Want to see the world? Explore these jobs that require travel and prepare to get paid to travel the globe for work.
Some of us have the itch to travel. It’s a natural desire to explore, to discover and to experience. If you’re one of the many who desperately wants to see new places and new things, combine that desire with the need to make a living. There are plenty of jobs that require travel that will allow you to explore and earn at the same.
Of course, some jobs are more likely to require travel than others. If you’re interested in finding jobs that require travel, focus your search on these 12 professions.
1. Consultant
The world is full of consultancies that work with major corporations around the world. The consultants who work at these consultancies are often required to travel Monday through Friday. They work on assignments for weeks or even month at a time, getting on planes each Monday morning and traveling to a city to work through the end of the week — before returning home. After closing one assignment in one city, consultants start new assignments in new cities.
What industries do these consultants operate within? The big ones are financial services, energy, retail, insurance and healthcare.
2. Sales
Sales can be a boom or bust business to get into. You make money based on how much you sell, which means the opportunity is huge if you’re good at what you do. And, as a side perk, you often get to travel.
Sales professionals are given regions to work within. Your region might be as small as a few counties inside of one state, or as large as an entire time zone. Naturally, the larger your region, the more you’ll need to get on a plane to visit customers and prospects.
3. Events Coordinator
Companies often make presentations and host exhibit booths at conferences and similar events around the country and world. Their marketing departments typically employ events coordinators who manage the entire process. Not only do events coordinators ship booths and other materials to event sites, but they also attend the events to help setup and takedown booths (and handle other tasks).
4. Meeting Planner
Large, multi-national corporations hold meetings of various sizes in cities around the world. They employ meeting planners who scout venues and manage logistics for people and materials. Because meeting planners both scout locations and attend meetings, they are traveling constantly — which means they pile up airline miles and hotel points.
5. Photographer
Good photographers are in-demand, and they are often asked to travel for assignments. The key is to develop a specialty within the photography field. For example, nature photographers, travel photographers, news photographers and sports photographers are often sent on assignments that require travel. Looking for employers? Think along the lines of National Geographic, Condé Nast or Sports Illustrated.
6. Au Pair
Au pair programs allow childcare professionals to live in foreign countries while taking care of children. An au pair from Germany might spend a year in the United States, living with and working for a family. Au pairs are given a job, accommodations, food and pay, so there’s little to worry about. Also, au pairs are given mandated time off, so there’s plenty of time to spend exploring a foreign city and country.
Some au pairs take different assignments each year. For example, a French au pair might spend a year in the United Kingdom, a year in Japan and a year in Sweden. It’s a great way to see the world without worrying about finding a job and making enough money to support and enjoy yourself. It’s helpful to know a foreign language, of course, so start studying now if you want to be an au pair in a foreign country in the future. There are plenty of resources available to help you find a position once you’re ready.
7. Writer
Good writers can find assignments that take them around the globe. Freelance journalists are asked to cover and report on world events. Travel writers are asked to visit and document their experiences in different locations. And even writers in marketing departments are asked to visit clients around the world to write case studies and collaborate on other content.
Also, if you’re interested in becoming a freelance writer, you can do so from anywhere in the world. You can develop a base of clients who pay you regularly, and then you can set up a home office anywhere you like. You can even move from city to city at your leisure, working your way around the country or world.
8. Traveling Nurse
Hospitals have short-term staffing needs that can’t be met by workers in the immediate area. In these cases, they turn to traveling nurses who can fly in and help the hospital care for patients for a period of time.
Traveling nurse positions are more available within specialties like labor and delivery, home health, telemetry, endoscopy, psychiatry, surgical operations, and emergency room operations. If you work within one of these specialties and have interest in traveling, search for traveling nurse positions.
9. Geologist
Geology is a profession that requires something called “field work.” What does field work mean? It simply means that you have to leave the home or office and travel into the field to do the work.
A professional geologist may travel to map structures and rock types, to obtain geological samples, or to assess stability ahead of a construction project (like building a bridge or tunnel). No matter the type of geology you’re engaged in, it’s likely you’ll need to travel on a regular basis.
10. Construction
Construction projects are taking place all over the country at any given time. But, in many cases, the local workforce does not have enough workers or workers with the right skills. That’s why construction companies hire remote workers to fly in and help with their projects.
Getting a traveling construction job is a little like working as a consultant when it comes to schedule. You may spend weeks or months traveling to a specific destination. Then, when the project is completed, you’ll spend weeks or months traveling to a different destination to work on a different project.
11. General Remote Work
During the COVID-19 pandemic, many companies asked their employees to start working remotely. Some think that remote work will become the new normal, with more and more companies hiring and managing team members around the world rather than in one central location.
Of course, if remote work becomes the new normal, companies will still need to gather employees on a regular basis for status meetings and other events. So, it’s likely that remote workers will need to travel on a regular basis to meet with their teams and participate in other gatherings.
12. Travel Industry Jobs
The fastest path to finding jobs that require travel is joining the travel industry. Tour guides, cruise ship crews, flight attendants and others are constantly on the road for work.
Flight attendant is the classic see-the-world job. You may not get rich as a flight attendant, but you’ll certainly get to see new places and meet new people. Beginner flight attendants don’t get international routes. They’re more likely to start on reserve status and then move to working regional routes on a full-time basis. But, with time, you can work your way up to staffing more desirable domestic routes — and then to working international flights.
It can be hard to break into the travel industry because so many people desire these jobs. But check the career websites of hotel chains, airlines and other big players in the travel industry to keep tabs on jobs. For example, you can subscribe to get an email from American Airlines whenever a flight attendant job is posted.
Don’t Travel Without Support
Travel doesn’t always go the way that Travelers want or expect. No matter the nature of your work, trip disruptions happen. At JTB Business Travel, we help our clients navigate their way through trip disruptions, getting their itineraries back on track and helping them get to their destinations as quickly as possible.
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