Jobs that will let you earn money while traveling the world

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 you also earn 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
- Intern
- Au Pair
- English Teacher
- Cruise Crew
- Air stewardess
Real Experiences
- I from Mexico worked in Zimbabwe on a consulting project.
- Pablo from México worked in Switzerland at the RAMSAR Convention
- Gabi from Brazil worked in South Africa as an intern in a languages school.
- Laura from Spain worked in England as an Au Pair
- Marcelle from Brazil worked in the United States as an Au Pair
- 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).

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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. NGOs

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. 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

c. 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.

d. 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.

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.

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.

Teaching Nomad

Teaching Nomad is your connection to teaching in Asia & The Middle East! Simply create your profile and start applying for job positions.

e. 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.

f. 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.