Staff Interview with David Yeates

What inspired you to work for your organization?

A deep passion for helping others to find the journey that is within them to make. I wanted to work in the travel Industry for many years but never had the chance until I took the steps needed to give me the experience to help others who are about to embark on their journey of a lifetime. Travel Holidays can be great and we all get to go on little trips hopefully at least once a year but the big things in life if you manage to get the chance and the opportunity is to spend a few months or hopefully a few years living and working in another country. I was actually working in Canada when my decision to come back home to Ireland came rushing into my core and I picked USIT because it had all the passion I did for letting people take their life and turn it on its head for the better of both their own soul but their mental survival as well. Working in the same job all day every day will take its toll on anyone, we have to look forward to a break, time away, just time and the Work in Ireland program lets me support people in so many ways each and every day that I count myself lucky to be in this position.

Describe a typical day at work.

My typical day revolves around you, the people, the travelers and the adventurous of the world. You can not describe a day as each one is different in so many ways. No 2 days are the same, you may be doing similar things weekly, but each moment, each interaction is so personal and vital that you can't record it on a list of daily tasks. You can plan as much as possible for what you would like to do but the best part about this job and this role and being here is that on any given day, I can be helping change someone's life experience for the better. If I had someone like me helping me out in Australia and Canada I would have had an even better time. It is so invaluable.

Why do you do what you do?

I have worked in many different jobs in many different fields across lots of industries and the truth is, I do what I do because at the end of each day and at the beginning of the next day I know that I helped make their world a little better and it was something that they wanted, that you will want or need. I can go home after a day of work and say to myself, Nothing I did will make someone come back to me saying, I never wanted or I wanted something else and I got stuck with this. There are some jobs where you sell people things, and that is fine, but in this role, in this job, I support change, I support experience of a new kind of life and living and something that you don't get to buy in the shops or online. I am very lucky to be in this position, on a daily basis I can see that I am helping people with little things that I do and they matter so much more than I ever could have realised.

What is your favorite part of your job?

The People, Hands Down. I get to meet new people every week and hear their stories and connect with them through sharing my stories and then mixing them up with all the other people who are here on a work visa and bringing connections together, bringing people together. It is an honour to see people make friendships right before my eyes. When you get to a certain age you sometimes think that you have enough friends or that it is too hard to make new friends and go on new experiences, but I say, live overseas for a while, take a gap year and you will find out that you are never too old for new friends and you can never have enough friends. I am not saying anyone you meet will replace your best friend from childhood who has lived around the corner from you since you were four, but what you do get is a complete experience of life through other people's personal, private, and professional journeys.

How do you use your education and international background in your current role?

Education was also a unique concept to me growing up in Dublin in a local school in Ireland. I did not like school too much, I wanted to get more out of it, but it was as some were and likely some still are set in their ways and don't want to change or expand their curriculum to what the students crave or have passion for. They try to put people into tick boxes and what I learned from my education and school experience is that, as a people, we never want to be the exact same as anyone else and traveling around the world and meeting other people from other walks of life and cultures gave me more education than I could ever have imagined. I always recommend that we keep learning each day and learn what others think we should learn but also expand and learn something just for you, for your own enhancement of your personal growth.

What challenges do you often face and how do you overcome them?

We all get challenges and most of them are actually outside of work. When it comes to work it is all about getting what needs to be done and making sure everyone who needs to be heard that day has received a voice. Life is a challenge for us all and work is just a little part of it. You have to take time for yourself and not let work envelope you wholeheartedly. It is as the saying goes, "Do a little a lot and a lot of a little will get done."

What are some current projects you are working on?

I am trying to reach out to all colleges and universities in the United States, specifically at the moment, to try and let them know that there is only one chance for them to get a visa to work and live in Ireland and there is a 12-month window from the time they graduate to get their visa approved. It can take two months or three months for a visa to be fully approved so they really need to apply within a few months of graduating. The feedback I am getting all the time is not enough people in the USA are aware that this visa is out there and possible. We have to find a way to let each and every college and university know that this is a chance they need to take if the opportunity and craving is there within them. Other nations like Canada can apply aged with between 18 and 35 like Australia and 18 to 30 like New Zealand, but it is a tight turnaround time for Students and Recent Graduates to get this visa over the line and all I want to do is spread the word and let all the states know that we are here, ready, willing and able to help you get a work visa and spend up to a year working and living in Ireland. If it is not for you, that is completely fine, but I just want you to be aware it is a possibility and the possibility has a very tight timeline, and the only way you can get the visa again in the future is if you go back and enroll in college or university. This, for most people, is not possible, so don't let the chance pass you by and get in touch with me and I can walk you through the process.

What advice would you tell your pre-travel self?

Don't bring a towel, if where you are going does not have one. The journey to buy a towel will bring you a new experience and a wet travel towel that you have to re-pack is just not a pretty smell and we should treat our nose with as much love as possible. The other thing would be not to bring more than you can carry, and for sure not two wheel bags, one for each hand. Have one and a backpack, but not both. Your back will thank you for it and so will everyone else.

What makes your organization special?

