Do you have a boring job? Do you want to discover the world and meet lots of new people? Do you want to take control of your time instead of having a 9 to 5 job at an office? Would you like to take control of your finances?
I quit my job at a top management consulting firm because many times I was working long hours at an office thinking that we only live once and I was wasting my youth by not going out and explore the marvels of the world. It wasn’t easy and leaving our comfort zones will never be, but in this post, I want to show you different kinds of jobs that will allow you to travel the world while also earning money.
I have separated the jobs in two types, digital nomad jobs will allow you to be your own boss and work whenever you want but also earn as much money as you want and work for, and company jobs will let you travel the world while working for a company that will give you a monthly salary. Also at the end of the post, you will find real experiences of people who successfully went to work abroad!
- Digital Nomads Jobs
- Freelancer
- Transcriber
- Photographer
- Blogger and Vlogger
- Company Jobs
- NGO
- Travel Agency
- Intern
- Au Pair
- English Teacher
- Cruise Crew
- Air stewardess
- Real Experiences
- Blogger: I left corporate life and became a blogger.
- NGO: I worked in Zimbabwe on a consulting project with TechnoServe.
- NGO: Pablo from México worked in Switzerland at the RAMSAR Convention.
- Travel Agency: Ricky from Spain worked in South Africa as a Spanish-language content writer for Rhino Africa, a luxury travel agency.
- Intern: Gabi from Brazil worked in South Africa as an intern at International House languages school.
- Au Pair: Laura from Spain worked in England as an Au Pair with Au Pair World.
- Au Pair: Marcelle from Brazil worked in the United States as an Au Pair with Au Pair Care.
- Cruise Crew: Carla from Argentina worked around the world as a receptionist on a luxury cruise ship.
1. Digital Nomad Jobs
Let’s start by defining a Digital Nomad, “Digital nomads are a type of people who use telecommunications technologies to earn a living and, more generally, conduct their lives in a nomadic manner. Such workers often work remotely from foreign countries, coffee shops, public libraries, co-working spaces, or recreational vehicles.”
This kind of jobs are riskier if you want to quit your job, so my advice is to use them first to make some money on the side and when you see that you can have a balanced income that will cover your expenses, start spending more time on them till you quit your job.
a. Freelancer
Now, let’s define freelancer, “a person who is self-employed and is not necessarily committed to a particular employer long-term. Freelance workers are sometimes represented by a company or a temporary agency that resells freelance labor to clients; others work independently or use professional associations or websites to get work.”
On the following websites, you can sell your services to clients from all around the world on a wide variety of online tasks. From example, translating, data entry, SEO, graphic & web design, translation, article writing, and many more.
Fiverr
First browse around to see which kinds of services you can offer, the different categories are Graphics & Design, Digital Marketing, Writing and Translation, Video & Animation, Music & Audio, Programming & Tech, Business, and Fun & Lifestyle.
Then decide what are you going to do according to your skills, create your profile, and set your price (I recommend you to start with a low price to be more competitive and then raise your rates when you have reviews).
Read more about Fiverr here.
Guru
You can choose jobs between these different categories: Programmers & Developers, Designers & Artists, Writers & Translators, Sales & Marketing Gurus, Admins & Secretaries, Engineers & Architects, Business & Finance Gurus, and Lawyers.
Read more about Guru here.
Upwork
You can choose jobs between these different categories: Web Developers, Mobile Developers, Designers & Creatives, Writers, Visual Assistants, Customer Service Agents, Sales & Marketing Experts, Accountants & Consultants.
Read more about Upwork here.
Freelancer
You can choose jobs between these different categories: Websites, IT & Software, Mobile Phones & Computing, Writing & Content, Design, Media & Architecture, Data Entry & Admin, Engineering & Science, Product Sourcing & Manufacturing, Sales & Marketing, Business, Accounting, Human Resources & Legal, Translation & Languages, and Local Jobs & Services.
Read more about Freelancer here.
b. Transcriber
Quicktate
With Quicktate you will transcribe or type out the words that you hear from audio files. The files can be voicemail messages, memos, letters, legal files, medical files, recordings of phone calls, conference calls and other audio files.
Read more about Quicktate here.
c. Photographer
If you take awesome pictures, selling them online is the perfect way to make money. Just consider that you will need professional pictures and a good camera to take high-quality pictures.
Shutterstock
Basically, you produce high-quality images and videos, upload them for review and after they are uploaded, you make money every time your content is downloaded by one of the worldwide customers.
Read more about Shutterstock here.
Istock & Gettyimages
Both websites fall under the same company, when you apply, the editors will review your work to determine where it would be best placed to maximize its visibility and sales potential. Being a contributor you get your photos, illustrations, and video clips in front of 1.5 million customers in more than 200 countries worldwide. You will earn a commission every time your content is downloaded.
