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You love to travel. You hate your job. Maybe a travel job is right for you.
Despite the economic gloom and doom, there are millions of jobs available these days. Many of these jobs require extensive travel or even relocation overseas.
Some of the travel jobs on this list pay better than others. Some demand specific qualifications, while others are available to just about anyone who can speak English and button their shirt. Most are best suited to young people without major attachments.
All of these travel jobs promise overseas adventure and exposure to foreign cultures, so put aside the local classifieds and explore a world of possibility!
English Teacher
English teaching jobs are ridiculously easy to find in many parts of the world. It helps to have a college degree or ESL certification, but these qualifications aren’t mandatory. The Japan Exchange and Teaching Program is one of the best English teaching gigs, but there are countless other opportunities in every corner of the world.
Top 10 Places For Teaching English Abroad
Tour Guide
Photo by Marcin Wichary
Tour guiding jobs are plentiful if you already know a place well and have good social skills. You can either freelance, using the web to attract clients, or you can apply for a job with an established tour company. It helps to have a particular skill or hobby that you can share with your clients, like mountain biking or birdwatching.
Tour Guide: The Right Job For You?
Sailor (Navy)
Even when the last factory in America has closed, the military will still be hiring. There are a ton of reasons why this situation sucks, but a Navy job actually isn’t all bad. You’re very unlikely to see combat, and you’ll definitely get to see the world.
Sailor (Yachts)
Photo by sharkbait
If you can’t picture yourself on an aircraft carrier, how about a luxurious yacht? Rich people need crews to help them get around, and qualified sailors with good people skills can travel the world in style by hanging out in fancy ports and making connections with the global elite.
How To Travel The World By Crewing On Yachts
Travel Writer
Becoming a travel writer is easy. Earning a decent income from travel writing is more difficult. However, if you can write fairly well and are web-savvy, it’s possible to sustain your travels on writing income alone.
Geologist
Becoming a geologist will take some time and money, but once you get your degree the travel and employment opportunities are mind-blowing. Our hunger for fossil-fuel energy isn’t going to end anytime soon, and people who can sniff out the world’s last stashes of oil will always score high-paying work in exotic locales.
Peace Corp Volunteer
Photo by army.mil
Wait a second, you say. Don’t Peace Corp volunteers get paid pennies? Well, yes, but how does good health insurance, student loan deferrals and a solid $5,000 bonus after the end of your service sound?
Importer / Exporter
There are cheap widgets for sale in China. Americans love widgets. So go to China, buy cheap widgets, and sell them in America. Done and done.
How To Start Your Own Import / Export Business
Host / Hostess
Photo by Timothy Lloyd
Japanese men and women will pay you hundreds of dollars to flirt with them in smoky bars. Hey, it beats English teaching…
So You Want To Be A Bar Hostess?
Diplomat
Yup, the foreign service is hiring. If you read The New York Times and don’t smoke pot you’re probably qualified. Being a diplomat isn’t all fun and games, but the pay is decent and you’ll have good job security.
Final Notes
Done with travel and want to find a job back home? How To Make Travel Look Good On A Resume is a must read.
An excellent resource for finding travel jobs is the website Transitions Abroad.
And remember, if you can’t find a travel job you can always travel the world for free.
If you have a suggestion, question or just want to rant, please leave a comment below.
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14 Comments... join the discussion!
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Really! Maybe in Canada….
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Tim – Nice post, but how could you forget the cruise industry? Last time we met I was about to embark on my cruise adventure! Cruiselines are great for entertainers (myself), but also for anyone who can work in the hospitality industry. Casino dealers, bartenders, activities staff, and youth staff (daycare and youth activities) are easily trained jobs that pay well on ships. Cruise ships go to most destinations, just be prepared to do a less popular run on your first contract. I did 5 months in South America and 1 month in Alaska during my brief Cruise ship career and think it’s great for those with a serious travel bug on a budget.
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Excellent roundup of links, Tim!
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This is like the travel version of 4-Hour Work Week. Sweet.
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Good one, Tim. Hosts and hostesses probably get the most money, and are the most likely to become alcoholics.
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Right on Linda – I should have added cruise ships. But don’t you have to be, like, the most talented saxophonist ever to come out of Vermont to score one of those gigs?
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Is there such a thing as a professional shuffleboard player? There’s a gig I could get used to.
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You could probably make a killing sharking old people on the cruise ship shuffleboard court. Good idea, Carlo.
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Thanks for the article. I wouldn’t mind being a Diplomat. I’m good at leadership, and I love public speaking. Plus, I wouldn’t mind meeting the Queen of England!
Who knew that you could be a Japanese host/hostess. I often thought about becoming a tour guide in the UK. I thought I had a job as a tour guide with a company in AZ, but it did not happen. By the way, another travel job is to work on a cruise ship.
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Thanks for the list. You could become a travel photographer or sell travel (either work for AAA or start your own travel business. Don’t forget about being a Cruise Director like Julie McCoy!
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Peace Corps was a great way to get me started on my worldwide journey, plus I learned an obscure language
So far I’ve been able to get a gig as a bartender, too. I definitely think I need to try the hostessing thing, though.
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Inspiring post. Scuba divers can also work as Dive Instructors or Dive Masters abroad and surfers can work as instructors in surfing schools. I’m getting my resume ready.
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