and that you feel confident in too. Whether that's due to the length of the experience, the cost, the destination, and what will be expected of them when they arrive. Be a part of the process which will help you get excited for them too.

The benefits of travelling abroad

Submerging themselves in a foreign culture apart from their support systems has helped past JEN-setters flourish. From improving their soft skills such as confidence, communication, adaptability and responsibility, to gaining valuable and practical work experience, the benefits waiting for your child can’t be quantified.

But improving their future employability isn’t the most valuable benefit of JENZA's experiences. Here are a few more reasons its worth your child doing a working holiday abroad:

Character building

Your child will learn new skills that they can apply to their future career. From teamwork and leadership skills to learning new languages, the skills they’ll gain will stand out on their CV and will give them an incredible talking point during interviews, plus gain them a heap of new found confidence.

Improves cultural awareness

Not only will they be able to travel to some incredible locations, but they’ll actually be able to live there – something not everyone can say they’ve done! They’ll experience new cultures, gain more confidence and get a perspective on life that only really comes with exploring new places.

Increases language skills

Going on holiday to a new country is only going to get you so far with the local language, but living and working there really helps you to immerse yourself in the colloquial lingo. This opens so many more doors in their future, from more jobs to general improved self esteem when they can hold conversations in more than one country.

Encourages independence

From the people they live and work with to the communities they build, they are bound to make friends for life. They’ll also be pushing themselves outside of their comfort zone constantly, which is a sure-fire way to increase your confidence and independence.

Take it from some of our alumni, Ian B and Jessica

“I had many wonderful experiences during my two summers, but by far the longest lasting legacy that I have is the many friendships that have endured over the years since then.” – Ian B.

“My best insider tip is JUST DO IT. Don’t over think it, don’t panic about it, things will always work out. And if they don’t, then it wasn’t meant to be. Your home will always be waiting for you. Yes, I would absolutely do it again. Travelling gives you more appreciation for the little things in life, makes you open your eyes and be more aware of who you are as a person. It’s not always easy and certainly has its challenges, but it’s an experience I will never forget.” - Jessica

Get in touch

Your child isn’t just a number or another visa application to our team. JENZA continues to care about our customers throughout the entire process. With 60 years of experience across our three sibling brands JENZA, USIT and BUNAC, we have established travel insurance partners to guarantee our participants comprehensive travel, medical and baggage cover for their entire trip. Our team of experts also provides full support to our travellers – including resources they need to plan their adventure and help with finding jobs and/or accommodation if necessary. JENZA also provides 24/7 emergency support for all our members, including a team on the ground wherever our attendees are to ensure help is always available.

We know the idea of working abroad is nerve-wracking – both for you, and your child. But the advice that our past customers have shared is, “Don’t overthink it – just do it.” And if things don’t work out as planned, home is only a plane ride away.

Make sure to get in touch if you have any questions or want to know more.