Which travel job is best for you?
January 11, 2021If you're reading this blog post, chances are, you already know that you've got loads of options to get paid to travel (and if you don't, all you have to do is read my 30+ travel jobs blog post). But with so many different options, it can certainly feel very overwhelming, and you're probably left wondering which job exactly is the best for you.
So fear no more!
This blog post here, has come to your rescue. Grab a piece of paper and a pen, because we're about to get one step closer to your dream job!
But before you do, please bear this in mind: this blog post is going to help you understand what is the best travel job for you at the moment, and this can totally change as your circumstances and priorities change over the years. So feel free to come back another time and repeat the process once things have changed in your life.
So let's do this!
Disclaimer: this post may contain affiliate links, meaning I will get a commission if you make a purchase through these links, at no extra cost to you. This allows me to receive a compensation for the time and effort invested in creating the best content for you. Thank you for your support!
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| Ready to travel and sit on a pile of cash? 😆 (If it was that easy!) |
1) Interest
Start by going over the list of travel jobs and write down the ones that you would like to do. Please consider all options and do not disregard some because you think they are not possible for whatever the reason. On this first step make sure you write ALL that you have an interest on and would potentially enjoy.2) Language barrier
Now, think about your language skills: do any of these jobs require you to speak a language that you don't know anything about or you're not comfortable with? If yes, could you take online/live classes so you could improve your language skills? Would you be able to put in the work or would you afford these classes?Remember that is totally possible to learn a language for free: through YouTube, blogs, language apps such as Duolingo, etc, so class costs shouldn't really be an excuse. If you're really committed to something and you put in the right work, you will get results.
With all of that in mind, cross all of the jobs that you won't be able to do due to language barrier and add a small dot next to those which require you to take classes or learn online if you are willing to do so.
3) Skills
As I mentioned on my last blog post about earning money while travelling, some jobs require you to have previous experience and certain skills. If you don't already have them, do not worry, it is still possible to either get a similar job in your home country so you can get the experience, or take the necessary courses to be fully qualified.
Depending on how much time you're whiling to wait until you get the job,
you will have to either cross those which require skills you do not possess
and cannot acquire (or are not willing to), leave a small dot next to those which
you can get qualified for but will require some time (and potentially money),
and leave those which you do not need fancy skills or those which require
skills you already have.
At this point, we have crossed out every job that you liked but it wasn't possible for you to do (at least for now), which means, all of the options you have on this list are totally possible.
To narrow down your options even more, the next steps will help you to find those that suit you better, according to your needs and conditions at the moment.
4) Payment vs freedom
What is more important to you: a high salary or freedom to travel? Are you looking to save loads of money, or travel the world?First of all, I would like to say that if you're looking to save money, the travel industry might not be necessarily the one to do it. I mean, you can save money in many different ways and with many different jobs, so your focus shouldn't really be only on saving money. Nevertheless, if you want to save quite some money while you travel the world, you will undoubtedly have to cross some jobs off your list. For example, you won't become rich from being a truck driver, tour guide or street performer (unless you're in a really rich country and you're extremely good. Still, I wouldn't call that your path to success).
Similarly, if you're looking for a job that gives you the freedom to travel the world instead of being in one country for few months, you will then have to choose jobs where you can work remotely, or travel frequently to different locations. In other words, jobs like nanny, hospitably worker, dog sitting, English teacher and so on will have to be crossed off the list.
5) Short term vs long term
Are you looking for a travel job because you want to take some months or even a year off your regular life or are you actually looking to work and travel potentially for a long period of time?
If you're in this for the long term, you should choose jobs that will allow you to build a career and will fulfil you as an individual. For example, seasonal jobs aren't the best if you're doing this for the long term, and jobs that require lots of qualifications and experience that you don't already have, are not worth your time if you're only doing to do them for 12 months or even less.
While crossing jobs off your list, you might also consider what exactly do you want from your professional career. Are you looking to have a stable job? Or are you looking to build a profitable travel business? Both have their pros and cons - while having a stable job doesn't bring you any higher income after a certain time, a profitable business takes years of investment until you can see great results, and it might not work as you wish it would.
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| This photo was taken in France, at a Health Retreat I worked at as a Personal Trainer and Fitness Instructor |
6) Location independent vs dependent
This will be the last crucial step to decide which job is the best for you, and you will be crossing off the list different jobs for various different reasons. On top of that, this will massively change if you're going for a short term trip or if you're in this for the long run.
Being location independent or dependent will make a huge difference in your life. You might not be thinking about it now, but depending on your personality and what you value in life, travelling might become lonely and not what you expected at some point. In order to keep your passion for travel and your happiness combined, it's important that you are honest with yourself and think about the following:
* How important to you is to be next to your family and friends?
When you travel regularly, you will miss out - it's inevitable. People will move on with their lives, children will continue to grow, business will continue to run and when you realize, there's a lot of things you no longer know, and there were lots of moments you missed: birthday parties, weddings, baptisms, and so much more.
If you're very close to your family and you do want to see the world, but you would rather be present in important moments, you're probably going to be better off having a job based in your home country, that allows you to travel temporarily for work. Examples of this will be flight attendant or working in a travel agency or international company. You could also choose the remote work route and travel whenever you felt like it.
* Do you have responsibilities with someone else?
Having kids, husband/wife, boyfriend/girlfriend or even a family member that depends on us will change the whole picture. If you have kids or you're married / living together, you should totally get those people on board of your dream job. You don't need to live in a different country every month, and there are plenty of options. For example, you might be able to do home schooling for a year, or you might be a flight attendant and coordinate your schedule with your other half. Whatever it is, you will have to think not only about your condition, but also theirs. And if both of you decide to be digital nomads, even with kids, don't let what other people say getting to your head. There are families that travel on a regular basis and they can prove that it is possible, if you really want.
If you're a carer for someone, you will have to make sure that the person will be taken care for while you're away. Not only that, you won't be able to live constantly as a nomad unless you would stop being the carer for that person.
* Do you want to travel the world slowly or at fast pace?
This will be the last thing to consider. If you prefer to see the world slowly, and really enjoy each country you get to visit, you will be totally fine with location dependent jobs, as long as you're able to switch locations after a while. Seasonal jobs for example might be a good idea on this case.
On the other hand, if you're on a run to see as many countries as possible in a short time, get a job that is location independent is crucial, as you won't be able to do that otherwise.
Now that we've done most of the work, we should be left with only a few jobs on the list (hopeful not many to make your life a whole lot easier!)
7) Draw a plan
If you still have some options left at this point, review the ones with small dots next to it. Those will probably be harder to get comparing to the ones without any dot - it doesn't mean they aren't the best jobs, it just means you will have to put in a little bit of extra work to make them happen.
And if you're still in doubt, ask yourself the following questions:
- Would you rather wait a few months/years to get the job? Or get it straight away?
- Which one are you most likely to enjoy from all of the options?
- If they are location dependent, which locations can you apply for? Will you be able to get a visa, afford flight tickets and accommodation in that(those) country(ies)? Consider specially visa requirements, flight prices and cost of living
- For how long do you want to have that lifestyle?
- How much money do you want to make?
After answering all of those questions, not only you have decided (I hope!) which one is the best for you, but you've also drawn a plan of when to start, where to go, how much to make and until when to do get paid to travel.
I hope this list was helpful to you and more importantly,
go get that dream job! 💗
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