Let’s say you’ve always had this idea, in the back of your brain, that one day, you’ll travel the world. For a lot of people, this dream can be hindered by a singular but pretty significant complication: money. Or, to be more specific, a lack of money.
While many countries are fairly affordable to travel within, getting to them can be another story. Flights alone can cost thousands, eating into your budget before you’ve even arrived. You might end up limiting your experiences once you’re overseas because there’s just not that much budget to play with.
And if you want to travel long-term, you’ll probably find that your options are even more limited, as you need to stretch that same budget over several weeks or even months.
The solution for many people is to work overseas. You might choose to do something a bit more generic, like becoming a camp counselor or lifeguard. But how about continuing with what you’re already qualified for, and perhaps even progressing in your career, while you’re at it?
International greenkeeping opportunities do exist (in fact, we first established IFGH because we recognised those opportunities and wanted to make sure they were found by the right people). And with local skills shortages and increasing demand for sports at all levels, the opportunities to work overseas in turf management have never been more abundant.
Brad, one of our founders, experienced firsthand the benefits of working abroad. He moved to Australia from the UK in 2019 to work as an assistant groundsman at Sydney University. He spent around eight months learning how to manage turf with different characteristics than the cool-season grasses he was used to back home, but beyond the new skills gained, the highlight of his time abroad was simply enjoying the local culture, exploring a new city, and getting to relax by the beach after work. While his working holiday was sadly cut short by COVID-19, his experience was impactful enough to inspire the very first seeds of an idea that would eventually become IGFH.
Over our years of interviewing members, we’ve featured many who have had similar experiences to Brad, albeit in entirely different countries. Most recently, we spoke to Victoria Fiander, who moved from the UK to run large-scale sports turf projects in Asia, and Marco Peschiulli, who was born in Puglia, Italy, but took his career abroad to further pursue his career ambitions and love of travel. While both faced the challenges you’d expect from working abroad (ike language barriers and, in Victoria’s case, outdated opinions about a woman’s role in leadership), they spoke about their experiences with overall fondness.
We’ve even helped several of our members secure their dream roles overseas, like Ikumi Murai, who grew up in Japan and moved to the UK to work at Arsenal Football Club, and Denmark’s Yon Yoeun, who we helped secure an apprenticeship at Cullen Links in Scotland.
Living and working overseas is something we believe everyone should do at least once in their lifetime. We live in a beautiful, diverse world, and that diversity can be difficult to appreciate with a one- or two-week holiday. Living abroad can help you understand other ways of life, and perhaps even decide to adopt them yourself.
Plus, taking on a turf role overbroad can give you the challenge and variety that you might be craving if you’ve only ever lived and worked locally. You’ll be able to see how different plants grow in different climates and try out new machinery and techniques that might not be necessary in your own country. Your eyes will be opened to new ways of doing things (many of which you might decide to take home!), and you’ll most likely be humbled by the process of learning, say, how to tackle weeds or diseases that you’ve never seen firstand before.
In short, there’s no better time than now to work overseas in sports turf. Not only are there more opportunities than ever before, but we’re making it easier to find them.
Later this year, we’ll be launching Turf Passport, an online jobs portal that will connect professionals in our industry seeking jobs with clubs and companies offering them. You’ll be able to create and upload your profile, and employers will have the option to contact you when they have a job they think you’re a good match for. You can also apply for any jobs that are listed. Since Turf Passport specifically aims to facilitate overseas work, you’ll find employers who are interested and willing to help you move to their country and secure work (although exactly what they’ll offer varies, and you’ll still need to do your due diligence).
If you’re interested in learning more about Turf Passport, follow us on Facebook or sign up to start your journey here.