“Quit your job and travel” has become one of the most commonly repeated advises. While it can be a perfect solution for some wanderlust addicts, not all those who love traveling want to stop working. Luckily, you can combine these two activities as there are many jobs for travelers.
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Jobs for travelers
There are plenty of employment you can do while you are traveling the world. Here’s a list of 25 jobs for travelers.
1. Archaeologist
Not only archaeologists get to travel in space, but also in time. They look for treasures dating back to thousands and hundred years ago, examine them and interpret their meanings. Most of archaeologists work in the field, which requires them to travel around a lot. Some of them dig the ground to find valuable artefacts, others mainly focus on conducting research for museums, teaching at universities, preparing catalogues and displays.
2. Anthropologist
If you’re interested in cultures and, in addition to traveling, you also enjoy reading; researching and writing, a career in anthropology can suit you perfectly. The role of anthropologists is to investigate the ways in which different cultures function. They can concentrate on such topics as folklore and traditional communities, as well as on more contemporary subjects, like pop culture, media, subcultures and basically anything that is associated with the cultural side of human existence.
3. Flight attendant
Unlike two professions listed above, being a flight attendant doesn’t require a specified degree. You need good manners, experience in customer service, a lot of patience and off you go. It’s a job that demands a lot of flexibility (strange working hours, international team, dealing with a variety of clients), but it pays off pretty well. You get to see cities all around the world and, if you’re lucky, discounted or free flight tickets.
4. Language teacher
For native speakers of English getting a job as a teacher is relatively easy. English teachers are needed everywhere. You don’t have to be a native though. In some cases it’s enough to speak fluently, but a degree or a certificate would be helpful. You don’t feel confident enough with your English skills? You can try teaching other languages. French, Spanish, German and Chinese are especially popular nowadays, but you can also learn some strange languages. As a native speaker of, let’s say, Norwegian, you can try getting jobs teaching Norwegian. There will always be people who want to learn unpopular languages because of their work, family situation or simply for fun.
5. Cruise ship crew
Musicians, dancers, waiters, cooks, photographers, fitness instructors, beauticians, hairdressers, cleaners… A variety of jobs available on cruise ships is nearly endless. Cruise ships are like miniature towns, so, as you can imagine, all sorts of professionals are needed there. Long working hours and few days off are among most common drawbacks, but in exchange for your effort, you get a good pay and the chance to see quite a bit of the world. Sounds appealing? To look for vacancies, check different companies’ websites.
6. Yoga/dance/ski/surfing instructor
The disciplines yoga, dancing, skiing and instructing are just examples, you can actually teach a wide range of skills. You just need to be good enough at one thing and preferably have some certificates or accomplishments. If you’ve won an important tango competition and attended dance lessons for many years, you can look for a job as a teacher in various countries. If you’re an awesome surfer, why not to get a certificate and start sharing your passion with newbies somewhere on the sunny beaches of Portugal or Morocco?
7. Journalist
Not all journalists get to travel a lot, but some definitely do – everything depends on the field you’re specializing in. You can write for travel magazines or international news columns in papers. What you need is excellent writing skills, lots of creativity and curiosity. You should be an expert in at least one field and have some general knowledge too – it might sound like a lot, but if you’re passionate enough, learning will be a joyful process.
8. Blogger
To become a blogger and make it profitable, first of all you must have something interesting to share. You can create a travel blog, or write on another subject and just do it on the road. A good idea is the first step, but you’ll also need a lot of patience and persistence. Being a blogger is somewhat fashionable now and many consider it a dream job. Don’t be deceived though – it’s tons of fun, but you won’t get far without hard work. Luckily, when your blog starts bringing profit, you can travel all around while doing what you’re truly interested in.
9. Web designer
One of the greatest advantages of being a web designer is the possibility to work online, anytime, from anywhere. With a bit of self-discipline, you can learn designing by yourself. There’s lots of sources available online. Then, when you’re ready to create beautiful pages, you can either work as a freelancer or find an employer who’ll allow you to work remotely.
10. Nurse or doctor
Health professionals are needed in many countries, both the developing and developed ones. If you’re a nurse or a doctor, you can look for jobs in Europe, Africa, Asia – basically anywhere. There are a lot of places with a shortage of medical staff. It’s not easy to become a professional in this field, but if you’re truly interested and ready to commit a lot of time to studying, it’ll surely pay off. Once you’ve got the necessary education, you can look for jobs through special agencies.
11. Tour guide
Guiding tours is more than a job, it’s actually a way of living. As a guide, you always move from one place to another. It’s a fascinating job that provides incredible travelling possibilities. To become a tour guide, you should have lots of travel experience and excellent social skills. You need to like people and be able to lead them. It’d be helpful if you also spoke foreign languages, had a driving license and knowledge in history, arts, ethnology or geography. To find a job as a tour guide, look through websites of travel agencies, they usually post advertisements on their own pages.
12. International aid worker
As an international aid worker, you can not only lead an exciting life, travel and explore captivating places, but also do something beneficial for others. Different professionals are welcome in aid agencies, from medical staff, pharmacists, biologists, and agriculture specialists, to psychologists, social workers and educators. There are many international humanitarian organizations you could work for, for instance, USAID (https://www.usaid.gov/), Doctors Without Borders (https://www.msf.org.uk/) or UNICEF (https://www.unicef.org/). You can also look for vacancies on such websites as the Idealist (https://www.idealist.org/).
