Job where you travel or jobs that make you travel

If you want to leave without savings or travel for an indefinite period, this article is made for you. It gathers a set of professions or possible work internationally.

Be careful, some proposals involve levels of risk, you must have travel insurance to cover you for certain accident risks (very minimal indeed), here is what can help you: travel insurance comparator.

I have several years of experience around the world. How did I finance it? Although I had savings before leaving, I always worked during my travels. I’m not talking about a real job but rather an activity allowing me to extend my stay. Most are not lifelong jobs but will allow you to travel and enjoy, which is the main thing.

30 jobs where you travel abroad or jobs that make you travel

When not specified, these are jobs for men and women.

Here are my 10 travel experiences around the world:

It is with all these ways that I financed and paid for more than 4 years of travel around the world and about ten excursions everywhere in the world (Brazil, Peru, Bolivia, Myanmar, Thailand, Japan, China, and more).

Some jobs do not fit into my career or profile but when there is a will, there is a way. I remind you that I am an engineer by training and I am rather logical and numbers-oriented. These are professions with many demands and offers that you can find everywhere.

1. 
   

   Fruit picking :

   
   

   During my adventure on a Working Holiday Visa (WHV) in Australia, I worked for 6 months in several corners or states of Australia. I picked strawberries, garlic, cherries, grapes, pumpkins, etc. This activity is very popular in Australia, New Zealand, or Canada. It is the ideal job if you want to roam around Australia.
   

   
   
2. 
   

   Work in a youth hostel

   
   

   You exchange your time for food and lodging (often in a dormitory). When I wanted to settle in Australia, I worked in a youth hostel in Cairns in exchange for accommodation. The advantage of this solution is that you can find the same thing everywhere in the world. It can allow you to get to know the local culture a little better and improve your language skills. Some hostels give you a small sum if you work a bit more.

   
   
3. 
   

   Doing something on an organic farm (woofing),

   
   

   

   It’s a somewhat different concept. You work a few hours on a farm in exchange for accommodation; it’s often a nice way to meet locals and practice local languages. I did woofing in Australia on a farm while waiting to start paid work on another farm.

   Job	Mobility	Starting Salary
   Freelance Developer	100 % nomadic	3,000-6,000€
   Copywriter / Writer	100 % nomadic	1,500-4,000€
   Tour Guide	Active travel	1,500-3,000€
   Steward / Flight Attendant	Active travel	1,800-3,500€
   Expat French Teacher	Sedentary abroad	1,500-3,000€
   Diving Instructor	Seasonal	1,200-2,500€

   
   
4. 
   

   Doing workaway (workaway.info), a job anywhere in the world

   
   

   The principle is to give some of your time for a few hours and get free accommodation. You can be a French teacher in an association, do DIY and help someone renovate their house, offer help on an organic farm, etc.

   
   
5. 
   

   Creating on your blog (travel or others) or site(s) and earning income,

   
   

   This is something you need to do in advance a few years before leaving and you are not sure to succeed. At least, I earned income from my blogs for 4 years and I still make money now but I worked a lot to achieve this result.

   
   
6. 
   

   Working on Upwork.com or freelance.com in web professions.

   
   

   Upwork is a freelancer site where you can offer your services as a translator, developer, graphic designer, writer, personal assistant, marketing field and more. It’s the perfect site to work online. At first, you won’t earn much but by accumulating positive reviews on your tasks, you can have a decent income. For a long time, I hired writers to develop my websites.

   
   
7. 
   

   Doing a job as a seasonal worker or one-shot,

   
   

   This can be fruit picking, working in a restaurant during the summer, being a ski instructor; in my case, I worked at a traveling funfair that moved from city to city for a month in Australia. In Colombia, for the shooting of a series, they needed Asians, I was able to work and earn compensation. Although I didn’t necessarily need it, I met Asian locals who have remained my friends. You can look in an event fair.

   
   

   

   
   
8. 
   

   Working as a volunteer for a few days,

   
   

   Depending on the events (music festival, carnival, sporting event, etc.). During the Melbourne Grand Prix in Australia, I worked as a volunteer and was able to attend the Formula 1 Grand Prix in exchange for a few hours of work per day. For this activity, it’s better to plan ahead.

   
   
9. 
   

   Volunteering in a school, for an association, in an underprivileged area, etc. or traveling with a mission (travelwithamission.org).

   
   

   Unlike the previous job, this work lasts from a few weeks to several months. Some of these volunteer opportunities are paid; you have to pay for your accommodation and food. These amounts remain negligible compared to what it will bring you and the experience you want to have.

   
   
10. 
    

    Being a digital nomad,

    
    

    That is to say, earning money on your computer; you can work from home or telecommute for your company. Personally, for a long time, I earned income from my websites (excluding blogs). You can make money with sports betting, the stock market, binary options, forex, etc. There are many options but some carry risks and you don’t know how much you will earn at the end of the month.

    
    

Working during your stay can allow you to space out your trip!

