Work and Travel in Austin

WORK IN AUSTIN ALL YEAR ROUND

Austin is the state capital of Texas and is situated in a region referred to as the Texas Hill Country. Known as the "Live Music Capital of the World", Austin's eclectic live-music scene centers around country, blues, rock, hip-hop, latin, etc. and annually hosts the globally famous Austin City Limits (ACL) Music Festival, South by Southwest (SXSW) Music, Film, and Interactive Conference and Festival, the Austin Marathon (which is a Boston Marathon qualifier), the World Gold Championships - Dell Technologies Match Play, Austin Food + Wine Festival, Willie Nelson's Fourth of July Picnic, Bat Fest, the Austin Film Festival, and the Trail of Lights...to name a few.

Austin is also home to The University of Texas flagship campus with an average student body numbering approximately 90,000 students ranging from first-year undergraduates through graduate students, and international students. Just south of the city, Formula One's 'Circuit of the Americas' hosts the United States Grand Prix. Austin is currently transitioning into the "new" Silicon Valley as Apple has two campuses within Austin (one being the second largest behind Cupertino's main HQ campus) and, is home to giants like Dell, Google, IBM, HomeAway, Bumble, Indeed...again, to name a few.

Surrounded by what is known as a "Green-belt" Austin offers many parks and lakes for hiking, biking, rock climbing, swimming, boating, and, believe it or not, surfing! Austin is also home NLand Surf Park, the first artificial surf park in North America and the largest artificial surf park in the world. Austin's city motto is "Keep Austin Wierd" and locals live by a mantra, "if you can think it, you can do it in Austin".

Due to it's cultural and corporate diversity Austin tourism is growing at an astounding pace. Outside of the corporate sector which encompasses industries such as tech, business, medical, banking, and non-profit, one of the best industries to find quick work in is the hospitality & service industries. In 2018, Fairmont Hotels and Resorts opened it's largest hotel to date, a 140,000 square-foot 37-story property - the second tallest building in the city - with 1,048 rooms, five restaurants and bars, and full-service spa. This comes only three years after JW Marriott opened, in 2015, it's 34-story 1,012 room property.

The service industry within Austin holds countless opportunities to find quick work within the numerous restuarants and bars.

SEASONAL WORK IN AUSTIN

SPRING

Spring is the first festival season of the year for Austin. In the months from March through May, you will encounter the following festivals...

ABC Kite Fest, Austin Urban Music Festival, Rodeo Austin, St. Patrick's Day Festival, SXSW Music, Film, and Interactive Conference and Festival, Austin Food + Wine Festival, Austin International Poetry Festival, Austin Reggae Fest, Fusebox Festival, Levitation Music Festival, Lonestar Roundup, Moontower Comedy Festival, Old Settlers Music Festival, Cine Las Americas International Film Festival, Finding Euphoria Music Festival, Hot Luck Festival, JMBLYA Music Festival, Pecan Street Spring Arts Festival, and the Amy's Ice Cream Festival.

Another event happening within this time frame include the World Golf Championships - Dell Technologies Match Play.

All of the above are great opportunities to volunteer and make amazing industry contacts.

Austin restaurant & bars begin to explode as spring approaches and become rampant with employment opportunities.

SUMMER

Summers in Austin are hot! Summer's typically range from June through August. However, a typical Austin summer can begin as early as May and, at times, run all the way through to mid-November. Temperatures can reach up 100 degrees Fahrenheit/45 degrees Celcius with Heat Indexes hitting upwards to 120 degrees Fahrenheit/48-50 degrees Celcius. Best places to be are either indoors OR in the water...any water.

Events happening during Summer include:

African American Book Festival; ATX Television Festival; Fun Stop 5K & Fest; Fourth of July Fireworks and Symphony; and Willie Nelson's 4th of July Picnic.

All of the above are great opportunities to volunteer and make amazing industry contacts.

Employment opportunities at the various lakes, pools, and parks begin as early as March.

AUTUMN

Autumn is the second festival season of the year for Austin. In the months from August through November you will encounter the following festivals...

Austin Chronicle Hot Sauce Festival; Austin Pride Parade & Festival; Bat Fest; Capital City Black Film Festival; Out of Bounds Comedy Festival; All Genders, Lifestyle and Identities Film Festival (aGLIFF); Fantastic Fest, Pecan Street Fall Arts Festival; Texas Craft Brewers Festival; Texas Tribune Festival; Waterloo Music Festival; Austin City Limits (ACL) Music Festival; Austin Film Festival; Texas Book Festival; Texas Teen Book Festival; Austin Celtic Festival; and Texas Monthly BBQ Festival.

All of the above are great opportunities to volunteer and make amazing industry contacts.

Other events happening within this time frame include: the Formula 1 United States Grand Prix and Chuy's Christmas Parade.

Austin restaurant & bars are in full swing and actively looking for amazing talent to fill their rosters with all types of employment opportunities.

WINTER

"Winter" in Austin typically starts in late November and ends approximately in late February/early March.

Things to do include:

Armadillo Christmas Bazaar; Austin Asian American Film Festival; Austin Music Video Festival; Austin's New Year; Trail of Lights; Winter Wonderland at The Circuit; Free Week; Martin Luther King Jr. March and Festival; Austin Marathon and Half Marathon; Austin Oyster Festival; and Carnaval Brasileiro.

All of the above are great opportunities to volunteer and make amazing industry contacts.

ATTITUDE TO FOREIGNERS WORKING IN AUSTIN

Like New York City, Austin is quickly becoming another "melting pot" of cultural diversity. Coupled with Texas' southern hospitality, you will be quick to find an easy smile and loving attitude. Locally, Austin is known as the blue dot in the red state; meaning Austin is the liberal city within the conservative state. No place in the world is free from racism, hate, and bigotry; however, you have to search hard through many unbeaten paths to encounter these in Austin. As tourism is a major source of income for the city, people's safety is a primary concern. Police presence is known, but not felt, and response times are visible within minutes.