The Unforgettable Experience

By Tanita Dos Anjos

My journey at Boca West Country Club has come to an end because I am a Swiss Hotel School student and I needed to be back in Johannesburg to attend lectures again this week. 

Never did I think that leaving Florida would be as hard as leaving Johannesburg, but sadly it was. I made friends with people I now consider family. We spent Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years and even birthdays together and in the short few months that I’ve known them they managed to creep into my heart and become my Florida family! I will forever cherish the memories I made in Florida with these incredible people. 

This experience was the most terrifying yet amazing experience of my life! Looking back at the person I was when I left Johannesburg to the person I am today, the change honestly amazes me! I feel like I’ve gained immense skills in the hospitality industry and grown so much as a person. 

I would 100% recommend this to someone who is looking to step out of their comfort zone, someone looking for a change of scenery or even someone seeking a bit of adventure! 

I am so grateful I got the opportunity to go on this unforgettable experience, I will take the lessons I’ve learnt with me throughout life. I can’t wait to see what the future holds. 

Peace out Florida!

Celebrating 20 years of helping South Africans gain international work experience

Workaway International has been successfully placing South African participants in US country clubs on seasonal contracts for 20 years, giving them the working experience of a lifetime, improving their career opportunities and broadening horizons through international travel. General Manager, Charlotte Quenet-Meintjes tells us more…

In 1999, we successfully recruited 60 participants to work at the Boca West Country Club for four months. Members of the country club fell in love with our participants due to their work ethic, discipline, manners, friendliness and overall drive and dedication.

We subsequently introduced a summer programme, allowing participants who had done the winter season with country clubs in the south to extend their contracts and work up north (New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, North Carolina and more). This allows participants to gain work experience at more than one country club during their time abroad, gives them the opportunity to meet more people and further expand their skillset.  

When Workaway International started, we only sent participants to the Boca West Country Club and today, we send them to more than 25 country clubs for the winter programme and 18 country clubs for the summer programme.

We also began recruiting candidates from other countries such as Ireland, Italy, Portugal, Spain and Romania. Workaway International sends approximately 1 300 participants to the USA each year, with participants coming from all over the world. In 2018, we sent 670 participants to work at 25 different country clubs in Florida, USA.

It is amazing to witness the candidates’ growth during the recruitment process. Candidates are nervous and hesitant when they attend the presentations, and through the recruitment process we see them gain confidence, experience and so much knowledge. They return from the USA, strong and independent, with such valuable work experience and skills, and all the worldly experiences that come from working in the USA. In addition, they have met people from all over the world and built up a valuable network of industry contacts and lifelong friends.

It is incredibly rewarding to be part of this process, which ultimately changes participants lives for the better. The Workaway International programme is such a great opportunity and stepping stone for those who want to expand and further their careers. Many who have completed the programme have gone on to become restaurant managers, general managers of hotels, executive chefs, restaurant owners, etc.

Reaching 20 years in any business is a milestone but also a testament to the fact that we love what we do. We love making dreams come true and giving South Africans the opportunity to expand their careers abroad. When we started the Workaway International programme we did not know if we would make it past the first or second season and, yet, here we are two decades later!

It would not be possible without all the amazing candidates who apply each year. Being around for 20 years has allowed us to touch and change many lives and for this I am extremely grateful. Looking ahead, I am very excited to meet new, deserving candidates and making even more dreams a reality!

Experiences and the upcoming endeavours

By Nzuzo Mkhungo

Hello, everybody! It is Nzuzo once again, it has been a while! The last two months have been so busy and in my previous blog, I did not get a chance to give you a glimpse of the Admiral’s Cove country club. What a magnificent place! Here are a few pictures…

Being in Florida and not visiting the beach is unheard of, so I paid my dues and visited Singer Island Beach. It was a lovely day and it resulted in many more visits thereafter. I also took the time to visit Walmart and the Gardens Mall which is a beauty on its own!

Being on the Workaway International programme taught me so much about myself. I have become more mature and it really encouraged me to think about my career and future in a more serious light. Time also flew by so quickly on the programme – it was Christmas and before I knew it, it was the end January and we were finalising our application for up north.

My next stop is North Dakota - another stamp on my passport and a foot in the right direction career wise. It has been a wonderful season. It is going to be a bitter sweet time for all of us as we all go our separate ways, but we are so happy for each other as we are moving in a positive direction.

The Final Countdown

By Tara Clampett

As we near the end of the season, time always seems to speed up…I feel this happening every season! And while I am very excited to go up north, I also always want more time…more time with my friends and colleagues who may have started out as just acquaintances at the beginning of the season. However, I know that this is partly because I have found my comfort zone here and the anticipation of new housemates, roommates, colleagues, surroundings is always a little daunting at first. But we all know that change is good and it’s the only way we grow so bring on summer 2019 in New York!

