Five Ways You Can Work and Travel the World
By Sean Revell
Got a friend or family member who’s been lucky enough to travel the globe and earn a wage while they’re at it? If you ever felt a tinge of envy alongside your initial excitement for them, maybe it’s something you’d secretly like to do too.
The fact is, as with most dreams, they rarely become a reality as that little old thing called life gets in the way. Everything from your finances to your confidence can put a dampener on any plans you may have of breaking away from the monotony of working in an office. It’s worth remembering, though, that there are plenty of ways you can make a globe-trotting adventure worth your while –and we’re not talking just about the memories and experiences it’ll offer. To help you, we’ve put together a handy guide to five ways you can work and travel the world one and the same time.
1. Teach English as a Foreign Language –Pretty much any native speaker with a degree can get a job teaching English as a second language abroad. If this is a route you fancy exploring, research roles in Latin America or Southeast Asia, where there are a higher number of positions for budding tutors. With contracts lasting up to two years, there’s plenty of time to make the most of your time somewhere amazing, before packing up and doing the same again elsewhere.
2. Volunteer–OK, so volunteering doesn’t guarantee you a wage in the first instance, but roles like this usually come with free board, saving you money in the long-run. If (bills aside) you have enough money to get by, consider arriving at your destination before finding work. Take a look at sites like Grassroots Volunteering for relevant opportunities.
3. Become a Flight Attendant – For many, this won’t be the first role that springs to mind when contemplating how you can have a great round-the-world experience and earn a living. But think about it: few roles offer the chance to see as many places in an often short period of time. The great news is, while there’s obviously some training involved, you don’t need a specialised degree to become a flight attendant. The hours may well be erratic and you are spending the majority of your day in the air, but you’ll be lucky enough to enjoy a glimpse of cities across the globe on your days off, with free or discounted flights often an added bonus.
4. Look into Seasonal Work –If you want to travel the globe, it’s likely that you’ll have to take whatever work you can find in order to pay your bills and get by. Keep in mind that it’s as much about experiencing another culture as it is the work you’ll be doing. Getting seasonal work –in ski resorts, as a camping guide, or in a hotel–can sometimes rely on you travelling to your destination of choice in advance, and finding the work when you get there. The key here is to arrive at your destination well before the season starts to secure a job; show up mid-season and you’ll quickly discover that all the good jobs have been snapped up. Plus, if you’re under 30 you can get a working holiday visa, allowing you to take any summer seasonal job in the country (Australia, New Zealand, Canada and Norway all offer working visas).
5. Make a Deal with Your Boss–Again, working remotely won’t be the first thing that comes to mind when you consider the prospect of travelling the world. But if you’re lucky enough to have a role that doesn’t require you to be office-based, consider pitching a deal to your boss. These days, with access to the Internet readily available, more and more people are discovering they can pack up and take their work elsewhere. Is it about time you did the same, too?
This year, why not make that pipe-dream a reality by discovering even more ways you can earn a living and fulfill your passion for travelling.
