Customer Reviews

The Back Door Guide to Short-Term Job Adventures: Internships, Summer Jobs, Seasonal Work, Volunteer Vacations, and Transitions Abroad

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I guess the title is phrased badly; I assumed that this book was about internships abroad, summer jobs abroad, etc, but it is about internships, summer jobs, seasonal work, and volunteer vacations in the United States, as well as "transitions" (whatever that means) abroad. And this book is not really a guide, in that it doesn't really give a lot of advice about different jobs and different fields. It is more a listing, like an address book of the most interesting companies (in the author's opinion) offering short-term work, with a very shallow description of the job and its hiring preferences. The only part that was really a guide was the bizarre information on finding yourself and journaling and exploring your passions. Apparently other people found this really great, but I got a little sick of inspirational quotes and follow-your-dreams sidebars; there are plenty of career-advice and self-help books offering this information. Luckily, I borrowed this book from the library, which is where it should stay. If you're looking for short-term opportunities in the United States, go to the library, look through this book, and take down the contact information for the companies you're interested in.

What a great book! You could literally live your life with this book going from one volunteer opportunity to another. The book is basically a list of short terms jobs ranging from camps to dude ranches to museums. It tells you if they pay you anything, if they feed you, if they board you, how long the job is for, and it gives descriptions and contact info. This is an excellent all in one resources for jobs in the US so quit the desk job and travel around volunteering for a living. This will inspire you to do it!

The Renaissance Soul: Life Design for People with Too Many Passions to Pick Just One People with lots of interests often enjoy walking outside the beaten path. Just last night I was coaching a young woman who definitely wants to do something different this spring but has not yet been to college. Ideally she wants to be in a warm climate, earn rather than spend money, and participate in making the world a better place. The Back Door Guide was all we really needed. We just started with the geographical index in the back, picked locations of interest, and read the reports on what was available in that area. The book is so well-organized that I could check to see if a given program required being a college student and, if necessary, eliminate it without having to read anything else. Then I could check the pay/earn info, again without having to read farther if it didn't apply. So in a very short time we found several very exciting possibilities and all the URL info, etc. we needed to find out even more. Anyone who prefers variety and combination over doing just one thing should have this book on their book shelf!

Excellent resource for the pure pleasure of doing something different. If you have the time, resources and an adventurous spirit, just go out and buy this book and then just do it!

This book changed my life. It has led me into many adventures and helped me meet some of my closest friends. It is a book of possibilities and an opportunity to dream and create a unique life.

In addition, I love how easy it is to navigate.

A must have.

I bought this book for my daughter who is a senior in college. She loved it, having already acted on some of the ideas. Much better than so-called college advisors.

This book changed my outlook on the path of life. As a freshman college student, I had the perception that I was to go through school, become a part of an internship, graduate, and get a job... in the "real world". But I found opportunities in this book that would throw me into a world more real than our real world. I now plan to spend a summer doing an intensive language study in Costa Rica to learn Spanish before I graduate with a degree in dietetics, and after I've completed all this, I would like to sign on with Concern America (a group like the Peace Corps listed in this book). This book inspires all kinds of ideas. Not necessarily just aid work. There are also camp-job descriptions, meditation retreat descriptions, farming descriptions, and a whole ton more. The format is nice too. A symbol code tells you what type of work you'll be doing, if it is a paid thing, if housing and/or food is supplied, etc... I give this 5 stars.