You have just had an amazing week or two away and before you have even left the destination you’re already Googling ‘jobs that allow you to travel the world’. Sound familiar?
Welcome to the travel bug club! This was me back in 2015 I worked a stressful job that took over most of my life. I was great at my job and loved my colleagues but I felt like I had no real passion for what I was doing. I had been dreaming of travelling the world since I was a teenager, the freedom and the carefree life that came with it.
Unfortunately, once you begin to make a life, earn a salary and move out of the family home those dreams can sometimes become a very distant unrealism. We begin living for those 28 days a year holiday, that once a year escape. And the jobs that allow us to travel become just a dream. For most that is enough to suppress the travel bug but for me and I’m assuming you too, we need something more.
Finding a job that allows you to travel the world?
When I finally took the plunge and quit my job, my plan was to take a year off to travel the world. It was the best feeling ever, that last day was the most exciting day of my life (aside from having my children). I believe I am living proof that you don’t need to be a millionaire to travel the world. Money is necessary, but there are a few things you can change to make these dreams manifest. First, look into jobs that allow you to travel, this gives you more freedom to travel but still make money. Second, is your budget travel mindset and I have a whole other blog post on this subject – Travelling on a budget.
If you are wanting to look into jobs that allow you to travel but are lost for where to start. Here is a list of 10 travel jobs that I think anyone could be capable of starting with minimal start-up cost and whilst learning on the job.
1 – Writing/Blogging
Something that most travellers can get into; all you need is a laptop/phone/tablet and Wifi. As travellers, we research a lot of our travel plans and get destinations ideas by following other travellers and reading blogs. They are such a great source of information now and come from real people just like us. Monetising a blog can be difficult, to begin with, it takes work and effort to get started, this isn’t an overnight money maker. Social media presence is also ideal but once you finally find a loyal audience the rewards can be amazing. Pinterest is a great starting place to get your blog posts out there and share your work. It doesn’t even need to be a travel blog you could be a guru in anything; parenting, fashion, food or books there is a market for any type of blog.
2 – Teach English
English teachers are highly sought after around the world, especially in non-English speaking countries. If you are fluent in English then use this advantage as the pay can be really good. You could work in a classroom situation or even online in a virtual class. Check the requirements for the country you want to work in first to ensure you don’t need a particular degree or qualification. However, there are many countries that don’t require these. There are also lots of online virtual classrooms that you can sign up for. You will set an hourly rate and the company takes a commission from you.
3 – Virtual Assistant
We are living in a very remote and virtual world now. So becoming a virtual assistant is a great job that you can easily do from a hammock in the Philippines. Responsibilities in this role could include; scheduling appointments, making travel arrangements and taking hone calls. Some experience in office work or showing your organisational qualities will help you to become successful. However, companies with a lower budget will look at non-experienced people, this will allow you to work your way up and eventually charge more for your services.
4 – Bar/Restaurant Work
Whether it’s on the Ibiza strip or in a hotel/hostel. Most hospitality places can offer travellers work either paid or for free bed/board. You can land a job like this either by walking into the places you’d like to work and asking directly. Or check out the local job websites. There is normally no set amount of hours, so you can work flexibly. However, you most likely be asked to work evenings and weekends, so bare this in mind if you want to keep your social life.
5 – Graphic or Website Design
One of the most common travel careers for full-time digital nomads is graphics or website design. You will need an eye for design as well as a laptop/tablet for this job. Knowledge of software such as Photoshop, Dreamweaver, WordPress etc. is also desirable as you will be working off these. You will need to build up a portfolio of clients, to begin with. Websites such as Fiverr are great for starting up and promoting yourself.
6 – Au Pair
An au pair is a professional live-in babysitter or nanny hired by a family to help with the care of their children and homes. Duties include household chores, running children around and maybe teaching them English. In exchange, you receive a room, board, and a salary. Jobs for au pairs are available all over the world. It is a less flexible career path as you will normally work longer hours. This means less freedom to just travel when you want. However, you get to experience real life in the countries you work and earn a real wage.
7 – Freelance Travel Photographer
A very sought after profession for travellers. You may already know your way around a camera and a photo editing site or you can start learning. I use Youtube a lot for this, it does take time but once you get the hang of it you’re away. If you are already travelling then just start shooting. Pinterest is a great place to get inspiration for setting up your images. There are lots of monetisation channels including; selling the rights to use your images, working with hotels to shoot properties and even influencer projects.
8 – Become a Host on Air BnB
Another specialist job that would involve you owning a property. but it can be a very good source of income. If you plan to be away for parts of the year, then why not rent your empty property out using AirBnB? Prices are dependent on your location and property type but you could earn enough to supplement your travels by hosting other couples/families.
9 – Videographer/Vlogger
Similar to blogging or a photographer but video-based. You could Vlog your travels, create day in the life videos or even vlog about a different subject completely. Another option is to create cinematic videos for companies like hotels or tourism boards. These will often be paid for as well as offering free travel. You can build an audience through social media such as Youtube which will also monetise from the number of views your videos get. All you need is a camera, laptop and a video editing software.
10 – Instructor/Teacher
There are so many opportunities to share your qualified skills around the world. Whether you are a yoga teacher, a master photo editor or enjoy teaching football to kids. Share your passion with others and you could start earning before you know it. Facebook would be a great option for setting up your presence as well as contacting local businesses to help promote your venture.
