Top Careers That Allow You to Travel the World

Most of us are not lucky enough to have travel agent parents with the ability to travel the world. We may wish we were Lexie Alford (the girl who traveled to every country by the time she was 21), but the sad truth is most of us spend very little time traveling, and lots of time working to pay the bills. Though the occasional daydream of margaritas on the beach or climbing Kilimanjaro may drift into our heads, we usually brush them away and get back to ‘real life’.

We are here to tell you that you don’t have to sacrifice those dreams due to work – there is a way to receive regular income while traveling and seeing the world.

First, let’s start off with jobs that not only allow you to travel but require you to travel.

1. Flight Attendant

Made glamorous by Pan Am and their gorgeous, blue-suited flight attendants, becoming a flight attendant is still considered a dream job by many.

Apart from working thousands of feet in the air and traveling the globe, there are many other perks to working as a flight attendant. Flight attendants have covered room and board for overnight trips, and layovers that can extend for a couple of days (sometimes longer). That means a fully paid mini-vacation! If you’ve got a heart for hospitality and meeting new people, this could be your new career.

Check this out for more reasons to be a flight attendant.

2. Travel Agent

You may not assume that travel agents do a lot of traveling themselves, but if you get the right connections or work for the right business, you can end up doing inspections of exotic resorts, hotels, and vacation spots. That sounds pretty fantastic.

You also get to work from home when working as a travel agent, so even when you’re not traveling, you have the flexibility of remote work.

Consider whether being a travel agent is for you.

3. Travel Blogger

If you have experience as a writer or vlogger, start thinking about travel blogging!

The best advice we can give in this area is to find a topic or location that inspires passion and drive in you. Travel blogging has exploded over the last decade, so to earn money while travelling and blogging, make sure you pay attention to travel giants before you, and then carve out your own path.

If you’re an individual passionate about visuals, consider taking your blog to social media platforms like Instagram.

4. English Teacher

The splendid news is that the world needs English teachers, and not all of them require Bachelor’s degrees. You can be a successful English teacher abroad with a TEFL certificate – which you can get online.

If you love English or teaching and want to share that love while living in beautiful and exotic places like Morocco, Brazil, or Russia, this may just be the job for you. While pay differs based on location, it is equal to a living wage for the area so you shouldn’t worry about not making enough to live on.

Check out resources for English teachers who want to teach abroad.

Don’t Get Intimidated… Get Excited

One thing we want you to know is that traveling while working is quite accessible. Other honorable mention careers that are travel-friendly include customer service work, consultant work (if you have a niche specialty), or being a tour guide.

The options may not be endless, but they are more attainable than most of us think. Best wishes on your fresh career path and traveling the world.

About the Author

Simon Chou is the Vice President of Operations and Growth at BCjobs.ca. Over the course of his career, he carved a niche in brand development,  marketing strategy, and online presence for startups. Prior to BC Jobs, he served as a marketing advisor for high-profile blockchain projects including Litecoin, NEM, and Ripple. He’s also worked with fortune 500 companies in the healthcare space.