"I don't know. Something that involves traveling."
Whether we have said it ourselves or heard it from someone else upon being asked about a future career, this response, though vague, is totally valid. The majority of the time, the best way to come to a conclusion about anything, including a career to pursue, is to figure out the surrounding criteria we want to meet.
It's similar to picking a college to attend: first, you figure out the desired details, like preferred location, size, demographics, prestige, etc. Then you're able to narrow your selection down to schools with your ideal features. Throughout our years of schooling, we develop interests we want to integrate into a dream job, a job that too often remains a dream, because we don’t even know it exists. A career that entails travelling is definitely left in the unattainable dream job category, but doesn’t have to be.
The good thing about traveling is that it can be applicable to the broader field of your choice. If you love to travel, here are some careers you’ve probably never considered.
1. Flight attendant
The most obvious traveling careers are the ones where the sole obligation is traveling itself, such as a flight or cruise attendant. Yes, they include waiting on others, but the tasks can be lesser than those of a restaurant waitress. These workers go to the same places as the people they’re waiting on, and are getting paid for it. Attendants also get discounted or even free flights for their own vacation time. We think it’s safe to say this aspect compensates for the erratic work hours this occupation will most likely entail.
2. Retail buyer
You might be among the number of lucky flight attendants who get to accompany people on business trips, or better yet, the goal can be to be one of those people yourself. If you have both a sense of fashion and wanderlust, a retail buyer is the perfect job for you. The person who evaluates and purchases a company’s inventory travels to major corporate headquarters. These headquarters are often located in the iconic fashion capitals of the world. Aim to land it big in the fashion industry, and you can literally land wherever you want.
Related: 6 Benefits of Solo Travel
3. Consultant
A consultant travels to different business sites to resolve issues with their specialized expertise. Being able to complete difficult tasks and guide a company through changes with a unique and creative skill set defines a consultant's career. Even better, your flights to areas in need of your assistance are most likely covered.
4. Government employee
Although members of government are primarily responsible for managing a designated area, they have to travel to other places frequently. Many positions in the U.S. Department of State require being in contact with areas across the globe, and having to see them for yourself. You can do several things within the State Department at large. You can even be a teacher, and travel with a school system operated through the Department of Defense for children of military personnel. You don’t have to particularly love politics for a governmental position to be on the table.
5. Foreign correspondent
This is another job that allows you to do what you enjoy while contributing to society. A foreign correspondent is a news commentator or journalist that reports from abroad. Those aiming to pursue this career often get a general degree in communications, journalism, or broadcasting and pair it with a compementary minor. Amelia Alexander, a sophomore at Penn State University, is a communications major who recently declared a minor in Spanish. She decided to do so after going on several trips her freshman year and developing a love for traveling. "After asking my academic advisor how to utilize my communications degree in a career that involves traveling," she says, "he suggested that I learn another language so that I am especially marketable."
Minoring in a foreign language or even having visited foreign countries definitely increases the likelihood of your company designating you as the traveling employee.
6. Athletic recruiter
It is common for talented artists and athletes to take the business approach to their field as a career. Many great athletes aim to be athletic recruiters themselves, the people whose goal of theirs it once was to impress. These people are employed by professional sports organizations and universities, and make a living by traveling far and wide to watch games and observe the best players for potential recruitment. Aside from the fact that the sight of you sends student athletes into crippling anxiety, being an athletic recruiter couldn’t sound more ideal for any lover of the game.
7. Artist
Too often, we are advised not to pursue an artistic career because of a low salary and the overall uncertainty of it. If you desire to travel, though, this ambiguity already excites you. A successful artistic career that involves travelling can take the form of a back-up dancer, a wedding destination photographer or a makeup artist. They all basically mean you are so good at what you do, people can’t help but bring you with them wherever they go. Not many possess creative ability, so if you do, take advantage of it.
Honestly, though... you can turn anything you want into a career that involves travelling. You can add “traveling” in front of any occupation title, and there you have it. If you don’t want the obvious jobs like an attendant, tour guide or agent, be innovative.
An employee in the Career Services Center at Pace University's NYC campus says that he has "seen many students turn careers into traveling ones themselves. "Having studied abroad is a huge plus," he adds. "Take advantage of every opportunity your college has to offer and become as academically and culturally well-rounded as possible."
Be the best at whatever you want to pursue, bringing to the table something so unique that it can’t be found just anywhere, therefore your presence is demanded worldwide. Instead of trying to particularly pursue a job that involves traveling, pursue any job passionately, and we guarantee you'll have to travel.