So, you have a serious travel bug and just graduated from college. That accumulated debt is not going to pay itself off and you are only young once, so what is the right thing to do? Traveling is much easier when one is young and has minimal strings attached but how does a fresh college graduate, or even high school graduate, do it? Here are a few different ways to go about satisfying your travel bug with some money-making opportunities.
- LinkedIn Job Opportunities in Other Locations:
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LinkedIn allows you to search for a job in any location of the world, be it near your current location, a specific city far away from you or even an entire country. By searching for these opportunities, you may find yourself loving one that is available, but how exactly do you secure said opportunity? First and foremost, you have to have a general knowledge of how the job hiring process works in that area. A simple Google search can really show a lot of this, but good things to look out for are the different résumé/CV requirements, cover letter expectations and required levels of a specific language. By finding out these things, some may be as simple as allowing two-pages instead of one for a CV, while others may be more complex, you automatically look like a more appropriate and knowledgeable candidate for the position.
- Remote Opportunities
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If this pandemic has taught us anything, it is that so much more can be done remotely than previously imagined by many companies and organizations. Remote opportunities were often regarded as less valuable work experience in the past, but who is laughing now? Jokes aside, remote opportunities can be an amazing way to work in a relevant field of interest for you but still travel and see what your heart desires. Many entry-level jobs and internships are currently being offered in a remote format and are advertised as such on LinkedIn or an employer’s website. Searching for remote opportunities is not quite as simple as a location-based search on LinkedIn, but many employers have opted to post “REMOTE” in the job title. There are undoubtedly challenges that come with remote work and expectations that may prohibit you from truly diving deep into traveling or going off the grid, such as time zone issues and a required stable internet connection, but ultimately many of your desires can and will be fulfilled.
- Au Pair Opportunities
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An Au Pair is someone who is essentially a nanny that is on a special visa to move to another country and learn the local language while taking care of a family of children and staying in their house. Being an Au Pair is a rewarding experience for those who have an interest in improving their language skills of a particular language and enjoy spending time with children. Being an Au Pair is typically considered and treated as a full-time job, although weekends and holidays should always be given off and thus grant an easy opportunity to travel around the region. Au Pairs are common in many countries, and specific visas are only granted to those holding passports of certain countries so check here for what you may be eligible for, although some of the countries that host the most Au Pairs are France, Germany, Australia and Switzerland.
- Working Holiday Visas
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If you have a little bit of savings already, want to continue working small jobs here and there to earn a little more money for nights out and excursions but you are not ready to be tied down to a 9-5 office job, doing a working holiday might just be the right scheme for you. Working Holiday Visa schemes are visas that allow people under 30 years-of-age, although in some countries it is slightly higher, to live and work non-contracted jobs in the country for an extended period of time, typically up to one year. This scheme allows young travelers to pick up jobs working in the hospitality industry and travel a country for an extended period of time. Many countries offer this, although different passport holders are eligible for different schemes. Click here for the list of countries that US passport holders are eligible for, and if you hold another passport a quick Google search should come up with your specific results.
Although there are countless ways to move abroad depending on each individual’s situation, these are some options that are applicable to much of society. As someone who has lived abroad in a variety of countries for many years, it is undoubtedly one of the most rewarding experiences that I hope everyone has a chance to experience!