If you didn’t have to worry about working for a living, what would you want to do with your life? Many people say that they would spend their time helping others. Many more say that they would travel and see more of the world.

But what if you could combine these two things, and make them part of your working life? It sounds like a dream come true, doesn’t it?

The following careers allow you to combine international travel with helping local communities. You just have to be willing to put the work in to acquire the necessary skills.

Careers That Allow You to Travel the World, While Also Giving Back

Medicine

Did you know that two billion people around the world lack access to basic medicines needed for day-to-day health care? Many more suffer for want of simple surgical procedures – for instance, by losing their sight because no one nearby has the skill to remove cataracts.

If you have a basic level of medical training, you can join one of the charities or other international organizations dedicated to changing this, or you can set aside the prospect of a comfortable US salary and take a job in a developing country where your skills are desperately needed. If you don’t have the skills that you need, you may want to consider training as something such as a family nurse practitioner (FNP).

Oncotarget is a journal that can be accessed from anywhere with an internet connection, helping you to stay up to date when you’re abroad. It covers not only cancer, as its title suggests, but also other disciplines. In really remote areas where you have few resources, Where There Is No Doctor is an invaluable resource.

Photo credit: Pan American Health Organization

Language

Language skills are essential to most people who want to raise their station in life, and speaking English can be a big advantage for people in developing nations who want to get good jobs.

You could work as an au pair to improve your own communications skills and help individual children, or take a TEFL qualification so that you’re able to teach English to classes. Teachers are urgently needed in refugee camps.

If you speak the language of the country where you’re going, you could teach both children and adults to read and write, giving them a skill that will revolutionize their lives and can be passed through generations.

Alternatively, you could become a translator and help to secure economic or political deals that improve people’s prospects.

Construction

For many people, the single most important step out of poverty is finding a secure place to live. That’s why many aid organizations focus their efforts on creating secure housing that helps communities to develop and gives families the stability that they need to move forward.

People with construction skills are also needed in areas affected by wars or natural disasters such as earthquakes and cyclones, where they can help to set up fresh accommodation that offers more security and long-term stability than tents, and helps people to start rebuilding their lives.

In zones like this, construction skills also help with rescue efforts and clean-up operations, establishing which buildings are still safe to use and how precarious structures can be made safe so as to prevent further injury.

Photo by Rob Maccoll for AusAID 

The Peace Corps

If you’re still uncertain about the career path that you want to take, volunteering with the Peace Corps could be a great way to find out.

A one or two-year volunteer stint with this internationally respected organization will enhance your skills in numerous areas and give you the chance to work out what you’re most drawn to while making a real positive difference to people’s lives.

Even if you decide, in the end, that you’d be more comfortable with a conventional job in the corporate world, it will look great on your resume and give you the grounding that you need to return to this kind of work at any time in your life.

It will also provide the opportunity for you to meet like-minded people and start building up a network of contacts so that in the future, you can share your expertise and perhaps devise new, better ways of helping those in need.

Don’t Waste Your Best Years

Many people wait until late in life to decide to start giving something back, or put off traveling until they reach an age and state of health where it’s more difficult to do. But why waste your best years?

Taking on a challenging career like this will make you a more confident, more rounded, and ultimately more fulfilled individual. It will enrich all your experiences in life because you’ll be able to see them from a much clearer perspective. You’ll know just how much you have to be grateful for.

TOOLS WHICH WILL HELP YOU IN THE ABOVE CAREERS↓

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The following careers allow you to combine international travel with helping local communities. You just have to be willing to put the work in to acquire the necessary skills.

The following careers allow you to combine international travel with helping local communities. You just have to be willing to put the work in to acquire the necessary skills.

Megan is an Australian Journalist and award-winning travel writer who has been blogging since 2007. Her husband Mike is the American naturalist and wildlife photographer behind Waking Up Wild; an online magazine dedicated to opening your eyes to the wonders of the wild & natural world.

Having visited 50+ countries across all seven continents, Megan’s travels focus on cultural immersion, authentic discovery and incredible journeys. She has a strong passion for ecotourism, and aims to promote responsible travel experiences.