7 reasons to work and travel in Canada this summer

Don’t choose between a summer holiday or a summer job – combine both with two months in Canada. It’s a no-brainer.

Sure, you could spend the summer working at the local shop, like you do every summer, teaching Margaret how to use contactless. Or, you could take matters into your own hands and choose a working holiday in Canada this summer – earn, see more of the world, and most importantly, get as far away from Margaret as possible.

Here are 7 reasons to swap summer at home for one in Canada.

The great Canadian outdoors

Canada is built for outdoorsy types. And summer is the best time to get outdoorsy. Long days on the beach, afternoons on sunny city terraces, weekends in national parks. It's what summer was designed for. And the Canadian weather gods are much more forgiving than the miserable eejits that rule the Irish skies. Even if you’re based in in the big cities, a weekend kayaking on the lakes is only ever a glorious hour away.

New experiences

There’s no need to cast shade on anything in Ireland, the clouds do the hard graft there. However, let’s be honest... Canada just has better stuff. Ireland has the Blarney Stone, Canada has the Rocky Mountains. Ireland has badgers and seals, Canada has bears and humpback whales. Ireland has your mam nagging you ‘what are you gonna do with your life?’ Canada has about 3,000 kilometres of Atlantic Ocean between you and your extended family.

Holiday paychecks

Sounds obvious, but you’re being paid, even though it might feel like a summer holiday. It's up to you whether you stash it under the bed or blow it all on maple taffy and 4am poutine. But whether saving or spending, you’ll be earning more than you would sat around in the local beer garden on a chilly Saturday night in Cork.

New life skills

Stay in Ireland and you’ll be spending your summer explaining Freshers Week to your gran, helping your dad operate online banking, and listening to your mam deep dive into how she just destroyed Doreen on Words with Friends. Go to Canada and do something for yourself. Spending two months anywhere, living independently, will give you real life practical skills – whether that’s in the workplace or learning how to navigate new cities and cultures. You’ll need to adapt and adjust, skills that will prepare you well for life after uni.

Future employability

Needless to say, ‘spending the summer working in Canada’ looks better on the CV than ‘finally beat Meggsy on MarioKart’. Regardless of what job it is, working abroad shows ambition, curiosity and independence – a good thing to have in your pocket at future job interviews.

Two-year visa

If it’s nice, you can do it twice. Canadian working holiday visas are multi-entry, so you can head back the following summer too.

It’s an alternative abroad for your summer

If you've already ticked off your J1 in the USA or you're looking for a new adventure, then Canada is a great alternative. With our USIT Work Canada packages, you can pre-arrange either a 2-3 month summer hospitality or contstruction job in Vancouver or Toronto, or if you can stay out beyond the summer – a 4-6 month resort job working in one of Canada's summer playgrounds such as Whistler, Banff, Jasper or Panorama.