Ways to combine work and travel

Work and vacation might not seem like the most logical combination, but for many people it’s the ideal way to travel. If you are the type of person who is never satisfied with just four weeks of holiday, why not combine work and travel full time? You have the opportunity to really get to know a specific place, while also making money to fund your trip.

There are several ways to do this. The first is through a working holiday, a (short-term) trip that is designed to do (usually seasonal) work at a specific location. The second is to travel long term and find a way to work at the same time. Maybe you have a job which gives you travel opportunities, or you can work remotely. In this article we’ll discuss these options further.   

Working holiday

Most students choose to do a working holiday. Working holiday is a great way to take a break from student life at home. The work is often seasonal, like fruit picking, rental services, camp counsellor, service work and more. Countries like Australia, New Zealand and the United States are popular destinations for working holidays and they have structures to accommodate this kind of working travel. Many countries offer a working holiday visa, which look different for every country. The working holiday visa in Australia and New Zealand allow you to adventure for up to 12 months, and in the US for a month after your working period. Going on a working holiday could be as simple as getting the visa, booking a ticket and just going. You can find work by searching online or by checking hostel bulletin boards and asking locals. If you want a little bit more direction and information up front, check out this information from KILROY. 

Job-required travel

Maybe you want a little bit more stability in a job which requires travel but is not necessarily seasonal or temporary. You can think of jobs like tour guide, roadie, au pair, or service work on a private yacht (yes, I’ve met people who do this. It’s a crazy life, but very cool!). There are tons of websites out there where you can find these jobs. Check out ‘search jobs abroad’ for example.

Another option for working abroad is to teach a foreign language. Through teaching you can see some of a foreign country and work at the same time. If you want to teach English abroad, you will need a TEFL-certification. This qualification is often necessary for teaching abroad. At ISIC we have a 100 dollar discount on the course to receive your TELF-certification. You should be aware that some, but not all, countries allow teaching with a working holiday visa. If you want to teach abroad, there are other visa options available as well.  

Working remotely

If you happen to have a job you can do remotely with just a small computer and occasional internet (like writing, web design, blogging or virtual assisting) that’s also a great option. You can do this on a tourist visa, because you are not actually working in the country you’re visiting: you’re working for a job in your home country. Working a job remotely is a great way to be more flexible in your travels. While a working holiday or having a travel-related job are great options for seeing more of the world, they don’t give you much freedom to go to different places. When working remotely you can change your plan at any time.

If you think working while traveling is something you want to do, one of these options might work for you.