One thing at the top of many people’s bucket lists is travel. From when we are young, we dream of exploring the rest of the world and experiencing other cultures. Unfortunately, for the vast majority of us, our hectic work schedules and lack of sufficient funds, mean that we are unable to find the time or money to see the world. Luckily, there is a whole range of jobs and careers that let you travel for free – and you get paid too! If you suffer from wanderlust and are bored of staying in the same country, the following jobs might be of interest to you.
1. Au Pair
This may not be your ‘dream’ career, and it (usually) doesn’t pay well, but taking a gap year after uni and looking after children in a foreign country is a great way to boost your CV. It’s also useful if you want to go into a career involving children. You get to learn a new language, or brush up your skills of a language you already know, and experience life in another country. In many cases, you also get free food and accommodation. You may even be able to travel around that country, depending on how much you earn and how much free time you get.
2. Teacher
If you want to be a teacher, why not consider teaching English abroad? You can pretty much teach English anywhere in the world, from Europe to Asia to South America. Vietnam, Brazil, Thailand, Japan, China and Mexico are just some of the many countries where English teachers are highly sought after. However, you will probably need to get a TEFL qualification first. Check out www.tefl.org.uk to find out more about teaching English abroad.
3. Archaeologist
You may not have thought about it, but having a degree in archaeology can give you the option of travelling. Why not see if you can conduct fieldwork or research in another country? Museums or governments might need you to make new discoveries.
4. Event Coordinator
Event coordinators tend to work locally, but there are many opportunities to work abroad too. You could find yourself helping to organise large-scale events in various locations around the world. Weddings and festivals are two examples of events you might organise as an event coordinator.
5. Flight attendant
Having a job as a flight attendant might seem like an obvious job that will enable you to travel the world, but it’s worth including in this list anyway. Make sure you apply to airlines that travel to long haul destinations otherwise you might end up stuck in England! You also need to have previous experience in customer service and the ability to swim 25m. Being fluent in another language is a bonus and will open up more opportunities.
6. Interpreter
Interpreters are necessary in some businesses, including politics and hospitals. You need to be confident in speaking in two (or more) languages if you want to make a career as an interpreter. It might also be useful to have broad knowledge of a particular subject, such as science, politics or economics.
7. Translator
Translators are similar to interpreters in that they need to be bilingual, or even trilingual. However, translators are more concerned with translating text rather than speech. As a translator, you might be required to translate travel brochures, books, or websites. It might be useful to gain a qualification in a particular type of translation, for example medical, literary or legal.
8. Freelance Writer
Being a freelance writer means that you can pretty much work from anywhere in the world. This is particularly useful if you want to earn a living as a travel writer. However, getting a job as a travel writer is very difficult since there is a lot of competition. The best way to become a freelance writer is to start by setting up a blog and then pitch to magazines and newspapers. Various journalism assignments are also advertised on www.upwork.com, www.peopleperhour.com and www.freelancer.com.
