What is your dream job?
The best job for me is one that will allow me to explore the world. So many people have joined the bandwagon of quitting their 9-5 jobs and start traveling. But there are people who are traveling and making money while doing it too.
If you love traveling as much as I do but at the same time can’t afford to quit working, I’m happy to share the jobs that I have worked on that you can do too! There are tons of opportunities to make money while traveling. I have started this travel, lifestyle and food blog in high hopes that it will allow me to travel more.
How To Make Money While Traveling
Before I completely start with this topic, let me tell you first that doing jobs like these are NOT easy. If it were, everyone would already be doing this. It requires patience, some training, commitment, skills and a whole lot of motivation.
Most of what you see online are the “fruits” of every working travellers’ labor. But more people are showing the “behind-the-scenes” of their travels too which is nice because it gives people an idea that it is not all fun and games.
Do you still want to make money while traveling? If yes, then keep reading. Because it’s about to get real.
A lot of people are successful in traveling while earning money. With that being said, it is possible for you too. After all, we all have the same hours in a day. We just differ in our priorities and how we spend our time.
Being A Digital Nomad
A digital nomad is someone who works on their computer which means as long as there is internet access, they can continue making a living. And I’m one happy digital nomad. What I love the most about what I do is the fact that I am location independent. We are free to travel and enjoy working in different locations, from the beach to coffee shops and even while flying!
Here’s my list of awesome jobs for people who wants to travel and earn at the same time:
Writer
I use “writer” because there are different types of writer. You can be a travel writer, a creative writer, a technical writer or a writer in your area of expertise. Let’s say you’re a nurse, you can write articles about your nursing life or about health.
If you’re new to writing, I suggest you start reading articles that interest you. Then start rewriting them. Make it as unique as possible. After rewriting a couple of posts, find a topic and write about it with at least 300 words.
I have been passionate about poetry and writing for as long as I can remember but it was all set aside when I decided to take up a Nursing degree. But because of the shortage of jobs in my city, I took the road less travelled and searched for jobs online. It wasn’t easy. But that was 6 years ago.
Today, you can find a lot of writing jobs online. Some websites pay for submissions too. If you want to be a blogger, WordPress is a great platform to start with. I use WordPress in all of my websites. A blog would come in handy when future employers ask you for your portfolio.
Social Media Manager
This is probably the most popular job right now because more businesses are diving into social media for marketing. It helped a lot that I had my own social media accounts because it made it easier for me to manage other accounts. It might sound easy to just “manage” social media accounts but it can be difficult at times too.
I also find it easier to work with businesses in the Fashion, Beauty and Travel Industry because the audience of these niches are interactive and respond well to ads (advertisements). But don’t limit yourself in just one industry. Test the waters, but make sure you are equipped with the best skills and tools.
Read news and articles every day. Try different tools and see which works best for you and your clients. Keep up with the social media trends. Find successful campaigns and think how you can incorporate it in your own campaigns.
Project Manager
Project Management is one of my favorite jobs. I love planning, executing, initiating and managing a team. My latest project management role was very challenging because I was handling three different websites. I’ve never received so many emails in my life until that project but it was also very fun. I get to work with really awesome people and I have learned a lot. I received training materials that were really helpful for my role.
Just like being a social media manager, being a project manager requires a certain skillset: excellent communication, leadership, team management, personal organization and risk management. These are the essential skills I can think of when it comes to project management.
Photographer
I am not a professional photographer and I don’t have much experience in phototgraphy but if you are passionate about it, you can make money out of it even while you’re traveling. There are many websites where you can sell your photos or you can apply to companies who need your skills.
Instagram is one of the best platforms you can showcase your talent. Pick a username and make sure you fill every detail in your profile. Share your best photos and use appropriate hashtags in your posts.
Another great platform to share your work is a photo blog. You can then add the link to your Instagram profile.
If you start applying to jobs or email companies for collaborations, you can quickly share your portfolio to them.
Graphic Designer
Graphic designing is a job that is also in-demand today because almost all (if not all) companies need graphics in their websites and social media channels. Some even need it for their marketing strategies (flyers, banners, ads, etc..). I love designing quote images, blog and website headers, ad images and images for social media.
There are so many articles and videos you can watch to learn tips and tricks in graphic designing.
My favorite tools to use are Adobe Spark Post, Canva and PhotoScape X. They’re easy to use and you can create stunning visuals in less than 5 minutes!
Like in Photography, creating a portfolio would come in handy when you start applying for jobs so you might want to share your work samples in your website or an Instagram account.
Video Editor
I haven’t worked as a Video Editor (have worked with them) but if this is something you’re good at and enjoy editing videos, then you can definitely work as one.
A lot of people are doing vlogs today and chances are, they need someone to help them in editing their videos. Large companies are diving into this trend now too because visual content performs really well. Brands are more open than ever to hiring independent contractors rather than hiring in-house employees.
There are a lot of tools you can use to edit your videos but sometimes, buying these softwares is much better than using free editors especially since you’re using it for making money (or should I say professionally). This is one of the best investment you’ll make aside from a sturdy laptop.
Blogger
I have been blogging for years but it is one of the hardest jobs there is for digital nomads. I haven’t blogged regularly because it takes so much time and it’s hard to keep up with especially when you’re traveling.
While you don’t have to publish a post every day, blogs that are consistent in pumping content are usually the successful ones. Bloggers who treat their websites like their full-time job often reap the benefits of their hard work.
There are tons of ways you can make money with your blog but what worked for me were paid guest blog posts, sponsored posts and product reviews. But don’t limit yourself. You can produce your own products and try different things to monetize your blog.
If you want to start blogging, start here.
Researcher
This was one of my first-ever jobs because it doesn’t require much skills. If you know how to use a browser and search for something, then you can do research.
Most research jobs are not the same as going to the library and spending hours writing what you learn and create a summary about it. It usually takes a few minutes to find out about a topic online. Unless you have a more complicated and in-depth researching job, you should be able to do this.
Virtual Assistant
Virtual Assistance is one of the popular and in-demand jobs online. It is the same as being a Personal Assistant and the tasks are fairly the same, only you do it virtually. If you haven’t figured that out yet. *smiles*
I was a VA for a comedian in New York and it was so much fun. I was mainly maintaining and updating his calendar, do a lot of research, perform admin stuff, publish posts and do other random tasks that he needs help with.
As a Virtual Assistant, I developed administrative skills and I became better in researching. I know where to find the information I need and what kind of keywords to use.
Web Designer
Love designing websites? Why not make money doing it? I didn’t have any idea about web designing but I still manage to create my own blogs.
I must say it wasn’t easy so if you’re knowledgeable in this area, you should consider being a web designer. If you’re already one, all you have to do is find web designing jobs and start traveling!
Easier said than done? Maybe. But if you want it bad enough, you’ll make it work.
It’s easier to create and design websites now because of the tools that are available today. I especially like Adobe Spark in creating pages.
Are you a digital nomad? I would love to hear other online jobs you have done while traveling!
