How to Make Travel Part of Your Job

Find a job you love and you will never work a day in your life

-       Confucius 

Many of us have grown up hearing inspirational career quotes like the one above. In many ways they have encouraged us to continue fighting for a job we’re passionate about and that fits into the lifestyle we would ultimately like to have. 

For those of us that are passionate about traveling (a number that appears to be growing), finding a career that offers new adventures across the globe is a must. However, this type of career can seem incredibly difficult to find. 

Luckily, the number of positions linked to international travel is growing in almost every field. If traveling is one of you job requirements, here are a few options for you. 

Public Health 

If you are the type of person interested in helping improve the human condition around the world then public health might be the career for you. Public health experts are involved in a number of noble causes such as providing health education to isolated villages, promoting healthy diets on limited resources, and combating disease outbreaks as they arise. 

Often times this type of work involves heavy traveling to study areas or communities of interest. For instance, during disease outbreaks public health professionals are often at ground zero examining patients and attempting to understand the disease enough to halt its progress. Outside of researching a disease they are also working with the public to educate them on how it spreads and best practices to stay healthy. 

Company Management 

Jobs in the business sector frequently lead us to thoughts of cubicle farms and hours of computer work. But contrary to that belief, globalization has taken the business world by storm and now many mid to high level employees travel internationally at least once per year. These employees are traveling for a number of reasons including to attend international conferences, participate in company expansion plans, or network with investors/shareholders. 

A report from the Global Business Travel Association released in January concluded that the US business travel market is likely to continue to see steady growth - around three percent over the next two years. This suggests that more and more businesses are investing in a global market and encouraging their employees to be a part of it. As globalization of markets becomes even more established, employees of large companies can expect to be traveling somewhat regularly. 

Travel Industry 

Perhaps one of the best ways in which to ensure you will be able to travel regularly is to get a job within the travel industry. Some of the most common include positions as flight attendants, cruise line employees, or travel guides. For individuals that love working with people, these might be the types of jobs you’re interested in. 

Although many of these positions are in customer service related fields, a significant portion are not. For instance, many cruise liners employ professional chefs, musicians, and engineers to both enhance the travel experience for guests and to make sure everything runs smoothly. Frequently, these employees have the luxury of getting paid to travel the world, while avoiding the more negative aspects of tourists. 

***

The majority of industries have some niche positions that allow for individuals to travel extensively for work. For you are a free spirit that wants to roam the world (but needs to be paid to do so) these types of positions are great options for you. What others can you think of?  

Brittni Brown is a recent graduate of The College of Idaho; she currently works for a local marketing company. In her free time she enjoys a variety of outdoor activities including hiking, biking, and camping.