Packing up the Samsonite and moving to a faraway land isn’t for everyone – but I sure don’t regret it for a minute. Taking this leap has been one of the best decisions we’ve ever made. If you find yourself browsing travel sites like this one and getting more and more curious about a live-abroad lifestyle, here are three ways to make it happen.
These ideas are from an American perspective, but if you’re not from the United States, there may be equivalent organizations or job postings in your home country.
1. Work for the government.
Check out usajobs.gov or careers.state.gov. There are some great opportunities working for Uncle Sam that allow you to live abroad and move around every few years. There are job openings for a wide variety of careers, from IT specialties to facilities maintenance to development or financial work. Government work is a great option for those who want a balance between creature comforts and the experience of living abroad.
2. Join the Peace Corps.
If you’re willing to make some sacrifices and really want cultural immersion, the Peace Corps could be a good option for you. You won’t make much money while you’re volunteering, but you’ll have a great (!) shot at securing a government job after your service has ended. There are opportunities in various specialties. Lots of our Peace Corps friends here in Africa work on agriculture or health-care projects.
3. Teach abroad.
You probably already knew about this one, but I wanted to include it because it really is a worthwhile option, even if teaching isn’t your final career goal. Housing is often provided and you can sock away quite a bit of money during a one- or two-year teaching assignment.
Rachael Cullins is a twentysomething American girl living in Dakar, Senegal, with her husband and two dogs. She blogs about her adventures in Senegal and travels elsewhere in West Africa. She will reside in Dakar until summer 2013, when she and her family will move to another foreign post as part of her husband’s career with the U.S. government. In addition to West Africa, she has traveled to France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Italy and Costa Rica and plans to continually add to that list.
