Copia Magazine: Feature: Travel the World and Make Money

Travel the world, meet interesting people - get paid to do it
(seriously)

Most people who travel for work don't actually get to see the world. They
get to see the inside of hotel rooms and conference centers and airport
lounges. It they're lucky they get to tack a weekend on to a business trip
and explore a particular city for 48 hours.

Anyone who applies for a job and is told they have to fly to Paris to, say,
man a stand at an exhibition is going to think "Whoopee! Paris!", but I
can tell you from experience that the inside of exhibition centers look
the same the world over (crowded, windowless, dull and full of the same
old products you were promoting at the last exhibition) and those 12
hour days don't leave a lot of time or energy for sight seeing.
So how exactly can you find a job that involves travel and a pay check
that lets you actually see the world? The jobs listed in this article have
all been personally road tested by me or my close friends and family
and we've had great experiences with them. That's not to say they're
perfect. They are still jobs - and like any job there will be boring,
frustrating tasks (and sometimes boring, frustrating days) involved, but,
overall, we recommend:

Working on a cruise ship.
Some people save a lifetime for a Caribbean cruise, and some people
spend several months or years cruising and getting paid. Go for a job
where you only have to work when the ship is at sea and you get time
off whenever, and more importantly wherever, the ship docks. It varies
between cruise lines but a typical contract may be 9 months at sea,
followed by one month off. Pay won't be high, but board and lodging are
included! Before you say you don't have any cruise ship related skills or
experience, think about the range of jobs available. Cruise lines take on
wait staff, bar tenders, childcare workers, hair stylists, personal trainers,
customer service staff and sales staff for gift stores, among many other
positions. Do you honestly not have experience in ANY of those areas.

Becoming a flight attendant.
Now may not be the best time to be looking for a job in the airline
industry but many airlines have a high staff turnover so hiring and
training will continue. The high staff turnover may be due to the fact that
this is a job that is fun for a year or two, but not necessarily seen as a
long-term career, but don't be too sure. I have a relative who has been
working for the same airline for almost twenty years, and who can
blame her. Where else will she find another job that pays her to lie on
the beach in the Maldives for ten days at a time?

If you want to see the world, you want to apply to international airlines
with lots of long-haul flight options. An airline with lots of short-haul,
domestic flights will want the same staff to fly both ways, but if an airline
flies long-haul to a particular destination on a weekly basis, crew may
be "required" to stay there all week.

Teaching English as a foreign language.
This can be a great way to really get to know a foreign country.
Contracts may be for a few months to a year, with options to re-new.
And here's a little-known fact - the majority of English teachers around
the world, teaching everywhere from Mexico to Thailand to Italy, are not
qualified school teachers. Most countries require a TEFL certificate or
equivalent, and a basic TEFL qualification can be obtained in 4 weeks
for a cost of less than US$1000 (you may find cheaper courses online).
Some countries may require you to have a university degree from an
English speaking country (although not usually a teaching degree), but
in many places a basic TEFL certificate is all you need to get started.

So, if you're bored at work, or just got laid off, how about making 2010
the year you make a career switch that lets you really see the world -
and get paid to do it.