I will be spending this upcoming summer at Glen Oaks Club in Old Westbury, which is about a 40 minute train ride from New York City and being a city girl at heart, I cannot wait to visit NYC again! I will never forget my first time visiting the city in 2017…As cliché as it sounds, New York stole my heart. The energy in the city is truly amazing.

One of the many advantages of choosing to go up north after your Florida season is the opportunity for travel. In comparison to the winter season where almost all clubs are located in Florida state, up north there are Clubs located across the United States…I have friends going to clubs from New Mexico on the West coast to Block Island all the way over on the furthest part of the East coast. As many clubs up North are often smaller than Florida clubs you may find that it is easier to request time off to travel as well. My advice, and this is speaking from experience, is to spend your hard earned dollars on travelling as much as you can and not on online shopping as much as you can! Memories will last forever, while the clothes and other random unnecessary items you bought online will most likely end up in the trash at the end of the season when you have no space in your suitcases…

So to those going up North, work hard and travel hard…these are the years and memories we will cherish forever!

Half way there!

By Sonia Marques

Three and a half months down, three and a half months to go… where has time gone? By this time, you would have decided whether you want to go up north for the summer season or whether you want to go back home. Either way, your country club and Workaway are very involved and helpful in the process so there is nothing to worry about!

As the winter season starts to slow down, if you have not had the chance to travel, now would be the perfect opportunity to request time off. Recently I was lucky enough to travel out the country to Cancun, Mexico and what an experience that was! A one and a half hour flight and I landed in a different country, with a whole new way of living and a new culture to absorb. 

I stayed at Oleo Cancun Playa Boutique Resort, which is an all-inclusive beach resort at the heart of Mexico. With the crystal blue Caribbean Sea at my doorstep, I spent my days on the beach or by the poolside soaking up the Mexican Sun. Next time I am in Mexico I definitely want to visit one of the 7 wonders of the world: Chichen Itza, which is an ancient Mayan Civilisation. A couple of my friends went to the Bahamas, which is definitely on my to-do list while in the USA, this can be done by plane or on a cruise.

However, just because the season is slowing down does not mean that we, as employees, slow down. It is important to carry on working hard and to your best potential, especially if you want to be rehired by your country club. Therefore, work hard, play hard and make the most of your time left here in the USA.

All the best for the second half of your adventure!

“Always do your best. What you plant now, you will harvest later.”

-          Og Mandino.

With Love,

Preparing for the Next Chapter

By Tara Clampett

Wow…I cannot believe we are halfway through the season!

For many of us, this is a confusing time…time to decide whether to go up North for the summer season or to go back home. Many first time participants prefer to go home after their first season in the USA and this is exactly what I did back in 2016. I still remember a South African colleague telling me “Once you get home you’re going to wish that you were still in the USA”…And that is exactly what happened! I believe a lot of the time you return home only to realize how much you have grown over the past 6 months of living and working abroad. Additionally, travel opens up your eyes and you realize that there is so much more out there to see and experience.

This season I plan to go up North again for the summer. As much as I do miss my family and friends back home, I know that in twenty years’ time I will regret it if I don’t take the opportunity and try. The key word here being “try”. As many of you may know positions up North are limited and thus this can be a stressful time as we go through the interview process again. After being the Cape Town recruiter just a few months ago, I have recently been on the opposite side of the interview table again (being the interviewee) and boy, did I get nervous! However a few key points I have learnt through the recent interview process are:

Most important…be YOURSELF!

We all know that first impressions count so remember to smile and give a firm handshake. I am certain that every Country Club is looking for friendly, professional, polite and confident staff and these small gestures will show the interviewers that you possess these qualities.

Prepare beforehand. This means do your research on the Country Club as well as the position you’re applying for. As most summer Country Clubs hire servers, before my interviews I brushed up on my serving knowledge as you never know what questions may be thrown at you.

Have questions ready. Although all interviewers have different styles of interviewing this was the one common question asked in all of my interviews – “Do you have any questions?”. A friend of mine gave good advice and suggested that you think of a few standard questions that you can always ask such as: Are there opportunities for overtime? What are the daily duties of someone in the position you are applying for?

Lastly, try to relax and enjoy the interview. Although when I started my interviews, I was nervous, once I started to relax, I actually enjoyed the interviews (and I never thought I would ever say that). At the end of the day the interviewers are there to get to know you and there is no better feeling than leaving an interview that was more of a conversation and laughs than a series of questions and answers.

Happy New Year!

By Nasiphi Sobahle