Working abroad with a friend: how to find seasonal jobs for two

You and your mate have been talking about it for months. Maybe years. "We should just do a season somewhere." And now you're actually looking into it, which means you're past the daydreaming stage and into the slightly terrifying reality of trying to make it happen for two people at once. Good. That's exactly where this guide comes in.

The good news is that seasonal work abroad with a friend is genuinely doable. Resorts hire entire teams, campsites take on groups of staff, and hotel chains are used to housing dozens of seasonal workers at a time. Going as a duo isn't the obstacle you might think it is. But it does take a bit more coordination than applying solo, and there are a few things worth knowing before you both hit send on your first application.

Yes, and more often than you'd expect. The seasonal hospitality industry runs on large, rotating teams. A busy holiday resort in Croatia or a ski chalet company in the Alps isn't hiring one person at a time and calling it a day. They're bringing on ten, twenty, sometimes fifty seasonal staff in one go. Within that context, two friends applying together is a perfectly normal thing.

Certain types of work actively suit duos. Animation teams at all-inclusive resorts, campsite staff, hotel front-of-house and bar roles, and ski resort support teams all involve group hiring and communal staff living. If you're both applying for roles in the same property or company, the chances of landing positions together are solid, especially if you're flexible about which specific roles you each take on.

The one thing employers care about is that you're both capable, motivated, and not going to cause drama if you're also sharing a bunk room. So lead with your individual strengths, and let the "we're applying together" part be context rather than your whole pitch.

Some settings are much better for duo applications than others. Here's where you'll find the most traction:

Holiday resorts and all-inclusive camps are your best bet. These places hire for multiple roles at once: entertainment, bar, reception, pools, kids' clubs. And they have the accommodation infrastructure to house a big team. If you and your friend have different skill sets, you could both end up at the same resort in different departments. That's actually quite common.

Campsites are another sweet spot. A large campsite might need a maintenance person, a shop assistant, a cleaner, a reception team member, and an activity leader all at once. The atmosphere tends to be close-knit and the staff housing situation is usually sorted, which we'll get into shortly.

Ski resorts deserve a mention here too. The sheer variety of roles in a ski season such as ski hire, lift operations, chalet hosting, bar work, ski school support, means there's usually something for two people with different backgrounds. And the communal chalet lifestyle makes having a friend there from day one an actual advantage.

This is where most pairs go wrong: they either apply as one unit and come across as unable to function independently, or they don't mention each other at all and then awkwardly bring it up after an offer is made. Neither is great. Here's what actually works.

Submit separate, individual applications. Employers want to assess you each on your own merits, and a joint application immediately signals that you might be a package deal in a way that feels inflexible. Write your own cover letter, list your own experience, and make your own case for the role.

Then, mention your friend by name. Something like: "I should let you know that my friend Sarah is also applying for a role with you for the same season. We'd love the chance to work together, but we're each applying on our own merits and are happy to discuss whichever roles suit us best." That's it. It's transparent, it's professional, and it plants the idea in the employer's head without making it a condition.

It helps if you can coordinate your availability windows and preferred start dates so you're not asking the employer to juggle two different timelines on top of everything else.

This happens. Don't panic, and definitely don't both decline the offer and start from scratch. That's the move that costs you a season.

If you get an offer and your friend is still waiting to hear back, contact the employer directly. Be honest: tell them you're delighted to accept and you'd love to confirm, but your friend also applied and you're hoping to hear an update on their application. Most seasonal employers are used to this kind of conversation. They'll either fast-track your friend's application or give you an honest answer about whether there's a role for them.

What you shouldn't do is silently sit on an offer for weeks waiting for your friend's situation to resolve. Employers have multiple candidates and a season that starts on a fixed date. Be communicative, be honest, and ask for a reasonable timeline to confirm. Most will give you a week or two.

And if it genuinely doesn't work out at the same employer? Consider whether nearby properties are an option. Two friends working at different hotels in the same resort town still get to share evenings, days off, and the general experience of being abroad together. It's not the same as working side by side, but it's far from a disaster. 🙌

Most seasonal employers in hospitality provide staff accommodation, and this is genuinely one of the perks of the lifestyle. You're not scrambling to find a flat in an unfamiliar country before you've even started earning. Instead, your housing is sorted from day one. Often with communal spaces where you'll meet other seasonal workers quickly.

Staff housing does vary. At some ski resorts and holiday camps, it's a proper chalet or staff village with shared bedrooms, a common kitchen, and communal social space. At smaller properties, it might be a simpler room in a converted building on site. The setup differs, but the social side, such as meeting people from all over the world, cooking together, swapping stories, is often what makes the whole experience memorable.

If you want to be placed in the same room or accommodation block as your friend, ask. Do it early, do it nicely, and frame it as a preference. Most employers will do their best to accommodate it, especially if there's flexibility on your end about room type. Private rooms aren't always guaranteed. Shared dorms are a normal part of seasonal work for many people. But that's also part of what makes it an adventure, and honestly, it's where a lot of lasting friendships start.

Sometimes, despite the best planning, one of you ends up in a role or location that doesn't quite match the other. Maybe you got placed in different departments, or one of you decided to extend the season when the other wanted to move on. That's not failure. That's just what happens when two real people with their own instincts and opportunities try to coordinate a shared adventure. 🌍

The best seasonal experiences tend to come from staying open. You might arrive as a duo and end up with a whole group of people you'd never have met otherwise. Your friend might land a role that takes them somewhere unexpected and brilliant. The plan is the launchpad, not the cage.

What Yseasonal is built for is exactly this kind of search: browsing real seasonal opportunities across Europe in hospitality, resorts, campsites, and more, so you can see what's out there and figure out where two people's skills and availability might actually line up. Have a look together. Filter by location, season, and role type. See what sparks something for both of you. The best time to start was probably last week, but right now works too.