Re: BUNAC's past and present
 

Hey hoopla...

yes it seems that we are in the samed position! Are you going out with BUNAC this year?

I would be very happy to PM directly - we may aswell help each other to get through the minefield :D

Re: BUNAC's past and present
 

Hi Missot,

Thanks for your post.

Have just read the guidleines page on pm'ing and emailing members directly, but I cannot find the 'email' or 'send pm' buttons on any of your posts.


Can anyone help?


Hoopla

Re: BUNAC's past and present
 

Sorry this is really long!!!

I went through BUNAC from March '06 to March '07, aged 26, because I wanted a change. I'd always wanted to live and work abroad and really get to know another country. I stayed in Vancouver for the full 12 months.

I found BUNAC the simplest way to get a visa and chose Canada because of it's reputation for the great outdoors, friendly people and the fact that people I knew who'd been there raved about it!

I was a little worried that everything seemed to be geared towards gap year's and students and at the presentation I went to before applying the only jobs that were talked about were bar work and ski chalet's. They did look quite surprised when I asked about professional jobs but told me I would be able to find something so I decided to do my own research and use BUNAC mainly for the visa.

I had done alot of temping while at University so had plenty of office experience and had been working as an Event Manager for three years until so I was confident of finding something along that route. However, it's true that Canadian employers definitely want to meet you before they will consider you. I sent my Resume to some temp agencies in Vancouver that I found online about a month before I left, giving my arrival date etc, and they all said they could do nothing until they met me.

BUNAC's partner company, SWAP, were really good on arrival with orientation, SIN numbers and getting set up with cell phones but after that I pretty much only used the office to househunt and job hunt on the internet. They have lots of notice boards but all the jobs are in bars, waiting tables, ski resorts or construction. It really is geared to students who want to move around alot. But if you are a student in that position it is very easy for you!

I spent the first 4 days on arrival viewing houseshares. I knew I wanted to find work downtown and live fairly close but the market is really hot so you have to ring pretty much as soon as an ad is placed and most people seem to houseshare. I also thought that would be a good way of meeting other people. There was some discussion amongst people from the group flight sharing together but I wanted to get to know Canada and Canadians so I did my own thing! Be prepared that some places will want to 'interview' you and you will have to fill out an application form which the housemates will discuss and then get back to you which can be a little daunting!

I was originally booked for 2 nights at the hostel but was able to increase this each day as it was off-season. I found a houseshare in Kitsilano on my 4th day and had moved in on the 7th day. I was the first out of the group though - some people were in the hostel for a month because they were a bit slow on their searching. You really do have to make it a priority and you will see some grotty places! It's worth getting an idea of how much you are likely to earn too, so that you don't end up with somewhere you can't afford. I had a rough idea from the temp agencies but also wanted to live near the beach because for me this was one year of a lifetime and I wanted to be in a great location and enjoy as much as I could.

For $525 incl I had a very large double room with open fireplace, balcony and my own entrance, as the house had been divided some years ago and my room had been the original living room and front entrance to the house. I shared the rest of the house (2 bathrooms, kitchen/dining area and living room) with 4 other people aged 23 - 36. We got on really well and they were able to introduce me to their friends etc which was great. The house was a bit outdated in terms of furniture and decor but it was comfy.

Once I'd moved in, I used the SWAP office computers to work on my resume and emailed it to 3 temp agencies. I went in for interviews with them and had to do various tests on computer programmes and typing speed etc. Tip - all of the agencies use the same tests so by the last appointment you're pretty good! I registered with all three and was immediately sent on a 2 day job at UBC. Pay was $17.60 per hour.

On my 2nd day of that assignment one of the temp agencies arranged for me to interview for a long term assignment with a large corporation downtown the following day. I went,got it and started on the monday so I had a a full time job on my 14th day of being there :D

I stayed with the company and they hired me on 'permanently' from the temp agency. This meant I got my health insurance covered and was entitled 4 weeks of paid vacation and (after 3 months) pension!!! At first I did also look for jobs in arts and events to carry on what I had been doing in London but found people were just not willing to hire you if you had to leave within a year. Obviously the longer you look for jobs too the shorter time you have left to work for them so I gave up. I was being paid pretty well in admin and working with great people and it left me plenty of time at evenings and weekends to explore.

As well as my housemates and their friends, I volunteered with two local peforming arts organisations (one in summer, one in winter) and met more people through that - and added to my resume. Eating out is much cheaper than in the uk so we had so many meals out, especially breakfast on a saturday morning which I would never have done at home! I found the coffee house, bar & restaurant scene much bigger than the clubbing scene. Everyone is a lot more relaxed and because Vancouver is so geared towards the outdoors, everyone is pretty casual. When we did go to a club I felt totally over dressed compared to being in London!

The outdoors is where everyone heads at weekends and I went camping by a lake, 2 hours from the nearest phone, with my housemates, did lots of hiking and in the winter tried out skiing and snowshoeing. There are also so many more gyms than I ever saw in the UK in one place and I was so much fitter! Everyone seemed to run or jog or workout.