Read more about Istock & Gettyimages here.
Fotolia
Fotolia is a website by Adobe. Becoming an Adobe Stock contributor is simple. If you have great photos, videos or vector content and you own all the rights, every time someone purchases your content, you get a commission.
Read more about Fotolia here.
Dreamstime
Anyone can join Dreamstime and sell their photos, images and/or videos. Just create an account and upload your media files. For each transaction, the contributor receives a commission.
Read more about Dreamstime here.
c. Blogger and Vlogger
Blogger
You can start your own business as a blogger, it will let you become your own boss, but it will also take time to acquire the level of popularity that will let you win a lot of money. Besides creating your own website, you will need to have a social media presence to be able to easily share the content you create in your blog and also advertise brands directly (e.g. a picture on Instagram)
So, how do bloggers earn money? Advertising with platforms like Google AdSense and Mediavine, affiliate marketing with platforms like Amazon Affiliates and paid features and reviews of products and services.
Read more about my experience on the post 10 steps to become a blogger / influencer and start your own business.
Vlogger (YouTuber)
YouTube has become a popular platform for creators because once you become a partner you can start earning money by placing Ads on your videos. Some of the trendiest YouTubers are making videos on fashion, makeup tutorials, funny skits, and video games. Unfortunately, YouTube has been changing the rule to become a partner and now it is more difficult to start monetizing your videos. The rule now is that once a channel reaches 4,000 watch hours in the previous 12 months and 1,000 subscribers it will be reviewed to join the program (that was announced on January 2018).
2. Company Jobs
On this type of jobs, you will make a formal arrangement with a company, institution or person in which you will commit to working for certain hours in a specific place in exchange of a determined payment.
a. NGO
You can get a paid job abroad with an NGO that sometimes can even cover your flight expenses. They can be full-time positions or contracts that will last several months.
Reliefweb and UN Jobs
If you want to participate with an NGO in projects that will be paid for but will generally require some experience, there are several websites such as Reliefweb and UN Jobs in which you can search for projects .
Find all the details of the database and the application process in the post How to work abroad with an NGO
b. Travel Agency
Rhino Africa
Rhino Africa is an award-winning African safari company that provides holidays all around Africa. You can get a full-time position here if you speak one of the languages they are looking for.
Find all the details in the post How to travel abroad with a luxury travel agency
c. Intern
Although in the majority of cases you won’t get a salary working as an intern abroad due to regulations. You may be able to find internships in which you will earn free accommodation and food or courses.
International House
International House (IH) Cape Town offers a fantastic internship in which you are able to study an English course for free in exchange for your work as an intern during the evenings.
Find all the details of the application process in the post Intern in South Africa: my experience working at International House in exchange for an English course
d. Au Pair
If you love kids, this job will be perfect for you! The main advantage is that besides the payment that you will receive, the family will provide you with accommodation and food and you will also have free time to study a foreign language or do any of the Digital Nomad jobs mentioned before.
Au Pair World
AuPairWorld is a platform where au pairs and host families can get in touch with each other.
- Location: one of the 21 countries in which AuPairWorld now operates. Most of them are European countries and the USA, Canada, New Zealand, Australia and Japan.
- Duration: from one month to one year, it depends on the regulation of the country.
- Registration fee: You can register for free, search for families and contact them.
- Payment: You will settle the benefits that you will receive with the hosting family, sometimes it’s just accommodation, food, and a small salary, other times they include the flight tickets and others also a language course.
Read more information and real experiences using Au Pair World here.
Au Pair Care
AuPairCare matches host families in the U.S. with international au pairs.
- Location: United States.
- Duration: From one year to a maximum of 2 years.
- Registration fee: You will have to pay a fee to register that will vary from country to country between $225 – $2,550 USD.
- Payment: Earn a stipend during your year of about $10,000 USD, flights, insurance, J-1 Visa sponsorship, tuition for college classes.
Read more information and real experiences using Au Pair Care here.
e. English Teacher
First: Get Certified
To teach English abroad you will first need to get a TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) certificate.
Acquire the CELTA certificate
The best one is the CELTA (Certificate in English Language Teaching to Adults) because it’s the most widely recognized, and preferred certificate in the world.
Read here the experience of my friend Carla from Argentina who took a 1-month CELTA course.
Second: Find a job
There are several websites where you can find jobs abroad as an English teacher, the most popular countries are Asia (China, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, and Thailand), Middle East (Egypt, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and United Arab Emirates) South America (Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, and Mexico), and Europe (Austria, Czech Republic, Germany, Russia, Spain, and Turkey).
Teachaway
Access a wide variety of teaching jobs, educational administration positions, and opportunities to teach English abroad in public and private schools overseas. You just need to create your profile with qualifications and experience, search and apply for jobs and hear from a recruiter if your application is successful.
