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Work & Travel Canada - Young Professional

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Oz Gap Year: Paid Work Opportunities in Australia

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A Guide to Scuba Jobs Abroad

For those born with a sense of adventure, finding a scuba job abroad might just be your calling. Scuba diving is an immensely popular adventure travel activity, wherein working abroad as a divemaster or in a related position can be your ticket to living in some of the most beautiful areas of our planet. If you are interested in constantly exploring new depths, trying new things, and meeting people from all over the world, then work abroad in scuba diving!

Why Work Abroad in Scuba

Why settle for the known? Being a popular adventure sport all over the world, working abroad in scuba diving can take you to any destination where there are new waters to be explored. And because the profession allows for a great deal of mobility, landing a scuba job abroad is likely to be just the beginning of a grand global adventure. It is an unrivaled opportunity to break out of your comfort zone and get lost in the world.

Every continent has their most popular diving spots, and so there are plenty of destinations where to find a scuba job abroad. Starting with the South Pacific, countries such as Australia , New Zealand , and Malaysia are famous for having some of the best diving in the world. Many adventure travellers from the far corners of the earth flock to these destinations exclusively to dive.

In the Americas, diving is also very popular in Central America and the Caribbean region; countries such as Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic in particular can be great places to look for scuba jobs abroad. A little further south, coastal nations including Argentina , Chile , and Peru hold their own when it comes to diving as well.

There are continuous openings to work abroad in scuba diving all over the world. From England to Kenya , each landscape boasts their own unique opportunities. Another convenient aspect about looking for work abroad in scuba diving is that, because it is largely a travel-based activity where your clientele will be coming from all around the world, speaking English fluently can help you land work even if you are not immediately familiar with your host country’s native language.

Jobs & Positions

Acquiring a scuba job abroad as an instructor or divemaster generally demands a significant amount of training and accreditation. While different countries will vary in their exact requirements, you will most often be expected to be certified as an advanced open water diver, rescue diver, divemaster, and emergency first responder at the base level. This can require up to several months of training; thereafter the more experience you have, the higher level position you can typically look to fill.

Once you have earned the necessary qualifications, the skillset can take you anywhere in the world. There a diversity of different types of scuba jobs abroad that you can look for, ranging from working as a dive instructor to owning a dive shop to assisting in scientific research (or any combination thereof). You will also have the option of either looking for work with an existing agency, or else launching your own private venture.

Visa requirements and salaries for scuba jobs abroad will vary between countries, with pay also largely depending on the amount of experience you have and how much you choose to work. In general don’t expect to make away with a king’s ransom, but look on the bright side – you’re getting paid to do what you love!

Benefits & Challenges

Interact. Getting a scuba job abroad will enable you to continuously meet people from all over the world of an adventurous breed. If you’re a people person, you’ll do great.

Explore. Travel is embedded in the profession; once you gain the necessary qualifications to work abroad in scuba diving, you can bring that skillset to however many new locations your are willing to adventure to!

Dive. Finally, as if it needs being said, finding a scuba job abroad will bring you the opportunity to dive until your heart's content. If you love it enough, why not get paid for it?

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• Nov 7, 2023

We have an opening in our company for a dive travel agent at Bluewater Travel, one of the world's leading dive travel companies. Candidates should have dive experience in several regions, be highly organized & detail oriented, and have good knowledge of the global dive travel industry. Job duties will include helping people book their dream vacation, assisting with existing bookings, and delivering excellent customer service. This is a remote position and can be performed anywhere in the world with a stable office environment and reliable high-speed internet. To be considered, email a resume to [email protected]  

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Mike Ball Dive Expeditions advertise locally through the Cairns Post as positions become available. You may complete an online application form which will be held on file and submitted for consideration when we next advertise for crew.

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Love Exploring

Love Travel? These Are the Best Jobs to Apply For

Posted: May 13, 2023 | Last updated: July 12, 2023

Live the dream with these travel jobs

Commercial pilot

Arguably the glamorous pin-up of travel jobs, being a pilot guarantees you see a huge part of the world and get plenty of kudos while you're at it. If flying is your passion then there's no other job like it. Pilots can be well remunerated along with being well-traveled, but the amount of training is intense (and hugely costly) as is the on-the-job pressure and responsibility.

