Having a global perspective–a wider understanding of how the world works inside and out–can be beneficial not only in your personal life, but in your career.
While people like Fred Cook may have taken some odds jobs leading up to a career in public relations, finding a career–not just a job–that allows or encourages travel isn’t as easy. And, while a career that lets its employees continue to gain global perspective may not be a simple task, it’s an important one.
These five careers are all noteworthy and respectable positions that give employees the opportunity to explore and learn from other cultures.
Nursing
This one isn’t a particularly obvious choice, but often times those with nursing degrees do find themselves with opportunities to see new areas. Many per diem contract nursing positions will require a nurse to practice in a particular facility in one area for a fixed period of time. Traveling nurses get paid well and, importantly to the theme of this post, can be stationed anywhere around the country, wherever they’re needed. Oftentimes, depending on specialty and need, the pay and benefits of traveling nurses will be higher than traditional nursing positions.
Teaching
The potential for exploration and cultural immersion for teachers is two-fold. First, teachers in the United States famously get summers off. While a good chunk of this time is spent planning for the next year’s classes, there is inevitable time off that can be used as the teacher pleases. This opens the door for worldly travel and adventure at your own leisure.
On the other side of the coin, English-language teachers abroad are almost always in high demand. ESL teachers in places like Japan or Korea give the teacher the opportunity to both teach and learn, as they instill language skills in their students and learn culture and perspective themselves!
Merchant Marines
This one isn’t for those who suffer from seasickness. Merchant Marines operate both as a government entity and in the private sector. During times of peace, they deliver cargo, goods and even passengers across the ocean to new and exciting destinations around the world. During times of war, the ships are used to transport wartime goods and military service men and women overseas.
Consultation
This one is as wide-open as can be. Chances are, whatever field you specialize in, be it marketing, law, public relations, accounting or chemistry has room for consultation. Consultants are often independent workers who are hired by companies around the country to help with any issues they may be experiencing. Consultants bounce from job site to job site offering their input, giving them the opportunity to explore new cities regularly.
Any Tourism industry
This encompasses directly travel-related careers, like travel agents and flight attendants to jobs like travel writing and tour guides. All of these require different levels of education and specialization, but each has a unique opportunity to explore the world and gain a better understanding of cultural diversity. While flight attendants might only get a taste of the countries that they land in, the range of possibilities is nearly endless. Tour guides tend to stay slightly more local and specialized in terms of their service, but there is an incredible opportunity to meet people of different backgrounds and gain a deeper understanding of the area you’re in.
No matter what career you choose, a global perspective can increase not only your level of personal satisfaction, but your level of worth to a business as well. A worldly and cultured view can increase your job prospects and your understanding of this incredibly vast world.
