For some of us, traveling constantly feels like a distant dream, but it’s far more obtainable than you’d think. There are many careers you can strive for that allow you to travel and experience the cultures you’d like to, so let’s go over a few.
Diving/Scuba Instructor
Potential Majors: Marine Biology, Biological Oceanography
Flickr user Ratha Grimes
If you find ocean life captivating and you enjoy swimming, then being a diving instructor is a perfect opportunity to let your passions combine with travel. Whilst teaching diving, you are sure to visit magnificent locations across the globe and will likely make close friends with a similar passion for the world along the way.
Teaching English
Potential Majors: English, Linguistics, Language Arts, Foreign Language(s)
Flickr user Jeremy Wilburn
Many native English speakers don’t realize how fortunate they are to be fluent in one of the most sought-after languages in the world. All it takes is to have a degree in another language and some qualifications in teaching to begin your life in a faraway land. This is exceptionally achievable for those with a passion for languages and the job allows you to live a comfortable life with a decent pay and plenty of time to explore. Contract lengths can vary from a few months to a year or full-time employment, giving you plenty of job security and employment opportunities, not to mention the chance to settle down if you choose to.
Flight Attendant / Pilot
Potential Majors: Aviation, Airline/Commercial/Professional Pilot and Air Crew
Flickr user Kent Wien
Working as a flight attendant or pilot is probably one of the first jobs people think of when considering traveling and for good reason. The job may require you to work some long hours and can be difficult for many, but it is attainable and provides lots of time to experience the destinations you end up in. It’s a highly recommended position for the amicable and as an added bonus provides a major discount on flights for you and your whole family.
Cruise Ship Crew
Potential Majors: Hospitality, Human Resources
Flickr user Hans Christian Haaland
Similar to working as a flight crew member, working on a cruise ship provides almost the same benefits and is a highly sought-after position. It will take longer to reach your destinations, but you will have a very luxurious lifestyle on board the ship and accommodation and food will be provided for you. Once you arrive at your ship’s destination, you will have time to wander and explore before you need to head off again. Needless to say, it isn’t a job for people who experience sea sickness or nausea.
Freelance Work
Potential Majors: Creative Writing, Art, Graphic Design, Software Engineering
Flickr user rawpixel.com
This one may sound pretty vague, but that’s because it really has very few limits. In modern times, it’s possible to offer your services doing almost anything if you have made enough connections. The best jobs for this sort of work are designers, writers, artists, or developers. A lot of digital careers such as website designers and software developers can be done almost anywhere as long as you set up a reliable internet source and have a laptop with the necessary tools. This is not to say that it’s impossible to make a freelance career doing other things though, but you will require a lot more connections to get enough work to sustain yourself. Once you have gotten enough work though, you can pretty much travel anywhere and can even use your mobile internet to keep you going if you get a good contract.
Musician
Potential Majors: Music Performance, Music Theory and Composition
Flickr user Ken Dodds
Much like working freelance, you can travel the world as a musician or entertainer of some kind. Entertaining may be a much more volatile source of income, but it can sustain you if you have a knack for it. If you have gained acclaim as a musician and have enough fans and income to justify touring, you can travel and party in hundreds of locations over time. This is especially desirable to those that are passionate about their music or have the ability to play at venues and DJ at clubs.
Remote Working
Potential Majors: Professional / Business Writing, Design and Visual Communications
Flickr user Markus Spiske
There are many careers out there that don’t require direct contact with the client and with the rise of the digital age, can be done from almost anywhere. Remote working provides a solid foundation for working your own hours and completing work in a location of your choice, thus allowing you to travel quite comfortably whilst maintaining your income. The most notable examples of remote working careers are freelancers as mentioned above, and tech-based jobs like Programmers and Designers
Interpreter or Translator
Potential Majors: Foreign Language(s), Language Interpretation and Translation
Flickr user Laura
Interpreting requires confident fluency in at least two languages. The role generally plays a large part in agreements and meetings between international businesses. To begin a career in interpreting, you will need a degree in a language, plus a qualification in interpreting and another specialist field. Once you have attained both of those, you will most likely work in one location, but the role provides plenty of opportunities to travel on short contracts.
All of these niches enable students to pursue travel and a great career.
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