Working In-Person in a Nutshell
Prefer the idea of working in-person once you get abroad? Here's a few of the easiest ways to make that happen.
Last week I went into more detail about working online while living abroad and the week before that I shared some general pros/cons to both ways of making an income.
Today however is fully focused on working in-person.
I want to talk about a few of the easiest ways to work in-person abroad. It’s always possible to take your current job abroad with you but based on what you do, that’s certainly the harder route.
Don’t worry - I’ll have something to share next week that talks more in detail about how to apply for jobs abroad so you can stick with your same industry - but today I want to talk about alternatives.
These ideas are for the people that know they want to live abroad but aren’t excited by the idea of working online.
You want the community, the sponsored work visa, and the ability to settle in abroad with some hand holding. As you remember, one of the biggest cons I have about working online is that you lose that immediate community that day #1 at the office gives you.
So, if you feel as though you’re having to start from scratch and either A. your job can’t be easily taken abroad and B. you don’t want to work online, here are some ideas:
Teach English Abroad. This is simply the easiest option for NATIVE English-speakers. It’s possible to get a job as a non-native speaker but much easier for native speakers. You’ll also have a lot more options on where to teach. Other than being a native speaker, I suggest getting your TEFL certificate to make getting a job even easier. Here’s a look at the 10 best countries to teach English abroad (I realize this says 2024 but honestly, I’d suggest a similar if not the exact same list for 2025).
*Teach at an International School. The reason for the * here is that you do need to be a qualified teacher in your home country in order to get hired at 99% of international schools. If you are a teacher, I suggest this route rather than teaching English because the entire world will open up to you and pay is typically better.
Au Pair. Like kids? Consider becoming an au pair. This is essentially a nanny from another country. Most often parents hire nannies from other countries for the language skills. For example, if you want your kiddos to get a lot of practice with Spanish, you’d hire an au pair from a Spanish-speaking country. What’s great about this is that it opens the doors to variety of languages, nationalities, and skillsets. Just know that some countries have age caps for the au pair visa. Learn more about becoming an au pair in the Netherlands or in France.
*Medical Industry. The * here is because just like teaching at an international school, it’s imparitive that you have some experience in the medical field in order to get hired abroad. It’s even better if you have a speciality skill like surgery or neonatal care. While I’m sure there are other routes within the medical industry, I do know it’s more than possible to move abroad as a vet or a nurse.
Working Holiday Visa. This is a little unique but stick with me here. A working holiday visa is a specific type of visa for young adults to move to another country for a year or 2, sometimes more. What’s great about this visa is that it gives you the chance to work in-person in a variety of fields. You’re free to job hunt once you arrive and don’t need the company to sponsor you since you already have the visa. A thing to note is that you need to look up working holiday visas from your nationality since all countries have different agreements. It’s also really important to take note of the age cutoff as most are geared towards people 18-30/35.
*Volunteer. Here I am with the little * again because as great as volunteering can be, it can also be a terrible idea. And that’s really on you. If you’re going to apply to volunteer abroad, make sure you actually have the skills needed. Don’t volunteer to build homes abroad if you’ve never picked up a hammer - there are other ways to travel than that. But do go if you have valuable skills that would serve the local community. Another caveat to volunteering abroad is that you likely won’t get paid much or at all - you should though get your expenses covered (housing and food) and should never have to pay to volunteer. I suggest Workaway or Worldpackers for short-term experiences.
Did I cover all of the options to work in-person? Impossible.
But do I think these are the easiest ways to get you abroad? Yes.
The thing is, sometimes you just need to take a step in the right direction. The job you get today doesn’t have to be the job you keep forever. It can be a starting point to make connections in-country, see if you like living in a certain place, and get abroad quickly without waiting for everything to fall perfectly into place.
I promise you can make it, you just need to be flexible and above all persistent. The world of visas and getting hired abroad, even on the easy route, isn’t often done fast or without hurdles.
Buckle up for the ride but if you’re anything like me, it’ll be worth it!
