If you’re a recent college grad, I don’t need to tell you – the job market is tough right now.

Many students are considering their options – accepting a less-than-glamorous position, traveling (if they have the money) or attending graduate school – to avoid the poor economy for as long as they can.

Our friends in Australia have another option for you to consider – working abroad. The Australian government  just extended their working visa program to a full year, which is far longer than most countries around the world. This allows you the time to try out a few different positions, really get a chance to immerse yourself in the local culture and – if necessary – get the training you need to qualify for the job you want.

Flipping Burgers or Catching Waves?

Here are some of the options for working abroad in Oz:

• Ranch Hand – “Like a rhinestone cowboy…” That was the first thing that came into my head, but back to the actual job. You’ll get the training you need and a job placement to set you up to work as a rand hand in the Outback. Perfect if you really like that movie Australia.
• Surfing Instructor – Even if you don’t know how to surf now, you will be shredding the waves in no time as this program includes a thorough training course and certification to make sure you are prepared to teach others how to surf in the job they help you secure.
• Bartender – Who is more popular than the person handing out the alcohol? Learn how to dispense the beverages in Australia rather than learning at your local while serving your fifth grade Algebra teacher.

Make sure to check out these other options if none of those float your boat.

Now onto the fun stuff. Maybe we sparked your interest in Australia and you’re thinking that this will be cake because the Aussies speak English too. Not so fast, mi amigo. The de facto national language of Australia is English, but with a whole mess of slang thrown in.

To help get you to Oz, we are giving away a free round-trip ticket* on V Australia to Sydney, Australia, to one lucky person who contributes to our Australian Phrasebook, which will be helpful once you get there.

To enter, all you have to do is comment on this blog post with your favorite or most useful bit of Australian slang.

On Friday, May 22, at 3 p.m. central we will select a winner – at random – from the submitted comments and that person will win the V Australia ticket. Make sure to use a valid e-mail address when you comment as that is how we will contact the winner.

*Fine Print
Valid for of one round-trip, positive-space Economy Class tickets on V Australia’s non-stop service from Los Angeles to Sydney, Australia. Blackout Dates apply: week before/after Easter & Christmas, June 15-August 15. Tickets are non-transferable, non-refundable and have no cash value. Frequent flyer mileage cannot be accrued. All applicable fees are the sole responsibility of the bearer of the ticket.Arrangements are subject to availability and space is capacity controlled.

Photo Credit: m.maddo on Flickr