How to Find a Hostel Job in Europe Contents:
Create a CV
Things to Consider Before Applying
Search for Jobs Online
Location Specific Search
Don’t forget there is also a hostel jobs board on The Hostel Girl – click here to view recent hostel job listings.
If you’re looking for the most comprehensive list of hostel tips and guides on the internet before going finding a hostel job… I’ve created it for you! My ultimate guide to hostels also includes a free ebook download, so you can keep it with you wherever you are in the world!
Featured image: The Yellow Rome – read full review.
Without my first hostel job, I probably wouldn’t have been able to travel consistently for as long as I have and I definitely wouldn’t have made a lot of the friends I’ve come to love over the years.
Working in a hostel had never crossed my mind when I graduated University. All I knew was that I wanted to surf, which landed me at The Paintshop Hostel in Figueira da Foz, and by the end of my second week there I knew I’d be applying for work the next season.
So what to do over the winter season? I went online and sooner than expected landed myself with a job in a hostel in Budapest! I never did return to the job in Portugal, instead falling in love in Budapest and then eventually leaving for more travel, more blogging, a stint at The Lunar Surf House in Morocco, and now…
…it’s your turn. Perhaps you’re gearing up for your first summer in Europe and are looking for hostel jobs to lower your accommodation costs and bring in a little extra pocket money? Perhaps you’re a seasoned pro just looking for a few more ways to find a hostel job?
Either way, I hope you find one. Because if anything else, they’re really damn fun.
^ Laura, a staff member at ClinkNOORD Hostel, Amsterdam
How to Find a Hostel Job
Create a CV
There will be many hostel workers reading this and shaking their head because perhaps they got on really well with staff in a hostel they were staying at and just managed to nab a job for themselves.
This can happen. I’ve seen it happen and it rocks when it does. But if you’re looking to stay on the hostel circuit for a while it definitely helps to have a CV ready for those moments when you want to apply for jobs in advance.
And honestly, actively searching jobs with a competent CV is far more productive and efficient than just winging it and hoping the manager of a hostel you’re at likes you enough to offer you a job.
If you’re unsure of whether your CV will cut it, Travel Weekly have put together their ten tips for a travel industry CV and Plus Hotels have given their advice on how to make travel look good on your CV.
[mailmunch-form id=”629376″]Things to Consider Before Applying
Eligibility to work in Europe
Most official jobs will require either a European passport or a working visa for Europe.
- If you don’t have permission to work in Europe then applying online can be difficult. In these situations jobs you will find may be voluntary or cash-in hand positions
Do you like to party or chill?
It’s a good idea to consider the different types of hostels that are out there before applying to everything. If you’re not a party person, then leading drinking games in the hostel nightclub probably isn’t the job for you and perhaps you’d rather work in a calm beach hostel?
- To better understand the different types of hostels read this: Types of Hostels: Finding Hostels That Are Right For You
How many languages do you speak?
Most European hostels will require a good command of the English language to cater for guests from all over the world
- Hostels in Spain and Portugal often require, at the very least, conversational skills in the local language although if you’re willing and quick to learn you can get by with English
- The more languages you speak the more useful you will perceived by employers and hostel managers
Do you have transferable skills and experience?
The most important skills you can have when applying to work in hostels in Europe are the abilities to be flexible, open and hospitable. I say ‘open’, because if you’re close-minded and don’t like meeting new people then this is not the job for you!
However, hostels are also looking for a range of other skills that could potentially benefit them in the long run such as:
- Bartending
- Photography
- Filmmaking
- Social Media
- Events organisation
- Tour guiding
Above all, hostels require hard-working and organised individuals who won’t crack under the pressure of too much cleaning, too much alcohol, or the need for set 9-5 hours.
^ Paella night at Sant Jordi Rock Palace, Barcelona!
Search for Hostel Jobs Online
As I mentioned, it is possible to get on really well with staff during your travels and end up being offered a job. But if you’re serious about finding work in hostels rather than just leaving it to the Gods, bookmark this page so you have all the resources below available to you once your CV is ready!
Websites:
- TheHostelGirl.com – that’s right, I host a hostel jobs board here on the blog to help you guys find work and travel!
- HostelJobs.Net
- HostelManagement.com
- Gumtree.com – UK Only!
- Craigslist
Individual European Hostel Chain Careers Pages:
Facebook Groups:
Work Exchange in Hostels:
- Worldpackers.com (I’ve listed these first as they have dedicated Hostel Life section)
- HostelTravelJobs.com
- Workaway.info
- HelpX.net
The Working Traveller has put together this great list of hostels in Europe that accept job applications – many of them are voluntary so you’ll have to sift through to find the paid ones if that’s what you’re looking for.
Location Specific Search
Most of the vacancies that become available on the websites and groups above aren’t location specific and work best if you’re happy to work anywhere in Europe.
However, if you’ve moved or are moving to a new city in which you want to live and work and you don’t have time to wait to see if vacancies pop up online, you’re best bet is to approach hostels that best fit you in the area.
So head to Hostelworld, filter the hostels by city and go through the ratings and descriptions to find hostels you would like to work in. Then head to their personal website (hopefully most hostels these days have one although if you find one that doesn’t perhaps you can offer your services to set one up?!) and email your CV to them directly with a short email asking if they have vacancies.
- I’m going to emphasise here to keep the email short as hostels get a lot of emails, including a lot of requests written in bad grammar with no specific or clear message
^Happy staff at Hans Brinker Hostel, Amsterdam!
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I hope this helps and if any of you know of any more resources please let me know in the comments to help others looking to find a hostel job in Europe!
9 comments
Great elaborate post! Will definitely take this in consideration, I’ll need to have at least one Hostel work experience. We give and we receive 🙂
I love that last sentence 🙂 You should definitely go for it – it can be tough work but very rewarding and you get to live in a new city! 🙂
Thank you so much!! I needed this!
You’re welcome!
Hello, I’ve just discovered your blog. For me , it’s amazing! Really! There is everything that I need to begin to travel this way and work at the same time. I’ve done it last year during one month in Gran Canaria. It really changed a lot about my perception of the others and myself of course.
I’m sure it’s not really appropriate but actually I’m looking for a job in hostel in Amsterdam for this summer. French is my mothertongue , and I’m fluent in English and Italian (I’ve lived and work there ). You think I should go there in an adventurous way or check all the hotel’s websites ? It’s the one in this article is Waouh, so like me! I don’t really know how to do it.
Thanks anyway
ps: if you don’t answer, I’ll undersunderstand😊
Hi Olivia! Wow – I’m so glad you get so much benefit from my blog, what a lovely comment 🙂 Amsterdam is an extremely popular city, so it might be worth seeing if you can find any job openings online first. However I know a lot of volunteers who work for accommodation (without pay) who got the job by staying in hostels, getting to know the staff, and then getting offered a job. So if you’re not looking to find a paid job then going in the adventurous way could still work out well. And you’ll definitely benefit from your fluency in three languages!
Good luck Olivia!
Hi Katie,
You seem like a very helpful person and i hope you can assist me. I 58 years old and retired. I will be travelling to Prague and other parts of europe. Would appreciate if you can advise me on some part time hostel work while i am there. Thank you.
Hi there! The best of my advice is in this post. If you get stuck on anything in particular just let me know 🙂
Great post!! I love working in hostels, they are so much fun. 🙂
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