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Viral Paun

Love to Travel? Make a career in travel and tourism

Love to Travel? Make a career in travel and tourism


If you’ve been bit by the travel bug, you know how dispiriting it can be to toil away in an office, waiting for those two paltry weeks of vacation each year.

But what if your job was to travel?

A ton of jobs involve routine travel, and others let you make your own schedule. So you’d be able to continent-hop whenever you wanted.

A job of this sort is “ideal for those who have a spirit of adventure and don't like to get stuck in one particular routine,” says Gail Abelman, a medical recruiter in Atlanta who staffs this position. “You can have a stable career and an ongoing vacation rolled into one.”

In India, the travel industry hopes to create 46 million job oppurtunities by 2025.


Flight attendant

Yes, flight attendants travel the world but short haul staff rarely leave their destination airport. If you're hoping for long layovers in exotic locations apply to a major airline serving long haul destinations. Several days on a Thai beach or exploring Hong Kong is a bonus but cabin crew also get generous travel benefits so you, and often family members, can fly at greatly reduced rates on your days off. Customer service experience, fluent English and the ability to swim 25m are essential. Jobs are generally advertised directly by the airlines who also provide about six weeks of training. Try aviationjobsearch.com or cabincrew.com for more information.


Tour leader

More a lifestyle choice than a fortune maker, work as a tour leader offers unparalleled opportunities to see the world. Whether you're dreaming of a seniors' coach trip across Asia, you'll need oodles of enthusiasm and patience, strong leadership skills and plenty of travel experience. Mechanical skills, first aid, a foreign language, a geography or history of art degree, and possibly a PCV (passenger carrying vehicle) driving licence are also useful. Above all though, you'll need a positive, can-do attitude; your boss and support team will be thousands of miles away and you'll be on call 24/7. Most companies such as Explore (explore.co.uk/about-us/jobs) advertise vacancies on their own websites and it's a distinct advantage to have taken a trip with the company you intend to apply to.

Roadie or techie

Although it's not all screaming groupies and wild orgies, working as a sound or lighting technician on tour is still pretty darn cool. If you can land a job with a big name artist you'll get to visit major cities across several continents, but there's a lot of time on the road and not so much time to explore. Courses for lighting and sound technicians take one to three years but you'll need plenty of experience and a lot of luck or good contacts to clinch a plum job. Find more information on courses at londonamp.com or performing-arts.org.uk in the UK, NYU Steinhardt (steinhardt.nyu.edu/music/technology) in New York, or at the Australian Institute of Music (aim.edu.au/courses/audio-engineering).


Photographer

It's not the easiest way to earn a living and income is never guaranteed, but photojournalists, landscape and travel photographers see some of the most beautiful and harrowing parts of the world while at work. Options for travel are endless and many photographers direct their own projects as well as working on commission. A photography degree will take three years to complete but formal qualifications are less important than a good eye and demonstrable talent. For some great hints and tips check out journalismdegree.com/photojournalism-career.

Virtual assistant

Virtual assistants work from home on a freelance basis doing admin work for small businesses, but who's to say where home is? With a reliable phone and internet connection you could work from almost anywhere. To set yourself up as a virtual assistant you'll need at least five years experience working in a senior administration role in an office environment. Companies such as timeetc.co.uk in the UK, US-based Zirtual (zirtual.com) and the Australian Virtual Assistant Association (avaa.asn.au) may be a good place to get some initial experience. But if you're planning to travel you'll need to research the market at your target destination or set up your business at home first, build a client base and when you're sure of a steady work flow, hit the road.


Beauty therapists

The quest for beauty is universal and women, particularly in expat communities, like to be treated by someone who speaks their own language, shares their sense of style and understands their requests. Although you'll have to travel on spec in most cases, there are job opportunities from Delhi to Dubai, as well as on luxury liners and in holiday villages worldwide. You'll need a recognised qualification and salon experience before you travel. Take a look at hairandbeautyjobs.com for an idea of what's available.


Ski or scuba instructor

Fancy half a year in Whistler and the other half in Wanaka? Winters on the Gili Islands and summers in the Red Sea? Ski and scuba buffs can live the dream by qualifying as an instructor. You'll need a Level 2 qualification (15 days of coursework and 70 hours practical experience) from the British Association of Snowsport Instructors (basi.org.uk) to teach snowsports internationally, or a PADI (padi.com) Divemaster qualification followed by an Instructor Development Course and a minimum of 100 dives to teach scuba diving.


Yacht crew

Winters in the Caribbean, summers in the Med, what's not to like about crewing on a yacht? Everyone from cooks and nannies to engineers and captains are needed by those lucky enough to sail their way around the world. Although you'll get to see new ports every few days, casual crew on recreational vessels often don't get paid so it's worth having some recognised qualifications if you want to earn as you travel. Courses run by the Royal Yachting Association (rya.org.uk) range from basic skills up to Yachtmaster but time on the water and experience in a variety of conditions are essential. You'll find jobs advertised on crewseekers.net or findacrew.net.

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