13. Yacht crew
Imagine cruising from one port to another on a beautiful boat, sunbathing on the deck and stopping by charming coastal towns. Babysitters, cleaners, chefs, engineers – boat owners need lots of different workers. Stuff on recreational yachts doesn’t always get paid (the trip and board is considered your payment), but such a “voluntary” work can be a good way to start off and gain necessary skills. Once you’re a professional yachtie, it’ll be easier to find well-paid jobs. To earn some decent money, you’ll have to work long hours, but it’s worth it.
14. Bartender
Bartenders usually don’t make a fortune, but the job can be fun, especially if you work in a beach bar somewhere in the Caribbean or a traditional Irish bar with live music every night. To make more money, you should look into hotels or fancy bars. Speaking languages and having some certificates would be helpful. You can find bartending courses in most of the big cities. It’s an investment, but in exchange for some time and money you gain practical skills and increase your chances of finding a job.
15. Hotel staff
From maids and receptionists to chefs and managers, hotels hire a variety of people. Required skills vary depending on the position, but languages, excellent manners and ability to work under pressure always come in handy. Employees of international hotel chains have the most opportunities to travel because they often get transferred to other hotels belonging to the same company. To look for a position, check websites of specific hotel chains or look through pages posting adds concerning hotel jobs.
16. Photographer
You don’t need a degree to become a photographer, but you do need a good eye, creativity, and technical skills. It’s not an easy way to make income, let’s admit it from the start. You have to to be exceptionally good at taking photos, but also at advertising yourself. Nevertheless, it’s doable, and the job itself is fascinating. As a photographer, you can get to see the world’s amazing places.
17. Interpreter
Interpreters travel all around the globe and work in places where people of different nationalities meet to discuss important issues. They can find occupation at international conferences, business meetings, refugee camps, etc. As an interpreter, you’ll probably spend most of the time in one country, but you might be sent to various meetings and events. To get one of these jobs, you should speak at least two languages fluently, have a degree in at least one of them and detailed knowledge in a particular field, such as business, politics, science or law.
18. Travel agent
There’s a lot of websites now thanks to which people can organize their holidays, so statistics predict travel agents will have less work in the next year. Nevertheless, there’s still a need for them, especially the creative and reliable ones. Companies need travel agents; businesspeople usually don’t have time to organize their trips and prefer to hire professionals. Many leisure travelers want to relax before their holidays instead of taking care of arrangements. Being a great travel agent requires exceptional organizational and social skills. To provide your clients with honest advice and support, you might have to visit some of the places you’re going to recommend – sounds like a fun responsibility, doesn’t it?
19. Retail buyer
One of retail customers’ tasks is to travel around, attend meetings, shows or conferences and look for products their company could first purchase and then sell. Let’s say you’re interested in, for example, fashion – as a retail buyer not only you’d get to visit different cities, but also go to fashion shows, trade shows, meet designers and other professionals. Not all the work is done on the road though; you’d also have to be present in the offices and stores of your company.
20. Au pair
If you know how to handle children and enjoy their company, being an au pair might be an ideal option for you. Experience in working with kids (it doesn’t have to be on a professional level, saying that you’ve taken care of your nephew may be enough) and speaking a second language would be beneficial. As an au pair, you’ll stay with a host family, receive room, board, and a small salary. Through living with locals, you’ll get a chance to get to know the culture. Another good thing about being an au pair is the little age limit. Some families are willing to accept teenage babysitters, so if you’re a young, enthusiastic traveler, it’s a perfect opportunity to live abroad for a while. There are many websites on which you can find vacancies.
21. Civil servant
Public service jobs are available for all sorts of professionals, from health workers, managers, security specialists to political scientists, accountants or IT specialists. The U.S. Government has 265 embassies all around the world! And that’s not all, there are also many different offices searching for flexible, educated workers. If you’re not an American, just check with your own government. An advantage of working in civil service is that governments often offer relocation and lots of other benefits, as well as attractive salaries.
22. Oceanographer
In addition to working in laboratories, oceanographers can also spend their time doing field research, which basically means they sail for months and visit remote parts of the oceans. During research trips they collect samples and data which later on they can analyze in the coziness of their labs. Besides, some of them also teach at universities. It’s a fascinating job for those who love travelling by sea, but also don’t mind some office and lab work.
23. Road crew member
Known also as roadies, road crew members are the people who prepare concerts from the scratch. They do basically everything except of performing. Teams include lightning designers, bodyguards, truck drivers, audio engineers, all sorts of technicians and managers. These guys are lucky enough to be on a constant road trip and, as if that wasn’t enough, they do it in the company of famous bands. To start such a career, you should first look for simpler jobs, for example in local theatres, venues, radio stations etc. Then, step by step, you can make contacts, gain experience and work your way up.
24. Field service technician
Are you good at fixing stuff, but you don’t want to spend time and money for college? To become a field service technician you don’t need an engineer degree. Most of all, you must be good at technical things and able to prove it in practice. Some professional training and a bit of formal education would be useful, but you can also look for companies offering on-the-job training. Another benefit of this job is, of course, the possibility to move around a lot. Being a part of mobile techs team means you must go wherever repair or maintenance is needed.
25. Truck driver
As a truck driver, you can see quite a bit of the world, especially if you work for a big company with international clients. It’s not the easiest job though. First of all, you need to be ready to spend many hours in the cabin all by yourself (perfect for introverts). Secondly, you should be aware that sometimes you won’t have enough time to properly look around visited destinations and window views will be all you’ll get. Nevertheless, you’ll definitely see many places. If you enjoy driving and don’t mind the inconveniences mentioned above, it can be a fun job.
Which one of these jobs for travelers seems most appealing to you? Let us know! And share this article with your vagabond friends; perhaps you’ll inspire them to start a new career!
