In January 2018 CHI Work and Travel team visited Montenegro and Serbia to conduct hiring tours in Podgorica and Belgrade. CHI team members met face-to-face with the future program participants in their countries and held interviews during which many of them were accepted into the program.
All of these young individuals are currently studying in their countries’ top universities. They will become doctors, professors, IT specialists and philosophers in the future. But first, they will travel over the ocean to experience true American culture during their summer vacation. While it is a great privilege to get to talk to the future leaders of the country, it’s also interesting to find out about their local culture. Many students during their interview would ask: “So do you like our country?” and were very enthusiastic about sharing local traditions, food, and attractions.
Montenegro is a very famous resort destination and many of the participants had previous work experience. They apply for seasonal jobs and get valuable training that will be useful for their Work and Travel program.
Bar and Budva are two touristy towns in Montenegro with beautiful beaches and breathtaking views of the Adriatic sea. According to our partner in Montenegro, during the summer these two towns are packed with people from all over Europe and are very lively.
In Serbia, CHI team met with the program alumni. They came to participate in the orientation presentation and give advice to their peers – future participants. The most popular advice was to get out there, participate in as many cultural activities as possible and make friends. “They will help you when you have culture shock.”, one of the participants said.
Two of CHI’s employers also traveled to Belgrade to interview and accept students for their summer seasonal peak period – Johnny Rockets and Extreme Pizza locations in Myrtle Beach and Denali 3000 which oversees several businesses in Denali and Anchorage, AK.
Prospective program participants were very excited to meet with their future employers and find out more about the job, their responsibilities and the location where they are to be traveling soon.
Belgrade is an extremely lively city with an active entertainment/nightlife. At the same time, it has a rich history, culture and beautiful architectural sights from different eras. People from neighboring countries and from all over the world travel to Belgrade to enjoy the amazing food, historical sights and culture. Serbians are very proud of the fact that Nikola Tesla was from Belgrade and there’s a museum dedicated to honoring and displaying the life and work of Nikola Tesla.
CHI team enjoyed their time in Serbia and Montenegro – the cultural enrichment they experienced is somewhat similar to one of our participants while coming on the work and travel program. We wish all of these students a successful summer 2018 season.
Would you like to visit Montenegro and Serbia?
