What if you could hold down a steady job and see the world at the same time? For many fans of travel, this is the dream – and it’s more achievable than you think. Here are just seven jobs that can allow you to travel and make an income.
Cruise ship worker
Cruise ships are a popular form of work for lovers of travel, largely because there are so many different opportunities to choose from on a cruise ship. Chefs, bartenders, entertainers, technicians, nurses, and cleaners are just some of the roles available on these giant floating hotels. Pay varies depending on the role and depending on the ship. You’ll usually get a couple of days off per week which you can use to enjoy the onboard facilities – or to visit whichever port the ship happens to be stopped at. Most ships will stick to a certain route, but you can always get transferred to a new ship if you fancy exploring somewhere new. Cruise ships operate all over the world from the Caribbean to the Arctic.
Flight attendant
Flight attendants are constantly traveling around the world. Depending on the airline, you could get to fly to all kinds of destinations around the world near and far. On top of this, flight attendants can get discounts on flights allowing you to enjoy vacations abroad on the cheap. The work of a flight attendant can be challenging as it involves being on your feet for long periods, working unpredictable shifts and dealing with all kinds of customer concerns. Having experience in a hospitality/catering role and having a good level of fitness will help you break into this career field.
Travel agent
Working as a travel agent could be another great option for travel lovers. To become a travel agent, you often need to have lots of experience traveling the world in order to give customers valuable and enthusiastic advice. And whilst the work itself doesn’t require much traveling, you’ll often get access to some of the best deals on the market whilst working as a travel agent, allowing you to make the most of your annual leave jetting off around the world affordably. There’s a lot of earning potential as a travel agent – you can read guides online as to how travel agents make their money. You could even start your own independent travel agency.
Tour guide
Another option could be to work as a tour guide abroad. English-speaking tour guides are needed all over the world. Such tours could be anything from historical sightseeing trips to nature safaris. Speaking another language might help, but in some cases, this may not even be necessary. Expertise in a certain area such as wildlife or history could also help. You could even consider starting your own tour if you can’t find any existing tours out there that match your passions (this could involve starting an international coach trip or a city tour).
Ski instructor
If you’re an avid skier, you could also consider becoming a ski instructor. There are ski resorts all over the world and you can transfer between them each winter. You’ll need to complete a ski instructor course in order to become qualified to teach – these qualifications are internationally recognized allowing you to work anywhere in the world. This work is seasonal, so you may need to find work elsewhere in the summer (if you’re lucky, you may be able to find work at a dry slope or indoor ski center).
Diving instructor
A similar role could be to teach diving around the world. This could be a great role for experienced divers that love traveling. You’ll need to obtain a PADI instructor qualification in order to teach diving. You’ll then be able to teach diving at various dive sites around the world, possibly switching location every six months so that you’re constantly exploring new places.
English teacher
English is a universally spoken language. Kids often learn to speak it in school and some parents will even hire tutors. To become an English teacher abroad, you’ll usually need an English teaching qualification. Knowing another language could be necessary when teaching English in some countries, but there are many countries where you may not need any foreign language skills. You can search for English teaching vacancies abroad online.