That is for you to decide, we are not in the business of saying we’re the best or that everyone in the world should come to us. It is not for 100 percent of people, but we do believe that at least 90 percent of people will appreciate it and feel that what we offer and provide is good value and also a fantastic way to start your time and continue your time in a new country. The support is not just on day one, it is on all the days that you are here, but again, we will leave the choice up to you.

Why should someone choose your organization over competitors?

It is a competitive world out there and some people may be cheaper while others are more expensive, you need to look at what you need from a program and or a package offered and decide if it’s right for you. I stand by what we do and I feel as though that everyone that we support is grateful and appreciates what we have done for them, it can be a situation sometimes where you go with a program and you lean on it for four months or nine months or two full years, it just depends on how you see what you want to get out of your time and if we can be apart of it then fantastic.

What hopes do you have for the future for your organization?

My hope is that we can support thousands of people who are able to get these visas to come and spend some time on Irish soil. There is always a holiday, but what greater holiday is there than to be part of the Island of Ireland, live, breathe, and understand us much more than any two-week or three-week vacation could ever do. My hope is that all universities and colleges around the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Europe start talking about when they want to get their Work in Ireland Visa.

Are there any developments with your organization that you would like to share with us?

We have been around for many, many years and have been through everything as a business and we are still here supporting young people to travel and experience the world around us so you can come back home a better, more unified and centered person. We are always developing and will continue to do so each and every year.

What makes your organization easy to market to potential participants?

If you want to work and live in Ireland and you qualify to get a reciprocal visa like Irish people do get to come and work and live in your country, then you can get on-board with our program.

What is your organization's mission and how do you continue to work toward it?

We believe in the incredible value of international cultural, working, educational, and travel experiences, and have been doing this for over 60 years.

What do you hope participants take away from your programs?

That if they accept support and also put their mind to it they really can achieve more than they ever thought possible. I would hope that they take a better understanding of other cultures and be a bit more open minded about other people's beliefs, but also know that they are stronger than they think. Not everyone can take the leap to move to a new country on their own and set up a new life.

How do you help support participants?

This is such a complicated question. I would be here for five years answering it. The best way to describe it is that no question or query is too small or too weird or too unrelated for us not to find a way to support them and get them what they need. We are their family away from home and will help them as much as they need but also guide them on self preservation and learning how to live in the world on their own and standing on their own feet. We take the stress out of the hard bits as much as possible and prepare them for their arrival and first few months in a new country and then support them for the whole time that they are here with us.

If you could participate in one of your organization's programs, where would you go and what would you do?

I would love to work and live in New Zealand, but I am too old. This is another reason why people need to be aware, life has a time limit, but a working visa does as well. If they want to achieve an experience they have to do it now before it is too late.

What questions do participants often ask you, and how do you typically respond?

Some questions are so mad I have to take a minute to read over it again before responding but generally they are questions about where can I live, where can I work, how long does this or that take, and then you get more complicated questions and sometimes have to take some time to find out the best solution for them.

Why is it important for people to travel abroad and experience new cultures?

In my opinion it is one of the most fundamental things you can do in this world. We are in the age of experience of technology where everything is at our fingertips and soon Virtual Reality Holidays will be a thing. But there is nothing that compares to living somewhere for a few months or a few years to change everything you ever thought about yourself or others. You may never meet someone from another country in your hometown, but if you travel and live somewhere like Ireland, you will meet some of the most amazing people from all of the world. There is always a chance of meeting someone you dislike or that is so annoying you tell all your friends and family back home about them, but that is the fun of it. Nothing in life changes unless you make the change. I know that sometimes it is not possible to do a program like this, but if you have the opportunity I say take it with all that you have and hold onto it and make the journey that could and should change your life.

Why do you think learning a new language is important?

It is not fair that we all speak the same language. Language is so vital to the ever-changing world that we need to keep its history and its meaning. I always think that if you have a chance to learn a new language that you should do it, even if it’s a few words. Give the country you are going to the respect it deserves by doing a little research and have a few words in your pocket to impress or make them laugh.

What advice do you have for individuals thinking about going abroad?

Contact me, you will not regret it! I will take you through the whole process and walk you through every step of the way, guide you to Ireland, meet you in Dublin, and show you how to settle in this great little nation.

What does meaningful travel mean to you?

Meaningful travel is an individual journey of self discovery. It is also a kind of trip that will change the way you think about life and your own surroundings.

What issues do you see in the world of international education that don’t line up with your values and expectations for mutually beneficial and educational relationships between providers/programs and the communities in which they are located within?

I think that any program needs to be in place for the right reasons and all parties from the providers and program runners to the participants themselves need to be on the same page.

What does ethical global engagement mean to you?

In any country, you need to be mindful of the people and their own belief system and not affect local communities in a way that could tarnish the local environment or its nature.

What hopes do you have for the future of international education?

That it continues to flourish for all the right reasons and that more and more countries and communities work together to connect us all in a more meaningful and unified way.

What qualities in program and host community relations are important to you? (And your organization?)

Any program and host relationship is based on trust and support. If you have a program that supports you on your travels, then it needs to be clear what support you get and where the support will come from. All programs and host communities should work in tandem with each other to make life and the journey to another country as easy and supportive as possible for you.