SKILLS TO TRAVEL
What if you could take your skills and turn them into a ticket to travel the world?
For anyone with the travel bug, an international career can fulfil a dream. What if you could take your skills and turn them into a ticket to travel the world? Many jobs offer the opportunity to travel. If you’d like to take your talents globetrotting, here’s inspiration.
1. The world on a plate
Training in catering or experience in the Liverpool City Region’s thriving hospitality scene can set you on an international road. Chefs are needed in every corner of the world, in a vast number of settings. It’s a hard graft, but working as a chef on a cruise liner will give you experience of how to prepare sometimes tens of thousands of meals a day! A catering role on a passenger ship or even working offshore on an oil rig is an impressive addition to your CV. In most of these roles, the pay is good, and many manage to save a high proportion of their salary.
Other ways to take your culinary skills international include working as a personal chef, offering an incredible lifestyle while honing your skills cooking for wealthy clients. There’s also potential to build some great contacts. Jobs are available in settings such as superyachts and private homes, both in the UK and abroad.
The City of Liverpool College is one of only four colleges in the country to offer The Royal Academy of Culinary Arts’ apprenticeship programme – a fantastic route into a catering career, whether at home or abroad.
Insider tip: visas and work permits can be complex. As with all these ideas, it’s a good start to conduct some research and consider approaching an employment agency as your first step.
2. Language skills open doors
We are a famously multicultural region! If you already speak another language, it could unlock travel opportunities. Jobs include working as a travel rep abroad for a UK company. In the EU, this remains a post-Brexit option with some firms.
Another option is to teach English as a foreign language (TEFL). A TEFL qualification can be obtained locally and is recognised globally. Brits go to teach in schools across Asia, whilst Dubai and Abu Dhabi offer high salaries to English teachers.
Working for a family: Many foreign families specifically employ English-speaking au pairs to look after their children. Find and register with a specialist employment agency.
A career you might not have heard of: How about working as a foreign service officer in a British embassy abroad? There are even fast-track schemes.
Read our in-depth feature about language skills for careers.
3. High-flying careers
The airline industry is a good fit for individuals with hospitality experience and a knack for excellent service. Training as a flight attendant will open a career that takes you around the globe. Liverpool John Lennon Airport connects to dozens of destinations. Airlines tend to recruit through timed campaigns, so be sure to check their websites regularly. Emirates and Qatar Airways are among long-haul carriers recruiting from across the country, including Manchester Airport.
British Airways funds pilot training for a select number of individuals each year. Entry requirements are high, so start with their preparation materials to see if you qualify. Then set up an alert so you can apply to join the programme in 2026.
Getting a start as cabin crew: Both Hugh Baird and City Of Liverpool College offer relevant cabin crew courses for school leavers.
4. Explore from behind the wheel
As a logistics and port hub, our region offers the opportunity to be based locally but still travel widely. One way to do this is with an HGV licence. If you’ve already obtained one or are considering pursuing the qualification, like Sharon did, it can be a passport to adventure.
International haulage involves long journeys across Europe. Firms are always looking for reliable drivers – in fact, there is a nationwide shortage, so wages are rising! You could be away for weeks at a time, seeing new places and people along the way. The image of a truck driver is evolving, and so are the motorway stops – to include gyms, healthier food, and some even have video gaming.
Meanwhile, coach drivers often work on a seasonal basis. Being the driver for ski holidays or summer tours usually comes with free time and accommodation in the resort. It’s a social job that can take you to places like France, Italy or Austria. Remember that in addition to your standard coach driving qualifications, you may also need international permits.
5. Tell stories from abroad
We’re certainly a region of storytellers! The digital age can make taking those skills on a journey a reality. A lucky few manage to carve out careers as travel bloggers or vloggers. Through documenting their journeys online, they generate income through YouTube, brand collabs and sponsorships.
How about a more traditional path in journalism covering global events? Breaking in is a tough gig, so starting at an entry level is often necessary. If you’re still in school, seek media work placements. To become a foreign correspondent, you’ll need professional training, years of experience and a strong network of contacts.
Freedom and adventure as a digital nomad: Consider a career in content writing or social media management, which can be performed anywhere with a reliable Wi-Fi connection. Some countries even offer nomad visas – an escape from the harsh British winter!
Build transferable skills
Spending time working in our region’s restaurants, airports, and creative hubs will build a skill set that is easily transferred to an international setting. Whatever plans you start making to work abroad, the first step should always be doing some research to discover what’s actually possible, legally. So get clued up about things like the right to work in different countries (especially since Brexit), visas, and passports!
