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TravelGrad

Why choose TravelGrad?

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Founded
2014

Reviews

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Diana
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Fun, eye-opening, bite-sized experience

The Vietnam taster was a perfect option for me to slow down and refresh (career wise), whilst still earning. It’s been so interesting and easy to live independently in Vietnam. The job is laid-back and Travel Grad were on hand to support when I’ve needed it. I’ve been able to afford the all the in-country travel I wanted from the salary.

One of the best parts of using Travel Grad has been the opportunity to train with other graduates and make friends with likeminded people.

I’m so glad I was brave enough to try something new.

What was the most unfamiliar thing you ate?
Chicken feutus - wouldn’t recommend 🤣
Pros
  • Making likeminded friends
  • Enough salary for in-country travel
  • Everyday is interesting
Cons
  • Some culture shocks in public schools
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Imogen
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

A year and a half so far in Japan.

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Genevieve
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Straightforward and Reassuring

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What is your advice to future travelers on this program?
Make the most of the experience by exploring, learning from locals, and saying yes to opportunities. We finish teaching at 4pm on weekdays, and evenings and weekends out and about - seeing/travelling to new places, socialising with other teachers, and trying new things like Muay Thai classes or Thai dance classes.

Also, keep trying new food spots, and learn enough Thai to perfect your food order. I found ordering food out really daunting at first, but now the food scene in Thailand is one of my favourite things about it.
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Emily
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Teaching in hanoi

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What was the most surprising thing you saw or did?
Almost everything in Vietnam has been surprising. I did not do enough personal research before coming here so everything I saw and experienced was a surprise. It was a shocking, yet amazing experience.
Pros
  • Travelgrads help
  • Meeting loads of amazing people
  • Minimal work load
Cons
  • The company in Vietnam can be a bit annoying, but you get used to it
  • It is overwhelming when you first arrive, but you quickly fall in love with Hanoi
  • Christmas abroad is a bit strange, but you can find many Christmas dinner options in Tay ho
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Isaac
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Half an incredible year in Hanoi with TravelGrad

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What was the most surprising thing you saw or did?
It's hard to choose one because I am surprised by something new every day here, which is what makes life here so interesting I suppose. I'm definitely surprised every day by how much Vietnamese people can carry on a fairly small 100cc motorbike.

Pros
  • I've met a great group of new friends, some of whom I expect to remain friends with for the rest of my life. The social side of expat life is vibrant in Hanoi, even if the community is relatively small.
  • Teaching English is much easier than I expected, especially as our company gives us all the lesson plans. It is mostly pretty laid back for foreign teachers at the company.
  • The cost of living in Hanoi is far, far better than anywhere in the West. Although by Western standards the salary is not much, by relative standards English teachers are very well paid and we can afford a much higher standard of living than at home.
Cons
  • Air pollution in Hanoi is a big problem. It can be hard to breathe outside on some days due to people burning their rubbish and the sheer number of engines on the roads.
  • Noise pollution is also a problem. There are millions of motorbikes and lots of construction happening all the time, which can make it hard to find quiet sometimes.
  • I often spend 1-2 hours a day commuting to and from work, as my schools are in different locations and can be different in the morning and afternoon. That said, I do thoroughly enjoy riding my motorbike, however I know some people may be intimidated by it

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Alumni Interviews

These are in-depth Q&A sessions with verified alumni.

Why did you choose this program?

I chose to go to China with TravelGrad back in 2017 to try a whole new way of living. You cant get much more different than China right? I had just finished Uni and wanted to experience the world, and this programme just seemed to hit every nail on the head. You got the travel opportunities, the decent wage, the free accommodation, the big group of fellow applicants, the friendly company style, and everything else. It just screamed out as the obvious next step choice after Uni.

What did your program provider (or university) assist you with, and what did you have to organize on your own?

I chose TravelGrad because of their friendly, personal approach. They are a cool company, with young and well travelled staff who understand graduates and the types of experiences that we are going to enjoy. They came to my University in Manchester and we chatted about it all. I was immediately sold from that conversation and signed up the next day. They helped me with absolutely everything, start to finish. There was literally nothing to sort by myself. They did it all!

What is one piece of advice you'd give to someone going on your program?

Go for it. 10000000% go for it! I expected China to be good, but oh my goodness I don't think I ever could have known it would be just how good it is. It is next level! I immediately fell in love with the country and everything in it. China grows on you year by year, and it actually reveals itself over time. The longer you are here the better it gets really. It is a very big country. People often forget it is nearly the size of mainland Europe. The opportunities are genuinely endless.

What does an average day/week look like as a participant of this program?

It varies a bit school to school, but the schools TravelGrad sets you up with are generally Monday to Friday, 9-5 options, with weekends free and lots of holidays. They're mostly public schools and pretty chilled. They do also do private schools, which is actually the school I was placed at the first year. Private schools are a bit more intense than public, but they pay more and they're kind of better in ways. The kids have a better level of English and theres usually more of a syllabus to follow, so you're not having to make up each lesson plan every class. After school we would all go for food together, or I might pop to the gym with one of the lads, or even just go and explore the place by myself. Weekends would be a bit wild, sampling the local nightlife, bars and clubs that are open til 6 in the morning, or travelling to other cities around China. There was 12 of us at my school together, so the social side was great and we very quickly all became the best of friends. This is one of the best parts about the program, the like minded applicants you are placed with. We all knew each other long before we even got to China from the TravelGrad group chats. Those group chats were quality times looking back.

Going into your experience abroad, what was your biggest fear, and how did you overcome it? How did your views on the issue change?

I honestly didn't really have any fears, I just had a gut feeling that it was going to be the right choice. I guess you worry that maybe theres a small chance you wont enjoy yourself there, after paying all the costs and everything to get there, but I suppose the alternative is just never doing anything. That's not going to be a great life really is it. No risk no reward, every single person on the program loved it and many from my group are still here (8 years later).

I want to highlight the fact that you can make really good money here, for working not a whole lot of hours. The salary goes up and up year by year, and we are all VERY comfortable financially. There is not really anything we cant afford to do, we can go on 4 or 5 foreign holidays a year, we can go out for dinner and drinks 7 nights a week, buy a motorbike, live in our own apartments, buy clothes whenever, and many people have even paid off massive debts back in the UK. The money making ability of China is CRAZY. I really think that needs to be emphasised.