These Jobs Allow You To Travel And Work At The Same Time
Traveling is usually something people do to take time off work, but sometimes you can have a job that allows you to see the world, without ever needing to stop making money. If you want to take your job on the road with you, you can with these jobs that will allow you to see the world, without needing to stop working.
Teaching Abroad
If you already have a teaching degree (and some experience) and are looking for a change of scenery, you can apply to teach abroad. Sometimes, your school district or school will have teacher exchange partnerships with schools in other countries. Typically, these exchanges last a semester or a full school year, but can provide a great opportunity to explore a new country, culture and make new friends, and teach a new curriculum.
Cruise Ship Positions
Being a member of a cruise ship's hospitality team may require you to take a college course to obtain a diploma or certificate in Hospitality And Tourism, but once completed, you could spend a year or more (as these are often contract-based gigs) as part of a cruise ship team, sailing the seven seas. From transatlantic crossings to southern routes, wherever you feel like going a career on a cruise ship may take you there.
Flight Attendant
Another excellent option for those that want to travel and work is to train as a flight attendant. While you may be flying domestically to begin your career, international airlines are always hiring and are a great option—particularly if you speak another language. While you'll be spending a great deal of time in the air, there will be opportunities to explore the cities you land in during long-haul flights and layovers.
Travel Nurse
If you're considering the nursing profession, or are already a qualified LPN, you can apply to work for an agency that places nurses in different communities. You can choose ones that operate internationally, or if you want to travel domestically, pick an agency that rotates it's placements every few weeks or months. Travel nurses, on average, also make more money than other nurses.
Embassy Staff
If you have a keen eye and ear for international politics and want to be involved in shaping the national image internationally, then applying for a position with an American embassy is a great idea. You can be placed anywhere in the world and will spend months on assignment, learning about different cultures and experiencing different countries.
WWOOF'ing
WWOOF'ing, or working for WWOOF (Worldwide Opportunities On Organic Farms) farms is a great way to spend a season in another country performing farmhand-style tasks. While you might not get paid very much (or at all, as some WWOOFers simply work for their room and board), you will gain invaluable life experiences and get to live somewhere for free, all the while contributing to the running of a family farm.
Working In Hostels
In a similar vein to working on organic farms—but this time you'll be an employee of the hostel company. This is another job in which language skills may open more doors for you, but as long as you're able to communicate effectively in English, you'll likely be able to work almost anywhere in the world. Your hostel company employer will likely board you in staff accommodation in the hostel and you'll have the opportunity to mingle with guests while performing your duties.
Au Pair
While you might be familiar with nannies, au pairs are often integrated into the family unit and are paid a monthly stipend, rather than a contractual salary, like nannies. Responsible for looking after your au pair family's children for a period of time, au pairs will often take short-term positions overseas. If you like working with kids and have the necessary qualifications and a clean police record, families all over the world are searching for Au Pairs.
Airline Pilot
Being a commercial or airline pilot is a great way to see the world—and not just from 30,000 feet up. While you may begin flying domestically, it won't be long before you're jet-setting off to pastures new and spending your off-hours or days in new and interesting cities and countries in the world. The best part is most of your expenses will actually be at the expense of your airline employer, so you can indulge a little.
Humanitarian Aid Worker
If you keep up with what's going on in the world and see yourself working in-tandem with other people to ease the pain experienced by others internationally, then working for an NGO or other aid organization is certainly an option that may allow you to travel and help out in disaster zones at the same time. You'll need a bachelor's degree as a minimum requirement for most aid organization positions.
Freelance Writer
If you have a gift of the written word and have been keeping a blog or have been writing for a local newspaper or news outlet for a while, maybe it's time to see if there are opportunities to work as a freelancer. Most freelance writers, or even full-time content writers (part of content writing teams) are no longer constrained by an office space. If you're one of these people, you'll likely be able to take your work with your wherever you go.
Travel Agent
Most travel agents earn their pay via commissions, so if you consider yourself something of a salesperson; then why not sell people excellent vacations? Travel agents can sometimes work independently, or as part of a travel agency. Being a travel agent will allow you to work internationally as you familiarize yourself with the various destinations, or become part of an agency with offices internationally.
