I don’t know about you, but when somebody at the airport asks me whether I’m traveling for business or pleasure, I’m always inclined to say “Both!”, just to sound clever. The good news is, it is now easier than ever to combine the two. Working while traveling is no longer something only James Bond does.
It is now cheaper and more efficient to travel than ever before in history, whether it’s by air, land or sea, making it much easier to find a destination that is just right for you. Similarly, the increase in internet coverage around the globe has opened up numerous opportunities for the kinds of work that require a laptop, internet access, and not much else. Finding regular jobs in far-away locations became much easier as well.
In fact, the real problem no longer seems to be whether you can work and travel the world at the same time, but rather how to choose the appropriate combination of the two, among many that are being offered. To help you get started in becoming a working traveler, we have prepared a list of some of the most common jobs that are supporting the rising trend of nomadic living.
Cruise Ship Work
If Titanic is one of your favorite movies (well, except the part where it sinks), you might want to consider working on a cruise ship. Cruise ships are like small cities on water, and offer plenty of opportunities for all kinds of work. Some of the most common are photography, cooking, performance arts, tour guiding, etc. Working on the ship also has the benefit of including food and accommodation by default for the crew, so you can save up on a lot of money.
Teaching Recreational Skills
Recreational skills such as climbing, surfing, yoga, scuba diving, etc. are in high demand all year round in top tourist locations across the world. If you happen to have the right skills, becoming a teacher at a tourist resort can be a fairly lucrative option. While some jobs of this type are only available during a particular season, remember that it is always summer in some part of the world.
Web Development
Developing and designing for the web pays well, and it can be done from virtually anywhere. It is no surprise that many so-called ‘digital nomads’ go into this line of work to fund their travels around the world. What can be better than sipping cocktails on the beach in the afternoon, after a hard day of coding under a palm tree? A tip for developing for your fellow traveling workers: make sure to design your websites in accordance with principles of responsive web design. Web-pages that scale well on multiple screen sizes (especially on mobile devices) are essential for people without reliable access to a desktop computer such as travelers.
Online Consulting
If you are an expert in some area of business, offering online consulting services to potential clients is one of the easiest ways to earn money while traveling. Your clientele doesn’t care where you will be calling from, as long as you can provide a timely, professional service. This does require a stable internet connection and a quiet room most of the time, but consulting services tend to pay well on average, so you can likely afford it.
Day Trading
This is a risky proposition for a lot of people, but for those with an extra taste for adrenaline, trading on the stock market on a daily basis while traveling is like a match made in heaven. The lows can be pretty extreme in this line of work, but the highs make it all worth it. Spending a night in Bangkok living like a king is a once in a lifetime experience, and it can happen if you play your cards right.
Online Marketing
As one of the fastest-growing modern industries, online marketing rife with opportunities for enterprising individuals. This kind of work rewards creativity and quick thinking, which are coincidentally the mindsets that are well suited to traveling around the world as well. Additionally, moving around tourist locations can give the observant marketeer a lot of new ideas to try out, or sell to business somewhere else in the world.
Writing
The adage ‘Write what you know’ pairs really well with the kind of lifestyle traveling offers. No matter what kind of work you do while traveling, you are sure to come across many interesting people, weird situations, and unique experiences. Why not put it on the page as well? Down the line as you amass more and more notes, an opportunity will arise to turn your writing into something people would like to read and buy, whether they are travel logs, tourist advice, blog posts, etc. To get you in the habit of writing while you travel, you might want to start with a technical writing or content writing gig.
