working abroad

Ways to Earn More Income When You’re Working Abroad

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There are few things in life that will change you as profoundly as traveling and working abroad.

If you’re young and inexperienced, however, finding enough cash to allow you to travel comfortably can be a challenge. Other people can pay for their plane tickets and other processing fees but will have difficulty financing their stay. Others will simply find that income from their business or employment is not sufficient for the lifestyle they want to enjoy. A few may find that they simply have more free time than they like and they want to do something productive with it.

Whatever your motive, students, expats, and backpackers alike will find that there are always opportunities to make a buck on the side. Here are a few tried and tested ways to make extra cash overseas.

 

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Teach English or Other Languages

English as a second language (ESL) instructors are in high demand in many of the world’s fastest developing countries, especially in Asia. As these countries’ economies improve, more and more people are finding out that a mastery of English is necessary to gain access to the world market. Instructors in other world languages are also in demand, particularly French, Spanish, and German.

 

Find Seasonal Work

Developed countries with large agricultural industries such as the United States and Australia will tend to have fruit- and vegetable-picking jobs available, depending on the area and time of year. Bars and restaurants at tourist hot spots will also likely have temporary openings for service people. Hostels may also take in extra employees as tourism demands dictate. These jobs may not pay much, but they’re certainly better than nothing.

 

Try Volunteering When You’re Working Abroad

Volunteers don’t get paid much, if at all. However, there is usually room and board available for volunteers. This can allow you to stretch your money further. Volunteer work is also a good way to help people in the local community. Moreover, this can often give you other opportunities to travel within the country where you’re volunteering.

 

Be a Babysitter or an Au Pair

If there is a community of people from your home country where you will be staying, chances are there will be a demand for babysitters from that country. In many cases, there will also be openings from locals who need someone to mind their kids while they’re away.

Some countries have an au pair program that allows a young foreign national who is working abroad to live with a local family. If you get an opportunity like this, you can learn local customs and languages in exchange for childcare. These arrangements often come with room and board. This gives you a good way to save money while you’re working abroad.

 

Do Online Freelance Work

If you have a decent laptop and a stable Internet connection where you’ll be staying, you can look up any of a number of freelancing sites. From there, you can find an online gig  suited for your skill set. Writing and editing jobs are frequently available. Additionally, jobs related to graphic design, website building, marketing, and business development also come up. You might be surprised at what jobs are available online these days.

 

Work on a Cruise Ship

While technically a full-time job, and definitely not for everyone, working on a cruise ship is a decent way to earn a living. Moreover, this gives you opportunities to visit port cities and scenic coastal sites all over the world.

You will be staying in close quarters with what is likely going to be an international crew, too. This will put you in contact with other cultures. And that is a huge reason people travel to begin with.

 

Conclusion

However you decide to earn your extra income, it pays to be able to protect yourself. That’s because there is plenty that can go wrong when you’re working abroad. Travelers and foreign workers are at an especially high risk for accidents and illness. Therefore, it pays to get international health insurance before embarking on your trip abroad. Getting coverage from a specialized insurer like Now Health International will help you stretch your tight budget. Additionally, it will allow you wider coverage when you’re working abroad.