International Tour Guide
If you have a love of history, or a wealth of knowledge about a particular place, you may be able to apply to become an international tour guide. Various companies offer tours of famous places around the world, including many cities and historical sites. A bachelor's degree in history, archaeology or a certificate in hospitality and tourism may set you up to both travel to these incredibly significant places in human history, and work there too!
Scuba Diving Instructors
If you already have a scuba diving certification and have just been using it locally to dive beneath your local waterways—why not use your skills as a scuba diver to teach others how to do the same? Join the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI) and apply for jobs teaching scuba diving in many exotic locations around the world.
Ski Instructors
If you love skiing and think you have the skills to teach others, there are plenty of mountain ski resorts that are hiring ski instructors. You'll live on-site and can be employed for half the year as a ski instructor. Of course, once the ski season closes, you'll need to look for other work, but being a ski instructor for half the year is a great way to experience another country for a few months.
Long Haul Truck Driving
You're definitely familiar with long haul truckers—they're the folks you often with out-of-state license plates that get you thinking, "How far has he traveled?!" Well, long-haul truck drivers are in high-demand across the country and indeed across North America. Although you may spend much of your time alone on the open, sometimes that definitely beats sitting in an office cubicle. Additionally, you can work overseas providing you pass licensure, written and road tests for driving large trucks in Europe and the United Kingdom.
Virtual Assistant
The days when an assistant used to be exclusively are mostly gone. Nowadays, thanks to the internet, most assistant work can be done remotely. Whether that's scheduling meetings, writing reports, responding to emails, setting up a calendar for your client, virtual assistant work is now done almost exclusively online. Which means you can work from anywhere. Depending on whether you work for yourself, or are hired-on full-time by a company, you may be given the freedom to travel and work at the same time.
Actuary
Another typical office-job that no longer requires you to be in an office. Actuaries use mathematics, financial theory and risk assessments to help companies manage risks. Thanks to the innovations in modern connectivity for teams, actuaries don't need to be in the office to do their work nor present their findings to their bosses. If you're great with numbers, then a career as an actuary not only pays well, but can allow you to see the world too.
Architect
If you've recently completed an architecture degree, or are looking to enroll in an architecture program at a university of your choice, be aware that you can use your architectural qualifications and travel, too! Whether you work for an architectural firm with international projects, or will have your own firm and need to visit sites from time to time, architecture will allow you the freedom to travel, without having to sacrifice your paycheck.
Midwife
If you're a medical professional with qualifications in midwifery, you can fill one of the 300,000+ vacancies in midwifery around the world (according to the United Nations). Being a midwife will allow you to provide a necessary medical service to millions and have the ability to work anywhere around the world (providing you pass various certifications and background checks, etc.)
Archaeologist
If you have a love of history and want to explore the past to understand how we got here, then pursuing a career as an archaeologist Archaeologists are required to have a Bachelor's Degree in Anthropology or History, but this can lead to some pretty incredible exploratory trips and digs in far-flung places of the world. A great opportunity to work and travel at the same time.
Evgeny Haritonov, Shutterstock
Translator
If you speak another language than English, or more than one language, you can use that to your advantage and find work as a translator. Translators can be hired by government agencies, non-government agencies, international corporations, travel agencies and more! There are plenty of jobs out there that allow you to travel and translate at the same time.
Stagehand
This one may surprise you; but stagehands are often by a production crew and travel with the crew to wherever they perform. Helping to set up shows, set up props, rigging, sound and lighting, being a stagehand for a major production company could see you traveling to international venues. A background in theater is generally a perquisite.
Travel Photographers
If you're already a photographer, then why not consider taking your passion and turning it into a business? Whether your subjects are people, landscapes, buildings or just about anything else—chances are that there's a market for it. You could sell your work to magazines, news organizations or get hired by a travel publication and work on assignments for them.
Chef
While you might start your chef career working in a small kitchen at a local restaurant or pub, chefs also have the ability to work and travel at the same time. You can find short-term chef jobs as you travel, working in almost any restaurant environment you choose.
Do you work any of these jobs? Have they allowed you the freedom to travel? Let us know in the comments below.
