I think we all daydream about waking up in a different city or country every few weeks and traveling the world. There is no better adventure to be had than traveling around the world while you work. Jobs that allow you to travel are highly sought after. Working in tourism, blogging, or being any type of digital nomad has become more and more popular because of the opportunities to travel. Not all jobs are in these fields though. Here is a quick rundown of the top five jobs for those who love to travel.

Travel photos for people looking for travel-related jobs

Working as a Freelancer

Freelance jobs easily take the top spot on this list. A freelance employee provides their services to companies and entities for a short period, and allow employees to work remotely. Freelance jobs are the most difficult to find, because they require you to have a body of work, and subsequently, a degree of expertise that separates you from the competition. Frequently, most freelancers work in programming and content creation. There is a stark difference between these two fields.

Content creation can span a wide variety of focuses. I think people usually associate content creators with famous YouTubers and Instagrammers, but this is wrong. Content creation can be content writing, photography, videography, graphic design, etc. It is anything created and then used to generate traffic on a website or create engagement with an audience. It is an exciting field, and most content creators are also entrepreneurs.

Freelance employees are not only programmers and content creators. There are plenty of artists from all disciplines that freelance, business professionals that freelance (such as consultants or coaches), and many other fields of business that operate in a freelance capacity.

So, in conclusion, if you work for yourself and provide your services to the clients you want to work with, you are a freelance employee.

Being a Travel Writer

Travel writing jobs are the unicorns of the job world. It seems like you only hear about people doing this type of work, but you never actually meet anyone that is a travel writer. This is due in part to the niche market they serve. Either travel writers travel to a location (very rare) and write, or they live somewhere that a company or entity wants content for. For example, imagine that you are an American travel writer in Italy. You may be contacted by a magazine to write a short op-ed about the best places to eat in Florence.

While the writing isn’t always glamorous, the job does come with perks. The majority of the time, travel writers operate in the same space as freelancers. However, they are more or less a specialized version of a freelancer. They may dabble in travel photography or cinematography, but at the end of the day, they generate written content.

Digital nomad travel writer with laptop

If you desperately want to become a travel writer, I would highly recommend starting a travel blog. A travel blog will get you disciplined to write every day and document your travels using your unique voice. Finding a voice in one’s writing is easily the most significant challenge with writing.

Most people forget that writing takes a lot of hard work and practice. A travel writer cannot just wake up in Rome, and begin to write a thrilling piece about the history of pasta in a specific district of Italy. If you don’t get out and interview people, make connections, or go outside your comfort zone, then maybe this isn’t for you. I mean we can’t all be Hemingway, right?

Teaching English Abroad

English is one of the fastest growing languages in the world, and the demand for teachers is expanding every day. Teaching English as a foreign language may seem daunting, and there is a lot of work involved with it, but few things in life are better than teaching English abroad. For the most part, the hours can be low (depending on where you are working, there is a significant standard deviation with these jobs), you will likely learn a new language, and you can positively impact someone’s life forever. It is both rewarding and liberating.

Teaching English often affords for a great deal of travel outside of work. Since English teachers rarely come to the country they teach in having been previously established, they use their free time to explore. Depending on the culture you are living in, it can take weeks if not months to build a stable peer group and attain a level of comfort in the city where you live. So, English teachers usually use their downtime to travel. This allows for both a rewarding career and a well-worn passport.

If you love to travel and do not want to teach outright, you can easily pursue a year or two as a language assistant. Language assistants work in a school and primarily assist with pronunciation and verbal exercises. The pay is significantly less, but the commitments are minimal. I had a friend that was a language assistant in Spain, and they worked 16 hours a week and still made decent money. I would recommend this option to anyone fresh out of university.

English teacher teaching abroad in foreign classroom

Working as an Au Pair

In full disclosure, the first time I heard someone say “au pair” I thought they said they were “a pear.” To which I gave a great big smile and replied, “that’s really great!” An au pair acts as a live-in nanny and assistant for a family. Sometimes contracts can last days or weeks, but the best jobs are long term. Finding a family that travels a lot can be a huge bonus because it is quite normal for a family to bring an au pair with them on holiday.

Au pairs also have the freedom to choose the country in which they want to work. If you are bilingual, this is a bonus, as you can negotiate for higher pay and more benefits. Word to the wise, it requires certain high-level fo patience to be an au pair. You are going to be around children for hours if not days on end. So if you are not good with kids, then this job is not for you. If you love working with children and you love to travel, then seriously consider being an au pair.

Crossing the Globe as a Flight Attendant

This one should be a no-brainer. Becoming a flight attendant is easily the most viable job to obtain on this list. You don’t need to have any degrees or specialized certifications. You only need to be friendly, not mind long hours and love to travel. Flight attendants are generally only required to have a high school education, so there is no need for a specialized degree or outside training (as with most things, having a bachelors degree will make things more comfortable).

Once hired by an airline, you will receive training in first aid, Federal flight regulations, and core business values for the airline that you are working for. Flight attendants also have the bonus of receiving discounted or even free flights for themselves and their family (once they have become established).

The real perks for this job come with the travel. Some senior flight attendants have reported as having been to up to 100 countries, while others max out around 50 countries. The number of countries they visit depends on the airline. Some airlines have strict regulations and generally rotate senior flight attendants on their international flights, while other companies are much more relaxed on who can fly to different countries.

If you are looking to pursue a career in hospitality or tourism, and you have the travel bug, then pursuing a career as a flight attendant might be right for you.

5 Best Jobs If You Love Travel

For most people, finding a job is a difficult task in and of itself. Finding a job that will allow you to travel the world can be even tougher. Travel, in the corporate sector, is generally reserved for senior staff on sales and marketing teams. If you want to pursue you a career in something non-corporate and pursue travel, then you should consider the options laid out in the previous paragraphs.

My personal favorite in the jobs mentioned above is freelancing. It allows you to become your own boss, make your own hours, choose your own clients, and live wherever you want. The road to freelancing is not easy, in fact, it is tough. But the perks heavily outweigh the downsides. I would happily pursue any of the jobs mentioned because I love to travel. If you have caught the travel bug, and are looking to explore the world while you work, you should look into any of these career options.

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