Find out what it takes to be a pilot

Ski instructor

Love snowsports? You could live the dream and earn money as you teach people to ski or snowboard by day at a ski school (sneaking in some slope time when you can) and enjoy the après-ski by night. You'll need qualifications, which can be expensive, and hands-on ski instruction experience. The hours can be long and work repetitive, but you're out on the mountains doing what you love. It's mostly seasonal work but some people make a career out of it.

Are you chatty, enthusiastic and full of energy? Super-organized, good at remembering things and calm in a crisis? Then being a tour guide could be the job for you. If you're passionate about travel and love people, it's a fantastic way to make a career out of exploring the world. The job entails a lot of responsibility and you'll need to put your best game face on even when dealing with the most awkward customers, but do your job well and you could forge a rewarding career out of travel.

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Travel photographer

Travel agent

No matter how well-traveled you are, you could get serious wanderlust planning other people's vacations, but luckily most good travel agencies require their advisers to do their homework. And that means visiting the destinations and properties they're selling on 'fam' (familiarization) trips. First-hand experience is key in establishing trust with a client, after all, especially if you're creating a bespoke trip-of-a-lifetime for a discerning client.

Luxury concierge

Planning overseas events or jaunts for the super-rich is all part of the service for luxury concierge companies. Whether it's booking private jets, staffing a super yacht, gaining the exclusive use of a hotel or booking a top chef to cook in their Mediterranean villa, a bulging contact book of global fixers is the hallmark of a successful concierge and that involves plenty of face-to-face time.

These airline upgrades are worth the money

Cruise ship worker

Work in hospitality and have your sea legs? Then how about casting away on a cruise ship? These amazing floating resorts require masses of manpower with one ship often employing a crew of thousands. Whether you're front of house in guest services or behind the scenes in IT, you'll make some incredible ports of call and have free time on-shore. Don't fancy it as a career? If you're an expert on a particular topic you could dip your toe in by delivering lectures to passengers in return for a ticket to ride.

Flight attendant

Teaching English overseas

Scuba diving instructor

Got a scuba diving instructor qualification? Why not take the plunge and go professional? From leading wreck diving expeditions in the Caribbean to exploring Indonesia's unspoiled reefs, you'll get paid to dive in astonishing places and forge fantastic friendships while you're at it. The hours can be long, responsibility huge and work repetitive, but if you love diving this a fantastic way to live in beautiful places while getting to see the wonders of the (underwater) world.

Check out the world's most spectacular shipwrecks

Travel writer

Flying first-class, reviewing luxurious hotels and filing copy as you dangle your toes in an infinity pool with a cocktail in hand… Not quite, but there's no doubt that being a freelance travel writer for a newspaper, website or magazine is an exciting and coveted job that opens up the world and is as far removed from the desk-bound 9-5 as could be. But it's not all freebies and glamour, plus it's hugely competitive and far from lucrative.

Humanitarian worker

See the world while trying to make a positive difference to it by working for an international aid organization. A whole range of professional skills are in demand for both short and long-term postings, particularly health professionals, teachers and engineers. The  British Red Cross , for example, sends humanitarian workers on missions to provide medical and financial care in global conflict and crisis zones.

Guidebook author

Similar to a travel writer, this sounds like a dream gig for maintaining a globetrotting lifestyle and it can be. But it can also be lonely, exhausting and daunting. It's all about getting detailed and practical information so they can accurately recommend where to stay, eat, how to get there and things to see and do. Travel writers cover a huge amount of ground often within tight deadlines, so while there might not be much downtime by the pool, they certainly clock up the mileage and adventures. 

Watersports instructor

Love surfing, windsurfing, kitesurfing, paragliding, kayaking or stand-up paddleboarding at the weekend? Whatever high-adrenaline activity you love to do there's bound to be a way to make some money out of your hobby while you hop around the world's best beaches. You'll need to complete some globally recognized watersports instructor training but once you have that, the world's oceans are your oyster.

