When Shawnzie Lim jumped on the opportunity to embark on a working holiday in Australia, she did not expect to find herself cleaning the roof of a two-storey shed – and without a harness too.
“The roof of the shed was pretty high and my legs were lowkey [sic] shaking while I was working,” the 30-year-old told Stomp, recalling how her job as a grain handler was “not for the faint of heart”.
Ms Lim also worked 12-hour shifts for 10 consecutive days, shovelling grain and cleaning silos used to store grain. She shed “tears of joy” when the work finally ended.
‘A leap of faith’
These were just some of the many experiences Ms Lim had after leaving her job as a personal trainer for a working holiday – an extended trip that allows travellers aged 18 to 30 to earn money through short-term employment while abroad.
Ms Lim, who discovered the working holiday scheme through a friend, said that it was something she had wanted to do since she was 18.
“I came to Australia to try out different jobs that I won’t be able to experience in Singapore, and also use this opportunity to earn some money to fund my travels in Australia,” said Ms Lim.
“I thought that I should take this leap of faith and give it a go before it’s too late.”
