10 professions for work and travel

I bet everyone remembers when we were kids being asked what we wanted to be when we grew up. And more often than not, we named professions that involved traveling or helping other people, right?

And then, when we got a little older, all those dreams disappeared because we became "more mature and serious" - simply put, we stopped believing in miracles. I'm not going to go into this subject (yet) and talk about how pessimistic people, bad experiences, and self-influenced beliefs make us believe that our dreams won't come true. In this article, I want to prove to you that your dream of working and traveling around the world at the same time is doable.

One of the most popular ways for aspiring professionals to work and travel is internship abroad. In an internship you can learn about the culture of another country, live there for a while, and get work experience in your specialty in an international company.

We will first look at what professions will allow you to consider the whole world your home and earn an income at the same time. Then we'll meet the people who are doing it, and you'll start working toward your dreams. Let's go!

1. The Virtual Nomad

The Internet has certainly changed the lives of our generation. Thanks to it, you can not only look at pictures of pretty girls, but also create a profit machine from anywhere in the world. It all starts with unique knowledge, skills or experience that you are willing to share with people to help them solve their problems. Put that in the shell of a nice website or product, and lo and behold, you're ready to develop and sell it around the world from anywhere in the world. If you like this idea, I suggest you read the terrific book "Startup for $100: Create a New Future by Doing What You Love." It details how to do it all, and also tells dozens of inspiring stories of successful virtual nomads. When you're ready to create your own product.

This will help you understand and use marketing, better than 99% of people with a marketing degree. I mean the kind of marketing that actually works in the real world and businesses. But to become a virtual nomad, you can do more than just create virtual products and sell them. You can also sell services: technical (knowledge of different programming languages), translation, design, editing, virtual assistant services... Any job for which you only need a laptop and a good Internet speed, which you can find anywhere. Visit freelance job sites and find a job that suits you.

2. Guide

Look at how beautiful our planet is! Imagine it's your office. Yes, that's possible if you work as an international tour guide. In many countries there are special courses for people who want to do this. Read online about what the job of a tour guide is like, and then find tour guide courses in your country and your city. And, by all means, start improving your English, Chinese and/or Spanish now. You must know the language perfectly! (I met an incredible tour guide in Greece who could speak 8 languages fluently, so no excuses will work!)

3. Flight Attendant

This profession has become so popular today that there are many flight attendants and stewardesses with college degrees. In my opinion, this profession is the best way for young people to visit different countries and see all the wonders of our planet. And even though it sounds cool, the training and selection of flight attendants is very tough. But don't worry, you can read online about how it happens and learn the stories of people who work in this field.

4. English Teacher

Teach English to great kids (and adults) all over the world, enjoy learning about the local culture, and make good money. You don't have to be a native English speaker to do so. All you have to do is pass the exam and get your ESL certification, and you're ready to move to Japan, Korea, Malaysia...

5. Manager in an international company

This is what you need! When you start working for an international company, borders between countries will no longer matter much. Employees in many companies move to work in a new office in a different country every few years. Until they get married. :-) But if your husband or wife is willing to move with you, I think you will keep moving until it's time for the last trip from this planet. ;-) How do you get a job like this? I can hardly talk about it in a few words, but I will say this: take advantage of all the opportunities for students while you are at university (especially internships), make connections, and a semester before you graduate, start applying for graduate jobs, often called "Young Professional Programs".

6. Diplomat

This is one of those professions that many of us dreamed of pursuing as children. If you manage to get a place in your country's diplomatic corps, you can work in at least a few countries over the course of your career. Now the big question is, how do you become a diplomat? The answer will be different for each country. In the United Kingdom, for example, you apply for the diplomatic service online by competing for places, which is held twice a year. Selection begins with an aptitude test, followed by a CV competition. Successful candidates are invited to a skills center, and finally the last stage of the selection process is a presentation and a detailed interview. To increase your chances, I advise you to start preparing early, during your freshman year of university. Learn about how the diplomatic corps is recruited in your country; start to improve the necessary skills - especially basic languages such as English, Chinese, Spanish or Arabic; and study economics, politics and history. Find common ground with those already working in the diplomatic field and ask for their help... If you start on time and work hard, you will definitely get there.

7. Au Pair

I always say there is nothing better than going abroad and living with a host family. Personally, I have experience living with host families in Italy and Taiwan, and every day spent with them was unforgettable. This experience is not difficult at all, thanks to the au-pair programs, where you will live with the family and help them every day with the kids. The program guarantees you a place to live and money for personal expenses. You can get an au-pair job in any developed country, and there are so many sites where you can read about this program that I won't recommend any particular one here. Just do a Google search and take a trip.

8. Interpreter and Translator

Almost all of us know one or more foreign languages, but not everyone is willing to work at it every day and perfect it. But I think it takes more than that to become a professional translator. It does not do without a special talent, because knowledge of a foreign language must be perfect It is not always enough just to finish language courses, there are also special programs for translators. If you want to become a true global translator, I recommend to choose one language and work hard to improve it day by day. It is also worth considering enrolling in translation courses at a university or special organizations.

9. Just travel the world

Easy to say, isn't it? Our friend Harry thought it was easy to do. His journey has been going on for 20 years, and he's managed to visit absolutely every country on the planet. He hosts webinars where you can learn how he does it.

10. Participating in student events

Factually, it's not a job, but if you participate in various full-coverage events while at university, you'll have even more fun than working. Personally, while I was a student, I managed to visit over 20 countries on 4 continents in five semesters and didn't spend a dime on it. Many of my friends thought I was part of some secret organization.

You can see another selection of the best jobs for travelers at website.