While you’re working the 9-5 grind, are you day dreaming about packing up and exploring the world without draining your bank account? Although there’s truth to the perception that traveling is expensive, it’s not as detrimental to your bank account as you perceive. There’s always the option of working overseas. Here are some of the jobs you will be able to get overseas, and they don’t require long term commitment:
- Work as an English or Language Teacher
This is generally the most popular and easiest option for native English speakers. Qualifications and requirements vary from country to country but there are several forums online that discuss this thoroughly. There are also several websites that list down job openings for English Teachers in different countries. Jobs of these kinds are especially abundant in Southeast Asia, plus you get paid well and in most instances, your hours are flexible. Getting a visa to work in the Southeast is also a lot easier compared to getting a visa to teach English in Europe or South America. If English is not your native language, you may also opt to teach your native language instead. There are language schools everywhere and they are all in need of teachers!
- Work as a freelance writer
You can try this gig out at home and see how it goes before booking that plane ticket. You can write about anything you feel like you’re knowledgeable in and submit it to relevant publications. If they like what you’ve written and they’re willing to publish them, voila, you now have a gig you can get paid for. All you’re going to need is your laptop and you can book those tickets and see the world while you write your articles. The best bonus to this is when you’ve traveled enough, you can branch out to writing travel articles based on your personal expeditions.
- Do online freelance work
If writing is not your forte, you can try doing other research-based jobs online, as well. There are several sites that offer work online, but you just have to be wary about scammers. Remember, you don’t need to pay any registration fee if it’s a legit company. They should be the ones paying you, not the other way around.
- Be a photographer
News publications and lifestyle magazines are always looking for freelance photographers who can capture poignant photos of world events such as Occupy Wall Street and Olympic Games. If you’re talented with the camera, this is an excellent way for you to improve on your craft and travel the world at the same time. Plus, as more couples are opting for destination weddings nowadays, you can make this your full-time job too!
- Be a Travel Nurse
There are several agencies online that offer short-term to long-term positions all over the world to help with the international nursing shortage. The skillset required, as well as compensations, vary all the time and you can choose whichever tickles your fancy. What’s good about this is that normally, agencies set you up with free housing. Remember, you have to be a registered nurse to be able to pursue this route. This can also work for students who need to do hours as a practical nurse. Make sure your university will count them as credits.
- Work as a translator or interpreter
Depending on the employer you can find, you may not necessarily need a degree in linguistics to be able to do so. A translator deals with written languages while an interpreter deals with spoken languages. You will need to be fluent in the languages required for you to be able to make a living out of this.
- Be an au pair
If you are not a registered nurse, but you love taking care of kids, you can opt to be an au pair instead. An au pair is typically a baby sitter or a nanny that does light house work. Families that can afford to hire au pairs are generally wealthy, so you may also get to experience a lot of perks such as going with them on vacations if they’re bringing their kids with them. You may choose to do this full time or part-time, depending on how much money you want to make. In many cases, you will be offered free housing and free food too!
- Apply for seasonal jobs
This is normally best for tourist destinations. You can work in ski-lodges during the winter or be a bartender during the tourist season of a specific destination. When the tourist influx at a certain time is high, so will the demand for extra hands be. This is the kind of temporary gig you will want to find if you don’t intend to stay in a place too long. However, you must be able to secure the job before the season starts. Not a lot of establishments are keen on hiring the last minute. While they’re preparing for the tourist season to come in, be there and be ready with your skills.
- Work in a restaurant or in a bar as a host / hostess
The hospitality industry almost always needs staffing since people tend to come and go from these jobs often. You can work in a restaurant as a bus boy, server, dishwasher, cook, cashiers etc. You can also opt to be a host or hostess in bars. Your main job will be to get the customers to spend money on drinks and while it isn’t exactly an ideal job because of the possible obvious risks, you can actually earn decent money from this.
Before you pack up and get on a plane, get yourself ready. Keep in mind that you may not be able to find a career. You’ll be able to find jobs and they may not be the kind you’ve been used to but they can pave the way for you to get moving across the globe, one destination at a time.