These are the world's most beautiful beaches from above

Safari guide

Are you fearless in the face of danger? Have an encyclopedic knowledge and utter passion for the natural world? Then working as a safari guide could be the job for you. Spending days in the wilderness, tracking animals and escorting excited guests around the African bush has plenty of appeal, but it's also very hard to get into. However, train to be a field guide and put in the hours to get the necessary hands-on experience and you may be successful at getting a sought-after post.

Travel blogger

Another way to earn money doing what you love doing is by starting a travel blog – documenting your weird and wonderful overseas adventures through blogs, photographs, video and social media content as you roam. With a huge amount of people now at it, you'll need a compelling USP and strong business strategy in order to make it both engaging and commercially viable. But get it right and you could spend your life writing missives from the road. 

Find out what it's really like to be a travel blogger

Wildlife conservationist

Want to dedicate your career to conserving and protecting wildlife? There are plenty of opportunities to work internationally for successful conservationists who get to venture into amazing habitats around the globe in search of incredible creatures and plants. Joining a volunteer conservation expedition, like with  International Primate Rescue  in South Africa, is a great way to gain hands-on experience and to see if this could be the new career for you.

Train driver or steward

Bag a job on-board a luxury train such as the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express, Belmond Royal Scotsman or Rocky Mountaineer and you will get to whizz through some spectacular locations around the world while you work. Whether you're the train driver, steward or housekeeper, you will be on duty for long hours, but there are certainly worse views to be had from an office window. 

This is what it's like to work at the end of the world

Know your pinot from your plonk? Take it one step further and qualify as a sommelier and you could find yourself swanning off to wine growing regions around the world in search of delicious drops to put on your wine list, all in the line of work. And the skills of a high-caliber sommelier are highly sought after by luxury hotels and fine dining restaurants across the globe.

Interpreter

Are you fluent in more than one language? Then perhaps you can put your linguistic gift to good use and forge a career in it. It takes more than just knowing a language though; it's important to understand the country's culture so you're abreast of cultural nuances and familiar with accents. Interpreters and translators are employed by a range of travel companies, international and aid organizations around the globe to provide interpretation skills and translate documents.

Nanny or au pair

Great with children and proficient in a second language? Becoming an au pair or nanny for an overseas family can be a fantastic way to live and work in another country. By living with locals you'll really get immersed in the culture while improving your language. Or join a local family that does a lot of overseas travel and you will be taken along for the ride. You might not get much time to enjoy the sights alone, but you'll get bed, board and be paid to see some of the world. 

Take the brood to one of these family-friendly destinations

Hair and beauty therapists

From hairdressers in hotels and masseurs on cruise ships to reiki practitioners in super-luxury spas, highly-skilled hair and beauty therapists are in high demand around the world. Why stick to your local salon or beauty parlor when you could be pampering clients within a tropical spa garden in Bali or snipping hair in one of Sydney's swankiest salons?

Hotel manager

Get a foot on the ladder in a management scheme with an international hotel chain and you could be working at a top London hotel one year then find yourself managing a team in a far-flung island in the Seychelles the next. The opportunities for long-term overseas travel postings and meeting people from all over the world while you're at it are endless with the right company.

Travel public relations officer

Barista and bar staff

Do you know your ristretto from your macchiato or are you a marvel at mixology? Then you're pretty much guaranteed gainful employment on your overseas travels with experienced baristas and bar staff in demand in vacation destinations, providing you have the right visa of course.

Here's how to make sense of the new European travel visa

Vacation rep

Whether it's a winter season for a ski resort, a stint at a campsite in Europe or looking after family guests at an all-inclusive Caribbean resort, being a rep is generally seasonal but a fantastic way to spend a few months working overseas. You'll need to be good at dealing with all manner of requests, and doubtless complaints, while keeping your cool and having a can-do attitude.

