Travelling the world is a dream for many people but it’s becoming a reality for a generation of millennials who want to broaden their horizons. As the popularity of gap years continues to grow, it’s estimated that 30,000-40,000 U.S. students take an extended break in between high school and college.

However, this brief interlude isn’t enough to satisfy intrepid travelers. As a result, more and more people are searching for careers they can combine with their desire to travel. If wanderlust has got you wondering if there’s more to life than a 9-5 job, check out these top career options for world travelers.

Travel the World While You Work

Digital Marketing

The rise of online marketing has created a whole new industry and it’s one that lends itself to remote working. Much of the job roles within the digital marketing sector can be undertaken remotely, so you don’t need to stay in one location for an extended period of time.

What’s more, the varied nature of the industry means there is a career option to suit almost everyone. Creative personalities may enjoy designing artwork and graphics for marketing campaigns, for example, while analytically minded individuals may prefer to fact-based approach to data-driven campaign strategies. Alternatively, tech savvy workers can use their skills to build automated marketing platforms or data analysis software; both of which are highly valuable in the marketing arena.

Counseling

Traditionally, counseling has been a job that requires face-to-face interaction with your clients. In the modern era, however, therapy and counseling takes place in a variety of different ways. Now, many counseling sessions take place online or via video conferencing facilities, such as Skype or FaceTime.  

Experienced counselors can choose to see clients face-to-face if they plan on staying in one location for an extended period of time or choose to offer online-only counseling sessions, which leaves them free to travel anywhere, at any time.

However, you don’t have to wait until you’re an experienced counselor before you can start travelling. Instead, online counseling graduate programs and courses make it possible to combine academic study and professional certification with global travel. Whether you’re just starting out as a counselor or you’ve been practicing for many years, you can adapt your career to incorporate as much extended travel as you like.

Consulting

Consultants operate in every industry you can think of, so there is plenty of scope to combine your interests, skills and passion for travel when you choose a career as a consultant or advisor. Typically, consultants work with clients to help them achieve their objectives and this can extend to any business area.

If you’re an experienced sales manager with a proven track-record, for example, you may want to develop a career as a sales consultant and help businesses to increase their turnover. Alternatively, a tech consultant may advise businesses how they can incorporate in-house tech solutions to minimize their outgoings.

The flexibility of working as a consultant gives you the option of working with clients in person or remotely, so you can choose how you operate. While visiting a client’s business premises can be helpful to your role as a consultant, you needn’t work on-site for long periods of time. This means you’ll be able to travel from continent to continent, while still delivering top quality consultancy services to businesses around the world.

Combining a Career with Travelling

Choosing a job that gives you the option to travel is the ultimate career aim for many people. While there are job roles that require a lot of travel, these typically involve fleeting business trips, an abundance of jet lag and staying in airport hotels. When you build a career around your desire to travel, however, you can set your own terms.

Often, careers that offer remote working opportunities lend themselves to traditional 9-5 roles too. This means you can spend years traveling while building your career before settling down in one location and accepting a permanent in-house position, if you choose to. With so much flexibility and freedom, it’s easy to see why combining traveling with working is becoming so popular.

The millennial generation travels far more than their predecessors, so it’s not surprising that it’s becoming a major factor in career choice. Instead of living to work, today’s employees and freelancers want to work to live.

By choosing a career that facilitates remote working, you can have the best of both worlds. At the same time as working your way up the corporate ladder and building a satisfying career, you can see the world, explore far-flung locations and, finally, satisfy your wanderlust.