Earning a living as a wandering expat

The motivation for expatriation isn’t always a new, lucrative job or retirement in the sun.

Relocation for purposes of work or for a peaceful retirement in a warm, sunny country aren’t the only reasons for the motivation to get up and go, no matter where or why. It’s as old as the human race, but it’s far easier nowadays than ever before. Leaving the home country has always required a sense of adventure to make it successful, with money playing a larger part in the present-day process than in the past. It seems the 21st century is the century of emigration, with huge numbers of expats turning up all over the world in a manner never seen before.

Leaving aside qualified expat professionals and top talents as well as older retirees, this expat exodus is now seen an it was over the centuries – people dissatisfied with their present lives moving on and finding work as they go, with the technological advances over the past 50 years now playing a huge part in providing ways to earn a crust or even the entire loaf. Retirement nowadays start at 50 years old, with the majority believing they’re far too young to put their feet up and do nothing for the rest of their lives.

Luckily, there’s a huge choice of ways to earn a living outside the home country, starting with teaching English in far-flung lands including China, where even unqualified teachers are welcome as long as they’ve taken and passed a TEFL course. As a bonus, in this job you’ll learn about the world’s most impressive culture and hopefully absorb a degree of spoken Standard Chinese as you go along. If you’re planning to see the world, becoming a freelance travel writer is another useful way to fund your dream, with options including online reports as well as in print.

Another option is to become a copywriter, as this communications sub-sector is now a mega-industry. Your work can be done anywhere there’s a reliable internet connection, even in countries with the lowest ever cost of living. If you love photography and have a high grade digital camera as well as a laptop, selling your pictures will earn you an income once you’ve found organisations worth an upload. Podcasts are another way to earn, with a decent microphone, a laptop and low-cost hosting all you need to get started. You can also advertise your services or products as well as seeking commercial sponsorship. Whatever you do, it’ll be a lot more fun than doing nothing as a retiree.