Read more about Teachaway here.
Footprints
Teach English in Asia and the Middle East with a simple process. Upload your resume, and apply to schools online, after a phone screening with Footprints recruiters they will introduce you to the hiring schools, and after another interview, if you receive a job offer they will help you with the visa paperwork and moving abroad process.
Read more about Footprints here.
SeekTeachers
Look for English teacher jobs in Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and South America. You can find international positions in nursery, primary, secondary, middle, college and university level education. Simply upload your Resume and start applying for positions.
Read more about SeekTeachers here.
Teaching Nomad
Teaching Nomad is your connection to teaching in Asia & The Middle East! Simply create your profile and start applying for job positions.
Read more about Teaching Nomad here.
f. Cruise Ship Crew
Find a Crew
Find a Crew is a website that connects boat owners with crew members. If you are traveling and you volunteer as a crew member besides accommodation costs you will also save transportation costs. You can create your profile for free but if you want to send messages to Premium members you’ll have to pay 190 USD for 6 months.
Read more information about Find a Crew here.
All Cruise Jobs
Create your profile, look for jobs an apply. There are jobs in several categories: accommodation, beauty, casino, child care, deck, engine, entertainment, food & beverage, guest services, IT, land-based, management, medical, office, photography, retail, shore excursions, and sport & fitness.
Read more information about All Cruise Jobs here.
Crew seekers
You can view all sailing opportunities for free but if you want to create your profile and make contact with the yacht owner and join their crew, you must get a membership that costs from £75 for 6 months.
Read more information about Crew seekers here.
g. Stewardess
Although you may not be able to choose all the destinations where you will fly as a stewardess, you can still get to travel the world and get paid. For this, you should choose an international airline (I have some friends that only travel national). Furthermore, you might get a few free flights for you and your family and friends.
3. Real Experiences
Read the stories of several people who will explain you their application process and experience living abroad.
a. Blogger
Working around the world as a blogger
I left corporate life and started my own business as a blogger.
Read more about my experience on the post 10 steps to become a blogger / influencer and start your own business.
b. NGO
Agricultural consultancy project in Zimbabwe with TechnoServe
I spent five months working with TechnoServe on an agricultural distribution project in Zimbabwe and another month traveling around the country.
Read more about my experience in the post My experience working with TechnoServe in Zimbabwe
1-year contract in Switzerland with RAMSAR Convention
My friend Pablo from Mexico earned a position to work in Switzerland as an Assistant Advisor to the Americas Region in the Ramsar Convention Secretariat.
Read more about Pablo’s experience earning an employment contract for 1 year at the Ramsar Convention here
c. Travel Agency
Full-time job in South Africa with Rhino Africa
Ricky from Spain worked in South Africa as a Spanish-language content writer for Rhino Africa, a luxury travel agency.
Read more about Ricky’s experience in the blog post How to work abroad with a luxury travel agency
d. Intern
Intern in South Africa with International House
Gabi from Brazil tells us about her experience as an intern for 1 month in South Africa! She was able to improve her English while developing her marketing skills at work.
Read more about Gabi’s experience working at International House in exchange for an English course here
e. Au Pair
Au Pair in England with AuPairWorld
My Spanish friend Laura Plasencia worked as an Au Pair in Boxford, England. In this post she explains to us everything we need to know if we want to be an Au Pair anywhere in the world.
Read more about Laura’s experience as an Au Pair here.
Au Pair in the USA AuPairCare
My Brazilian friend Marcelle worked as an Au Pair in Chicago. In this post she explains to us everything we need to know if we want to be an Au Pair through AuPairCare.
Read more about Marcelle’s experience as an Au Pair here.
f. Cruise Crew
Receptionist at a cruise traveling in Northern Europe, The Mediterranean, and South America
My friend Carla from Argentina tells us about her experience earning a job position and working for 2 years at one of the largest 4 cruise companies in the world.
Read more about Carla’s experience as a cruise ship receptionist here.
In the Work Abroad section, you can find more experiences earning internships and full-time job positions abroad! If you had a similar experience and want to inspire others to apply please send an email to pilar.noriega@thelifestylehunter.com
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This is the best list lol! Who doesn’t want to get paid to travel? I know I do.
My husband and I are both freelancers and it is awesome to be able to work from anywhere in the world. This is a great list to help others accomplish the same dream.
That is amazing, can’t thank you enough for the super comprehensive list! I am a digital strategist, the digital nomad job list would be great for me! Thanks a lot.
This is a great compilation with a list of terrific recommendations for job seekers looking for flexibility
What a fantastic post! I loved reading about the different options. As a former air stewardess, this role still holds great appeal. I have however moved into blogging full time and loving it.
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