Prostitution. Drug Smuggling. Human guinea pig testing for a sketchy pharmaceutical company. Surely there are better ways to fund your travel adventures! Here are a few fun, family friendly (and above all – legal) options to make money while you’re on the road.
Teach Others to Ski: Snow bunnies can get their ski or snowboard instructor certificates in Canada with a company called Nonstop Ski. You can choose anything from three-week to eleven-week courses (depending on your skill level), which are all internationally recognized. Costs for instructor training start at USD$5,039 for the three-week course, which includes accommodation and work experience on the slopes. Upon completion of your course, Nonstop Ski will help you apply for instructor jobs at various resorts throughout Canada, but it’s up to you to organize the appropriate visas. With a little luck, you’ll be teaching at a ski resort, like Whistler or Banff, during the Canadian winter season within a week of completing your instructor course. Most first-level instructors make about $12 CAD per hour and work five to six days a week, four to six hours a day. So, you have plenty of leisure ski time to shred pow and drink hot chocolate.
Spank Children: Love kids? Be an au pair (a live-in nanny) in France, Spain or Italy. STA Travel can help you find you a job before you leave home. Take care of children five days a week and in return, you’ll get meals, accommodation, medical insurance and a monthly allowance. STA Travel’s agency fees begin at US$1,250 and you must be 18-30 and be able to speak a little bit of the local language. http://www.statravel.com/cps/rde/xchg/us_division_web_live/hs.xsl/europe-au-pair-jobs.htm
Alternatively, the International Au Pairs Association (www.iapa.org) has an online directory of Au Pair agencies all over the world.
Teach English: English whizzes can get their grammar on for foreign students in countries like China, Mexico, Chile or Guatemala. Prices start at USD$825 with STA Travel and you can choose from four, six or 12 month programs. The package includes guaranteed job placement, accommodation, all meals, basic language lessons, teacher training, visa support and medical insurance. Go to: www.statravel.com or for an alternative to STA, try www.teflcourse.com
Work on a Ship: Work on a cruise ship or yacht through Global Crew Network. Sign up for a membership, which costs $35 for six months and $45 for twelve months – upload your CV onto their website and it then becomes a part of their huge global database of amateur and professional crew workers. You can work in hospitality, cleaning, childcare… anything really. And what a great way to see the world! Once you’ve found your job, the ship’s captain will contact you to help you sort out any necessary visas. Go to www.globalcrewnetwork.com or check out www.cruisejob.biz is another great cruise ship job resource.
Help Out at A Hostel: Volunteer to work in a hostel for free accommodation and free food. Some of the best sites to search for hostel work are www.hosteljobs.net, www.liveinjobs.co.uk and irishpubjobs.com. Some popular hostels that accept applications for bartending jobs are St. Christopher’s Inn situated throughout Europe and the Picadilly Backpacker’s Hostel in London. Also try www.hostelworld.com, www.famoushostels.com and www.hostelguide.de for European hostel directories.
Pick Fruit: Head to Australia for some seasonal fruit picking. Yes, it’s hot and hard and you have to get your hands dirty, but it’s a viable option for backpackers looking to travel as they work. Grape harvest in Berri or pick mangoes in Darwin. Check out http://jobsearch.gov.au/harvesttrail/default.aspx.
Also check out: www.quintcareers.com is a website that enables you to search for jobs in your field anywhere in the world and it’s free to sign up and post your resume for employers to view. www.goabroad.com provides lists of resources for those wanting to work, volunteer, study or intern abroad.
