The Skinny on hostel jobs: 9 Cool things about working in a hostel

The benefits of working in a hostel

 

Is working at a hostel the dream job that it’s cut out to be?  Moreover, is working and traveling the way to go?  Let’s face it, people who work at hostels have to put up with a lot of problems.  Guests can be both demanding and messy.  Hours can be long, and people can just drain you over time.  All of these factors might lead one to ask: with all the challenges of working at a hostel, are there any good things about working in a hostel? As a matter of fact, yes there are several factors that set hostel jobs apart from others that exist out there.

1. You meet people from around the world. This is probably the most obvious of the benefits of working at a hostel.  At any given time a hostel can be filled with people from many nations ranging from all corners of the world.  Every dinner is like a United Nations gathering.
2. You can travel vicariously through your customers.  Seriously, what other job in the world allows you to interact with people who inspire your future travels so much?  Because of both #1 and the fact that people at hostels are likely to be well-traveled and traveling still, you are able to live the travel life just by listening to stories alone.
3. Accommodation is free.  Where else can you have fun, live in wonderful cities, and live rent free?  Right, I have not found out how to do it either.
4. You can practice any language that you want to learn.  By working with so many internationals you have the opportunity to practice the many languages that they speak.  Most hostelers tend to be at least familiar with one other language outside of their own, giving you more options to learn.
5. You can get to know the city better.  By staying in one city for an extended period you can pass from the standing staring-at-a-map tourist to an effective city tour guide.  You can really get the local feel as in how to do it like a local and the ins and outs of the city.
6. There is always something to do. Activities from cooking to partying are readily available at your disposal daily.  It is never difficult to find someone energetic about going out for a drink or wanting to share a dinner meal.
7. Learning opportunities and cultural sharing.  It is one thing to meet people around the world; it is a completely different thing to live  with them.  Living with people will teach you about their cultures and the places that they have been firsthand.  All of the sharing together is great and highly beneficial for your learning curve.
8. Exposure to new demographics and personality types.  Similarly to #7 is the fact that you are exposed to a wide range of people and personalities.  You will be exposed to easy-going, difficult, different, foreign, black, white, pink, green, and anything else that happens to be passing through.  Who needs a sociology class?  The real world is there waiting eagerly to teach.
9. Networking opportunities.  By meeting a large amount of people you get a chance to network.  You can have an opportunity to meet people who can help you in your future travels or even in future business endeavors.

                                                                                          Globe Photo Courtesy of Freedigitalphotos.net

Have you ever worked in a hostel before?  What did you like most about working there?  

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