Summer Jobs in the Greek Islands

Crete, Rhodes, Corfu, Kos, Ios, Paros, Zante, Mykonos, Santorini ... take your pick of the Greek Islands!

Fancy a job working in the sun this summer? Then why not head for Greece and the Greek Islands and work in the sun in 2008.

Each year in Greece and the Greek Islands thousands of workers arrive to spend anywhere from one month to a year, or more, living and working on the Greek islands in mostly tourist related services.There are numerous seasonal jobs in hotels, cafes, bars, tavernas, travel agencies and car rental offices, to name just a few. For most of these jobs in the tourist areas dealing with English-speaking visitors there is no requirement that it is not you speak the Greek language.

Check out the guide below and head for a working holiday in Greece this summer.

How and where to find summer work

The majority of jobs in Greece are advertised locally and by word of mouth. Workers who come to the islands for the summer season usually arrive between April and June to search on the spot for work.

• Many job seekers book a two week holiday at the beginning of the season to the Greek Island of their choice and start searching the bar, café & taverna windows for ‘staff wanted' notices. Chat to local bar and taverna owners, make connections, and they will very likely point you in the direction of places looking for staff. In the busy resorts on the larger islands such as Crete, Rhodes and Corfu this is the norm and hundreds of young people turn up looking for jobs each year. For bartending you will normally need some experience while ‘PR' jobs are plentiful (basically handing out flyers for a bar or club, and hanging around that bar encouraging passers-by to go in). Other options, among others, are waitressing, cooking or washing up in a bar, café or taverna.

• It's not just the larger Greek islands and the busy resorts who take on staff; many taverns, pensions and beach bars in quieter locations across the islands also seek English speaking workers, and in remote spots you are very likely to have accommodation thrown in. Just choose your location, head there and ask around for work.

• The advantage of searching for a job locally, rather than over the internet, is that you will see exactly where you will be working, and for whom. But if you prefer to have a job waiting for you when you get there then you'll find a number of vacancies advertised on the internet on various job websites and in general Greek forums. An internet search will bring up plenty of relevant websites but remember that it is down to you to check out individual employers or organisations; don't get carried away with what may appear to be your 'dream' job without checking out some background information. The chances are if it sounds too good to be true it probably is so keep your wits about you and your feet firmly planted on the ground!

• Other job possibilities exist with tour operators, the larger of which employ reps, office administration staff and transfer reps, both from their home bases and locally. Generally vacancies are advertised February/ March, but late - starters may still be looking for staff in May and June. Some vacancies may also arise mid season, particularly during July and August when tour operators have an extra workload. Do a Google search for tour operators or hoildays in Greece and check out their websites, vacancies are usually listed under links at the top or bottom of their homepage under 'careers', 'travel jobs', 'join us' etc.

The crunch! Pay in Greece is generally low and the hours worked can be long ones with little time off.

The average monthly salary in Greece is between 600 and 800 euros per month.

Daily rates are anywhere between 25 and 40 euros per day for unskilled workers. If you are working in the service industry (bar, waiter/waitress etc) your income can be substantially supplemented by tips.

Most jobs will be working six full days a week, and in some jobs you may be expected to work seven days a week, so don't forget to check the working conditions with any prospective employer before accepting a job offer.

Copyright © 2008 Carol Palioudaki