Here are 10 other ways to travel and work or jobs where you travel

The jobs I suggest can allow you to travel for several years without savings.

These are jobs of other travelers I met during my adventures and professions that allow you to travel if you wish:

1. 
   

   Being a guide, cook, driver, or translator:

   
   

   

   Hiking is a very popular activity; agencies can hire you to be a guide for multi-day hikes. I met an Argentine woman who was paid to translate the guide’s Spanish into English during a multi-day hike. You just need to find places where they need a French-speaking guide, for example in the Himalayas, especially at high-altitude locations. Here is a photo of Huaraz in Peru.

   My experience

   My job as a travel blogger took me 3 years before generating a stable income. At first, it was SEO + freelance platforms like Malt in parallel. Then you build your audience, your partnerships, and you can live off the blog. The path is not magical but it exists.

   
   
2. 
   

   Being a street artist:

   
   

   During my stay in New Zealand, I met a Japanese musician who was in my hostel. His job was to sing and play guitar on the street. To be honest, he seemed to earn quite well. You can be a drawer, street performer, etc. In Latin America, there are many jugglers and artists on the road entertaining cars; I saw this in many places.

   
   
3. 
   

   Selling your own creations:

   
   

   You can sell your bracelets, your jewelry, your own creations if they bring value to people. In Latin America, there are many Argentines who sell their own products. It can be jewelry, folding a can, anything is possible. I met quite a few people who sold food to earn a little extra at the end of the month.

   
   
4. 
   

   Being an exotic dancer, host (or hostess) in Japan or other countries.

   
   

   

   In some exotic countries like Japan, what is different is paid for and appreciated. I met a person of African origin who was a dancer for a nightclub in China, he was 2 meters tall. In Japan, if you speak Japanese, you can offer your company to Japanese women for a fee (there is no sex), they pay for your attention and affection (you need to know how to handle it).

   
   
5. 
   

   Being a flyer distributor, promoter in the event industry

   
   

   For restaurants and nightclubs or other shops, they are paid on commission based on the number of customers they bring to the desired place. In Tokyo, only people of African origin will approach you to go to bars. For example, in Thailand, there are often pretty foreign women in front of restaurants to present the menu. Recently, I have seen several recruitment ads.

   
   
6. 
   

   For girls, being a pub crawl organizer

   
   

   

   You can get paid to drink. In some cities in Asia and beyond, they pay pretty girls to be present in a bar to attract non-local customers (especially on islands). In Barcelona, I met a girl who came for two years to organize pub crawls during the summer. A pub crawl is a bar tour where people usually end up very drunk. Similarly, in Phuket, there are many bars looking for workers, the job is often commission-based for the salary.

   
   
7. 
   

   Being an Uber, Bolt, Taxify or Cabify driver

   
   

   Many opportunities have appeared with the internet but others have appeared with mobile applications. Imagine buying a car and having the prerequisites to be a driver! Here you go, you are in the new millennium.

   
   
8. 
   

   Doing door-to-door sales,

   
   

   These are jobs mostly based on sales commission, selling exotic products, paintings, etc. You can even create your own product to sell yourself.

   Advantages

   • Total geographic freedom
   • Favorable time difference depending on the client
   • Constant cultural exchanges
   • Reconnection with oneself away from the metro-work-sleep routine
   • Cost of living often lower in Asia

   Weak points

   • Recurring loneliness
   • Difficult to reconcile with a traditional family life
   • Sometimes unclear administrative status
   • Unstable wifi in some countries
   • Variable salary at first
   
   
9. 
   

   Being a DJ or musician, a profession where you have to make your place

   
   

   

   In Asia more particularly, it works well when you are French or different. I met an American in China who had been a DJ for a short time, he was introduced by one of his friends. It is a profession that works well by word of mouth. There are some musicians who do not succeed in their country but are known in Asia.

   
   
10. 
    

    Offer your services in hostels,

    
    

    I met a girl who was a hairdresser; she didn’t finance her trips like that, but it helped her a bit during her volunteering. It could be hairdresser, masseur, beautician, etc. Offer to prepare food for a group, for example: have a barbecue and take a commission. It is much cheaper to have a barbecue with several people.

    
    

For some jobs abroad, you have to be inventive and daring. There are many more possibilities than you think! I myself would never have thought I could work on the internet, but 5 years later I saw that everything was possible.

Here is a selection of jobs where you travel or jobs that make you travel:

If you have a job that allows you to travel, you might be interested in going to as many destinations as possible at the lowest cost.

1. 
   

   Be a flight attendant,

   
   

   During my stay in Dubai, I met many flight attendants at Emirates. You will travel a lot but not for very long each time (one night or a maximum of one free day), but that’s something, and you can get discounts when you take a plane flight. I have a friend who is an aircrew member and who is gradually visiting all the American cities because she often has the evening or even the day before going back to work. She recently changed jobs and will go to other destinations during her flights. You spend your time on board during the flight, but for some destinations, you can request leave to stay longer.

