Sometimes, little acts of spontaneity can change your life.
A few years ago, Nurul Amira Rahmat from Singapore befriended a stranger. As the friendship blossomed, they made plans to explore job opportunities in foreign countries.
One thing led to another, and she finally settled on trying out for a working holiday experience in Australia.
Upon two weeks of her arrival in the land down under, Amira managed to secure a job in a tomato glass house for two months, before she decided to try out working at an animal sanctuary called Australian Animals Care and Education (AACE).
She then hopped to another job at a blueberry farm. Thanks to her good command in English, she was then appointed to become the supervisor.
"I started with just picking blueberries because that's how the majority of the people started off and since I am good at English, my boss promoted me as the supervisor to train the new pickers on the quality checks and make sure the groups do their job well,” she told Sinar Daily.
Amira chose Australia as the destination of choice as she was intrigued by the diverse wildlife in the country, and the fact that it's pretty much just a stone's throw away from Singapore.
But is the grass really greener on the other side? For Amira, she loved her experience working in Australia and if given the chance she would not hesitate to go. In fact, she would love to settle down there for good as she feels right at home.
"Besides that, I love the people there because they’re genuine and very laid back so it is easy to make friends there,” she added Her time in Australia has taught her to slow down in life and not to rush things in because it leads to missing a lot precious moments.
"More often than not, I think we always try to reach certain goals before a certain age and time. For me, I’ve learned to take things as it goes and embrace the things that come my way,” she said.
Amira’s advice for those who are considering going for a working holiday experience in Australia would be to get out of their comfort zones and make the best out of it.
"Go for it, be brave and live in the moment, try out the things that scares you, do things out of your comfort zone and get the job you always wanted, make new friends, talk to stranger or fall in love because I think this is the best time to try out new things and experience setbacks and learn from it,” said Amira.
Amira is currently working as a cabin crew in Singapore and she also runs two online businesses on TikTok and Instagram as a travel and food content creator.
She also teaches TikTok marketing strategies through workshops, and does coaching on account management for businesses.
WHAT IS A WORKING HOLIDAY?
A working holiday is typically an extended trip abroad that allows you to stay for longer than a typical tourist visa.
During you stay you can earn money through short-term employment. With the freedom to work as much or as little, you can customise your travel plans to suit your needs.
Australia is one of the many countries that offers a working holiday programme. For more information, check out www.australia.com.