Traveling is like getting a tattoo or piercing; once you have your first taste of culture, excitement, and utter freedom, you spend your time fighting back your wanderlust. The main issue stopping you from jumping on that plane? Money.
RELATED: 5 Job Search Tips For Landing A Job Abroad
But what if you could get paid to travel? I’m not talking the typical pilot or flight attendant jobs, I’m talking the not-so-obvious career options for people who get the travel itch if they stay in one place for too long. So, without further a-do, start packing your bags, call a Travel Agent such as Corporate Traveller, FCM, or Globe Trotter and get ready to explore the world with one of these cool jobs:

working abroad
As global moves become commonplace, relocation and corporate professionals have gained a better understanding of the phenomenon of culture shock. Yet relatively little attention is paid to cultural issues when relocating employees within a country. RELATED: How To Deal With Culture Shock When Working Abroad When it is acknowledged at all, domestic culture shock is treated as more of a punch-line than a problem. Colleagues might tease the Houston executive about his upcoming move to New York City, or the Milan professional moving to Palermo, but intra-country culture shock is no laughing matter. It is real, and as with international culture shock, there is potential for failed assignments and relationships and the loss of valued employees. While there is no readily available hard data on failed domestic assignments due to culture shock, relocation professionals know it exists through anecdotal and informal comments from clients.
The Reality
According to Dean Foster, President of DFA Intercultural Global Solutions, culture shock is simply the physiological and psychological phenomenon that occurs when the individual is required to deal with cultural differences that challenge their beliefs, expectations and even identity. “I think that the more prevalent linguistic and cultural similarities that exist in domestic moves sort of blinds us to the impact of the differences that are there, and they can probably be even more profound than some international moves,” Foster says. Sean Dubberke, Director, Intercultural Programs at RW3 CultureWizard, concurs. “Domestic culture shock most definitely exists, especially in large countries where linguistic differences can make it difficult to communicate and interact with locals.” A transferee might encounter differences in beliefs, geography, climate, attitudes and protocols, differences that exist in most countries, regardless of size or location. According to Foster, most countries can point to significant north/south differences, whether large (the U.S., India, Brazil, Russia, China) or small (Germany, Switzerland, Belgium, Italy, Vietnam, Ireland, Egypt, Mexico, Spain); east/west differences (the same large countries plus many of the smaller ones); or ethnic regional differences (Israel, Sudan, Nigeria, Indonesia). Intra-country moves between rural and urban regions can also be profoundly dislocating. He notes that if you combine several elements that make for differences, such as geography (i.e. north/south) and economics (i.e. rural/urban), you increase the affect of these differences—and culture-shock—exponentially. So a move between a rural village in southern India to Mumbai would require significant adjustment. But even in economically mature markets like Canada, the U.S. or the U.K., intra-country moves with several culture differences are likely to be much more difficult. For example, moving a Canadian Francophone family from Montreal to the Athabasca oil sands area in Alberta; moving a single, 20-something man from a small town in Nebraska to New York City; or moving a London-based family to a small town in Scotland. As with international culture shock, if the assignee is accompanied by family, the effects increase markedly. “Each family member is experiencing his or her own cultural challenges, and the family is also experiencing these aggregate challenges together,” said Mary Beauregard, an Intercultural Consultant at Global LT.Lifestyle Vs. Work Style
For intra-country moves in many developed countries, the bigger culture shock issue, and the one that will likely be of more concern to employers, is work-style differences. DFA’s Foster said, “While intra-regional moves may not affect lifestyle issues to the degree that these issues may be affected in some international moves, they certainly affect work-style issues, which, if not managed successfully, can profoundly affect job and project performance.” RW3’s Dubberke adds, “In a country like the U.S., regional work-style differences that might appear to be surmountable can present true challenges. For example, the brusque, task-focused approach typical of New Yorkers would be very frustrating for a person from a place with a more laissez-faire style, like Southern California.” Conversely, Northeasterners can find Angelinos maddeningly blasé, lacking any sense of urgency to close deals and do business. And some topics that would constitute polite workplace conversation in one place would be puzzling or even insulting in others. “‘What church do you attend?’ would be an unremarkable question in many Southern U.S. communities but would likely garner a response of ‘What?’ in the Northeast U.S.,” said Global LT’s Beauregard. There is a real risk of alienating colleagues and potential business partners with a work style that is deemed inappropriate for the location. In international business, we expect some faux pas and make greater allowances for cultural differences and misunderstandings; within a country, and with fellow nationals, we are more likely to expect colleagues and partners to be like us, and to judge them more harshly when they do not behave as we expect. As with international moves, to succeed in the new location it is important to have an understanding of the local cultural norms.Assessing, Training, And Mentoring
Beauregard notes that many of the adaptability and suitability evaluations that are conducted for international moves would be applicable to intra-country moves as well, for example:- How flexible is the candidate?
- How open is he or she to facing and asking about things that are unfamiliar?
- Will the candidate be confident and self-assured, but not arrogant?
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Are you about to enter the job market from college and nurturing a dream of landing a job abroad? Your dream may be more attainable than you think. Thousands of recent college graduates (as well as many working professionals) are finding short and long-term job opportunities abroad. Whether you're looking for adventure before settling down to a career or plan to stay abroad for several years, finding a job in another country may be easier than you think. Before beginning your job search, assess your attractiveness to employers. Do you have special knowledge and skills, an advanced degree or professional experience that will justify an employer hiring you? Don't forget to consider your English language skills – in many countries this will be a plus.
Job Search Tips For Landing A Job Abroad
Here are five more tips to get you started on your job search and help you land a job abroad:1. Identify Your Objectives
Spend time brainstorming about the type of companies you'd like to work for and the type of jobs that match your qualifications. Knowing where you want to go, the type of work you'd like to do and how much money you expect to make will simplify your job search. At the same time, it helps to remain flexible about your options2. Begin To Network Early
You can start to make connections abroad months before you're ready to begin your job search in earnest. Research the job prospects in your country of choice and meet professionals in your field by reading blogs and following up on social networking sites like LinkedIn and Twitter. Don't forget to let your local network of contacts know about your plans. You never know when a connection from your past can help with your future.3. Learn The Ropes
Familiarize yourself with the customs of your destination country and find out about visa requirements for foreign workers. A good place to begin your research is on the U.S. Department of State's Resources for Working Overseas. You can also visit the websites of U.S. embassies for individual countries for information about living, working and traveling abroad. It also helps to visit expat websites to find out about the experiences of other Americans who have worked abroad.4. Conduct An International Online Job Search
Monster.com has job listings for counties all over the world. GoAbroad.com and TransitionsAbroad.com also provide international job listings, as well as travel guides. You may also want to check out international job placement services like InterExchange. When you contact prospective employers, be sure to get as much upfront information as possible to avoid unpleasant surprises when you reach your destination.5. Stay Positive
People may be surprised to hear about your plans to work abroad and some may even fail to offer much encouragement. Chalk this up to inexperience on their part and don't let it diminish you enthusiasm for your dream. One final tip: If you have a career objective but you're not sure how to break into it in another country, consider completing a four-week TESOL certificate program and accepting a short-term position teaching English as a second language. Once you are working your destination country you can begin to network in your chosen field and continue your job search. You'll find a wide range of online resources with information about ESL training and jobs. This post was originally published at an earlier date.Related Posts
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