   
   
2. 
   

   Teach English, French, or other languages:

   
   

   I met many English teachers abroad and a bit fewer French teachers, but the opportunities are there. For example, in Japan or Korea, there are quite a few students who pay for tutoring in French or English. There are also many schools that hire French teachers for a year. It is better to have the appropriate diploma, but you have to take it, and it takes several months to reach the TEFL level or others.

   The classic trap to avoid

   Never quit your job to become a digital nomad without at least 6 months of guaranteed income or savings. The transition always takes longer than expected, and financial anxiety ruins the travel experience.

   
   
3. 
   

   Be a diving instructor:

   
   

   For me, this is one of the jobs best suited for travelers around the world. You can get your diving certificate in two to three months (dive master or PADI instructor level) and you can easily find work worldwide during the high diving season. It can also be a ski instructor, or a winemaker. I met winemakers who spent 6 months in the southern hemisphere and 6 months in the northern hemisphere. If you are good at photography, you can take photos during dives, have a photo with manta rays or even a plane wreck.

   
   
4. 
   

   Be an au pair:

   
   

   One of the best ways to earn a small salary, improve your language skills, and live anywhere in the world. Taking care of children in a distant city, being an au pair can be a wonderful experience; you don’t have to look for a job or accommodation, and there are also groups or websites specialized in this field.

   
   
5. 
   

   Be a holiday camp leader or animator,

   
   

   This is a job where you usually accompany teenagers. There are all ages. You can find opportunities in France to go to another country if you wish. You will be the leader of a pack of children; get your BAFA.

   
   
6. 
   

   Starting your own business abroad,

   
   

   

   I met retirees who, to keep busy, bought a small hotel with several rooms on the Caribbean coast to live their retirement there. You can do the same; there are quite a few expatriates in Thailand who open their shops to offer a service (selling souvenirs, ice cream, clothing, etc.). It is better to have commercial skills.

   
   
7. 
   

   Being a dance or yoga teacher, a martial arts instructor, etc.

   
   

   Having a specific skill from a country can greatly help you find work. If you master or have a good level in salsa, tango, you can give private lessons on site.

   
   
8. 
   

   Working for an NGO (Non-Governmental Organization), being an interpreter, or working in an embassy.

   
   

   Internationally, there are some jobs where you need to speak French or the local language. I met a Canadian and an American in Guatemala who worked for an NGO, and half of the staff were foreigners who did not speak Spanish.

   
   
9. 
   

   Being a student, doing your civic service abroad, a European voluntary service (S.V.E), or an international business volunteering (V.I.E),

   
   

   When you are a student and young, there are many opportunities and aids to go to another country. I am thinking in particular of Erasmus exchanges, for example. You can do an internship in Europe or on another continent. Civic service and European voluntary service cover quite varied fields, but be careful, it is until the day before your 26th birthday or the day before your 29th birthday for a V.I.E.

   Other readings that follow the same logic: our feedback on best jobs that set the tone, the practical guide on taking advantage of the for concrete details, and finally quitting to travel if you want to deepen the reflection.

   
   
10. 
    

    Working in maritime professions, being a sailor, crew member on cruises, catamarans, and boats.

    
    

    I met travelers who worked on cruises that made round trips between Colombia and Panama passing through the San Blas islands; one was the boat captain, and the other his assistant.

    
    

    Living and working aboard a cruise ship, boat, or others, some cruises in the Caribbean or in Nordic countries or even in the Mediterranean offer very good pay.

    
    

Nothing happens by chance in life. You also often have to search for information on the internet and inquire about travel-related jobs. It is much easier when you are used to it and have traveled a lot.

And even more jobs where you travel:

• Photographer, doing photography, I have a friend who takes wedding photos and they travel every weekend across France because he is recommended by friends to friends. You can also make videos with your drone for the wedding if you want to have additional skills.
• Social media influencer, Instagrammer: If you take nice photos and have a good Instagram account, you can charge for the photos you take and earn your money through photography. There are agencies that pay several weeks’ worth of Euros for photos with accounts that have a good engagement rate. However, you need to have a good level and good skills in new technologies and try to see what works or not.
• Sales sector, international sales representative, import-export buyer, or working in an international company that does export where there are often negotiation missions with clients abroad, you get paid to travel and your boss or manager pays for your accommodation and all your expenses (hotel, travel, food, etc.), this can be a good way to travel for those who are less inclined to travel. These are jobs with a variable salary depending on your sales along with a fixed salary, good commercial knowledge is required.
• Website creator and SEO specialist (search engine optimization), it is a job that depends a lot on Google but it generates passive income if you succeed.
• Archaeologist, you often go to old sites or places with history, you make new discoveries, you live on a site for at least several months. It is a job for those passionate about studies and research. Archaeology can be a fascinating profession but you need to complete the relevant studies.

Of course, there are many other jobs that involve traveling, this is just a selection. In this list, there are well over 30 different jobs :D.