Working in the U.K.

Joel: Hey, Tom, I have a student that just got a working holiday visa for the U.K., and she asked me what she will be able to do whe she's out there, but I don't even know what a working holiday visa is, and I haven't been to the U.K., so I don't know what to tell her.

Tom: Yeah, the working holiday visa is a pretty new thing. I think it lasts six months, and you can work for three months. It's pretty popular among students. Is her English OK?

Joel: Yeah, her English is pretty good.

Tom: Then she shouldn't have a problem getting work in, well, I used to work in a bar when I was at university and that's pretty good work. It's in the evening and the pay is usually pretty basic.

Joel: But you make tips, though, right.

Tom: English people don't tip.

Joel: Oh, really.

Tom: You just have to put the hours in. You might get bought a couple of drinks, but you'll drink them up after the shift.

Joel: It'd definitley make you English better too. You're talking to people all the time.

Tom: The best way to improve. You're expected to talk to the customers all night. But if you didn't like the bar, it's a bit noisy and it can be quite smokey, she could work in a restaurant, out front, taking people's orders. That's another way to use her English and to get to meet some different people and that will tip.

Joel: OK, you tip at restaurants, but not at bars.

Tom: That's right. Yeah.

Joel: I see.

Tom: And if she was struggling a bit she could work in the back of a restaurant.

Joel: Washing dishes or something like that. Yeah.

Tom: That's not much fun.

Joel: Yeah, I used to wash dishes, that was my first job ever and I remember my legs being so sore from standing up all day. It was a terrible job.

Tom: I wouldn't recommend that one.

Joel: So the working holiday though, you said it's three months but the visa is for 6 months, so you work for the second 3 months and then maybe you'd study for the first 3 months?

Tom: No, it's not for studying. It's a holiday. You travel. You go from place to place and you pick up jobs on the way.

Joel: OK, so, but still you, the second half is when you would work?

Tom: You can mix it up. You can work for a maximum of three months, but no more.

Joel: Oh, that's interesting.