Employment Spot

Travel Jobs

Do you ever wish you could spend all your time traveling to new and exciting countries?  Are you down about the fact that you will never rack up enough vacation days to take your dream trip to the jungles of Thailand?  Or maybe it’s something as simple as your daily routine of sitting in a cubicle from 9-5 is finally starting to get old.  Whether you are a wannabe jet-setter with dreams of exploring the world or you just want to get out of your hometown and take a chance at living somewhere new, there are many different types of travel jobs that may give you the experience (or career) of a lifetime. 

Outdoor Adventure Jobs
Outdoor enthusiasts and thrill-seekers are both likely to find outdoor adventure jobs to be very fulfilling careers.  These adventure travel jobs may involve being a tour guide in the mountains, kayaking on a river or exploring a rainforest.  Sleeping under the stars, getting up close and personal with wild animals or walking on a volcano may become an everyday occurrence for you in these travel jobs.  There are many web sites with links and postings for various adventure jobs in different countries, such as Great Adventures, Back Door Jobs Abroad and Transitions Abroad.  Another tip for finding these adventure jobs abroad is to think about what outdoor organizations or tourist destinations you would enjoy visiting and then inquire about any job openings they may have.  These travel jobs are fun yet challenging, requiring skill, motivation and hard work.  From wildlife conservation to adventure guide jobs, there is probably an adventure job abroad that suits you.

(Slightly More) Conventional Travel Jobs
If you aren’t too keen on African safaris or Whitewater rafting but still want to make a career out of traveling, here are some more conventional travel jobs that may interest you.  Getting involved in the media, journalism and newspaper industry could land you a travel job as a sports writer or reporter, news anchor, or international journalist.  Or, you could be a travel writer, getting paid to experience new cultures and learn all there is to know about foreign cities and countries.  If business is more your thing, there are many business jobs that involve travel, such as consulting, auditing and executive positions in multi-national corporations.  These business travel jobs allow you to maintain some structure while still giving you the opportunity to explore the world.

Travel Nursing Jobs
One of the most well-known travel jobs is that of the travel nurse.  Nurses and healthcare professionals are in increasingly high demand, giving you the opportunity to find work in your desired location.  Travel nurses are sent on short-term assignments to different locations, with perks often including paid housing and a higher salary than typical nursing.  Travel nursing jobs also allow you to learn from many different talented doctors and work in new environments.  You will also have the opportunity to experience life in different towns, meeting new people as you progress through your career.  There are hundreds of travel nurse staffing agencies, such as Med Travelers, American Mobile Healthcare, Nurses Rx and O’Grady Peyton International, which help nurses find these travel jobs.

Humanitarian Travel Jobs
Many people who want to make a difference in the world choose to get involved with TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) or TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages).  Travel plays a large part in these jobs because teachers are sent to countries where English is not the dominant language.  Transitions Abroad is a good resource for finding these teaching opportunities.  If teaching isn’t your thing, you may want to consider working with a nonprofit organization.  The first thing to know about nonprofits is that they do not mean “no pay”.  Nonprofit jobs are a great way to get involved in something you truly care about, and you have the option of making them into a travel job as well.  Idealist.org allows you to search for nonprofit jobs and internship opportunities by country.  How would you feel about being the director of an orphanage in Kenya or starting a micro-finance career in Bolivia?  These types of jobs provide travel job opportunities as well as engage you in humanitarian efforts to help the world.

Cruise Jobs
With a travel job on board a cruise, you can see the world!  Cruise director, captain, entertainer, casino dealer, bartender, housekeeper, chef, electrician, engine mechanic, scuba diving instructor and physician are just some of the many different jobs available on cruise ships.  Living accommodations and food are provided for free for on-board cruise jobs.  On your days off, you have the luxury of going on your own mini vacations, spending the day on the beach in the Bahamas or walking through the city of Athens.  Cruise jobs have higher employee turnover, so the chances are good that they will be hiring.  A travel job on a cruise is a great opportunity to get paid to see the world.  One good online resource for cruise travel jobs is Cruise Ship Job.com.  You may also want to apply directly for these cruise travel jobs through company web sites, such as Carnival, Disney, Royal Caribbean, Norwegian Cruise Line, Princess Cruises, Crystal Cruises and The Yachts of Seabourn.

Check out the Traveler’s Notebook for some more great information and advice on travel jobs.  Be aware that travel jobs aren’t all just fun and games – you may find that these  jobs are great for a while, but may be too tiring to become a life-long career.  However, there are still many people who have made careers as adventure guides and travel writers, and they wouldn’t trade their job for the world. (Probably because their job takes them around the world!)

If it turns out that adventure jobs, spending your life on the move and living in foreign countries isn’t quite the lifestyle you want, there are still opportunities to get involved in the travel industry.  Travel agents, hotel and resort managers and other careers in the tourism and hospitality industry offer a few ways of having a travel job without actually leaving home.