We also did weekend road trips down to Seattle and I spent Christmas with a housemate's family in the interior of BC which was amazing - and there was snow!

At the start everyone from the gorup flight was in the same hostel and it was really good to compare notes and socialise at the end of the day. As we all started moving out we met up once a week, then it turned to once a month and within about 3 months we were all doing our own thing. Most people had also left Vancouver for the Rockies for the summer season.

When I applied to BUNAC a year seemed like a long time to go for and I thought that would be enough. It wasn't! I was very sad to leave but you cannot extend the visa and I did not qualify for anything else because I didn't have a required skill or trade.

It is a catch-22 situation. Living only in Vancouver for the whole time allowed me to really get a feel for the place and make good friends, and having a permanent job helped me to understand the working style etc, but it also meant that I became more attached to the place and the people.

I still would not trade the experience for anything though!!! Best thing I ever did!

Re: BUNAC's past and present
 

Samfan...that is the most interesting and fascinating account i've heard - thank you so much for sharing your experience - it is SO helpful!

It's also really good to know that you found somewhere to live so quickly. Admittedly, with my flights booked for 31st october, i'm starting to get the jitters and feeling very nervous about it all, especially as I am using BUNAC as a means of emigrating. However, stories such as yours really help to allay the fears - thank you again :)

Hoopla - not sure what to do about email - will have a look into it.

Re: BUNAC's past and present
 

Thanks Missot

You'll have a great time but I know what you mean about the jitters! I had been looking forward to going for over a year since I'd first had the idea and whenever friends and family told me they couldn't believe I was going alone etc I was totally fine about it and just really excited. I couldn't understand why they were so worried!

Until 2 days before my flight........... when I basically sobbed for 2 days!!! My parents drove me to the airport the night before and dropped me at a hotel and my Mum actually texted me numerous times the next morning to make sure I hadn't chickened out and did actually get on the plane!

Of course as soon as I was on the plane I didn't really think of home again until I came back, I was having such great a time!

Re: BUNAC's past and present
 

Send me an e-mail if you want.

Re: BUNAC's past and present
 

Hoopla and Missot - If you click on the other persons name in blue in the top left corner of their post, it will give you various options including PM'ing them or emailing them.

Re: BUNAC's past and present
 

Thank you ...got the pm'ing sorted now.

Am really grateful to everyone who has replied, & offered to be contacted directly. Thanks samfan for your detailed reply...it's great to hear of different experiences, hurdles etc.. and also a reminder to be realistic re: my chances of staying longterm.

Hoopla

Re: BUNAC's past and present
 

Missot - my boyfriend and I are also flying out to Vancouver on the 31st Oct on BUNAC visas!!! We are 27/28 and in a similar boat to you.

feel free to contact me - be good to share tips/fears

Re: BUNAC's past and present
 

Hey hellsbells3010, hoopla and missot

How are the plans coming on? One month to go!

If you want to get a pass for Whistler then do so before Oct 8 when their earlybird deals finishes. http://www.whistlerblackcomb.com/tic...pass/index.htm We get the 15 day one but most of our friends get either the 5 or 10 day Edge Card

Re: BUNAC's past and present
 

Live to ski - you're just so helpful!!! Thank you for the link and for the tips :thumbup:

Plans are coming on really well thanks and am now counting down the days (i leave on 17th oct)! I'm doing a car boot sale tomorrow and hellsbells and I met up last weekend to compare packing stories. It's a nightmare getting it all into two suitcases! By the way, did you get any of your stuff shipped?

I'm sure your looking forward to the ski season ahead - when does it officially begin?

Re: BUNAC's past and present
 

Hi Hoopla,

We came under BUNAC in 2004 (I think)............. and are now PR's and have a baby with a Canadian passport (That wasn't part of the process!!).

Unless it's changed, the one key thing to remember is that BUNAC visa isn't extendable................... so if you plan to stay you need a job offer that is been passed by HRSDC to apply for a new work visa to stay past the year. I'm sure someone will correct this if it has changed in the last year or so.

For us it was a positive experience, we got to Canada 2 year quicker than we would have waiting for our PR in the UK................... but we always ran the risk of having to go back to the UK is the work thing didn't work out.

Hope this is of some use to you.....

Mike

Re: BUNAC's past and present
 

Cheers for the tip 'live to ski'. have been checking out the snowboarding lessons for the past month or so, so def keen to get a pass sorted.
Not long to go now. Spent a very exciting day today canceling stuff and getting all my loyalty cards directed to my parents house - joy. But it will all be worth it in 31 days!
Hoopla - are you still going out?

Re: BUNAC's past and present
 

I've done BUNAC twice, student and non-student, worked with SWAP the second time in Toronto and am still quite friendly with the head of the program so if you have any specific questions or queries please ask and if I can't answer them I'll ask someone who can.