Exactly like this, I worked as a volunteer for the Confederations Cup this year in Brazil. I just simply applied online on a website from FIFA. I come to the idea because of the Paralympics in London last year, I visited the Stadium once and saw so many volunteers, that I thought this must be possible for me to do as well somehow. So I did some 'googleing' and found the chance to volunteer at the World Cup in Brazil in 2014, I took it by immediately registering online!
I have to admit, during the application process at the beginning I wasn't quite sure if I apply for the World Cup, the Confederations Cup or both together.... I am still not sure if, since I took part in the Confed Cup, this is automatically my 'green card' to the World Cup o.O That means I just can wait and hope the best, because I definitely want to go back!!
The application process started by filling in forms about yourself and what you would like to do as a volunteer there (for example working in the media section or more directly with the visitors and in which city you want to stay), then taking an online training with answering questions, and an additional online training (completely in Portuguese, though. I still tried it and quite succeeded with my -more or less - intermediate Spanish knowledge, hehe).
Then we had to wait....and wait....and wait for an answer...
I cannot really remember, but I think I started to do the online application in February and needed to wait almost one month until we had the next notice about a Skype interview! I was a bit scarred, because I thought we are going to talk with a video..... but not, we were just chatting and I basically needed to answer the same questions I already answered in the forms at the beginning (what do I want to do and at which place in Brazil).
Then I need to wait again! Until April... I was already worried, that if they need more time I have to cancel it, because the Confed Cup started the 15. June....and flights are not getting cheaper!! And I needed to talk about this with my work and organise everything -.-
But finally I had the amazing message that I got accepted!! I am going to be a volunteer at the Spectator Service in Rio de Janeiro!! This was exactely what I wanted!! I always wanted to visit Rio and I wanted to work with the visitors!
My next problem was: accommodation in Rio o.O
Since I am a poor student, just had work for one month and no money at all, I was considering to try couchsurfing.org or staydu.com. Luckily I got to know some Brazilian people through language learning website and communites and as I told a friend I got to know through totalingua.com, he directly invited me to stay at his home!
Ok people, you might think this sounds quite risky, to plan to stay at the home of a guy I just got to know about 2 months before and just on the internet....but hey!! I am broke and want to see the world^^ No risk no fun, right? haha!!
So I booked my flights (with Ibera airlines for about 620 Euro, if interested to know....so not too expensive after all I would say!) and packed my stuff not almost one month later for MY ADVENTURE IN BRAZIL!
In my next articles I am going to present you a bit more of Brazil and my part as a Volunteer for the Confederations Cup, of course!! So stay exited^^
Have you already been to Brazil or are you planning to?