Digital nomad

Can you do your job remotely? Then who's to say you couldn't abandon the 9-5 rat race and roam the world with your laptop at your side? All you need are the right skills and fast Wi-Fi. Your typical "digital nomad" tends to be freelance writers, web designers and digital and social marketeers, but that's by no means definitive. Swinging in a hammock by a white sand beach must be conducive to strategic thinking, right? Just leave the Zoom call with your client until you're out of your swimmers.

You might not get paid for it, but a stint overseas as a volunteer can be a brilliant cultural experience and give you solid work experience, whether you're a WWOOFer  (Worldwide Work Opportunities on Organic Farms) in Brazil or helping out on a wildlife conservation project in India. Join a volunteer expedition or if you're looking for a career break the VSO recruits professionals looking to use their skills to help communities. It pays a basic living allowance and covers accommodation and travel.

These are the animals on the verge of extinction

Travel influencer

Similar to blogging, being a travel influencer can be a beneficial way to share your experiences with an ever-expanding audience. You might want to vlog on YouTube, share travel tips on TikTok or post stunning photographs on Instagram – or a mix of all three – all while globe-trotting. It’s worth focusing on a particular topic in this well-saturated industry and stay engaged with your audience to produce the best content.

Archaeologist

Wedding planner

Whether you already work in events or if you’re the one in your group of friends who’s in charge of the vacation itinerary, becoming a wedding planner could see you travel around the globe. OK, it’s pretty demanding and you’ll work around the clock but it gives you a chance to visit some of the most romantic destinations in the world, whether it’s an intimate get-together in Italy or a blow-the-budget extravaganza in Sri Lanka. Once the big day is over give yourself a little extra time for a lot of rest and relaxation.

Human Resources worker

If you work in Human Resources for an international company and fancy a change of environment, many larger companies with overseas branches offer relocation schemes. You may know your role well but it’s vital you can adapt to different cultures and ways of communicating. In doing so you’ll develop global knowledge as well as your career – surely a win-win scenario.

Hostel worker

Ideal for budget-hungry backpackers and longer-term travelers, working at a hostel is a fun way to earn your keep and meet like-minded people as you go. You’ll work a set number of hours (usually 20-30 hours a week) in a range of roles – housekeeping, reception work, gardening – in exchange for accommodation. Some hostel work includes free meals too; companies like Worldpackers can help you look for your ideal role. Make sure you check visa requirements before you apply.

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• Independent Trave...

Independent Travel to Moscow and St. Petersburg

My wife and I have traveled independently to many European countries and, after reading many of the comments in this forum, feel like we may be able to do so in Moscow and St. Petersburg as well, although we feel somewhat less comfortable than the other countries where we have traveled in Europe.

My biggest question is how much we will miss by visiting the main sites without a tour guide. In the other European countries we have visited on our own we have been comfortable and satisfied with the level of knowledge we have gained by studying and visiting on our own, although we believe a tour guide or tour company in any country would normally be able to provide greater insight than visiting a site on our own, but about in Moscow and St. Petersburg?

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Unless you speak at least some Russian and read the alphabet it would be difficult without a guide. Very few signs in English especially in Moscow. Also not too many people speak English there.

I visited St Petersburg last Autumn for a protracted period , and did not find it anymore daunting than any other European city . As Ilja says , learning the Cyrillic alphabet is a big plus . I also found that it was fairly easy to grasp . It will , among other things , enable you to read signs with relative ease . I would answer the main part or your question ( about tour guides ) thus - I am not enamored of tour guides or tours. While I only use a tour under duress ( A sites rules prohibiting an independent visit - ie Glasgow School of Art , Municipal House in Prague , etc ) . Doing your own preparation and homework is the best way , in my opinion . My wife and I ventured through St Petersburg with nary a concern ,and made two day trips outside of the central district ( one was twenty five miles away , and no English speakers in sight ) Figuring out the logistical details , did not present any difficulties . While I never use tours , I am an inveterate eavesdropper , have done so many times , and find , that on balance , the information that they impart is fairly elementary . If you want greater detail , they are unlikely to supply it . I also prefer to go at my own pace , not being rushed and being able to dwell on things that most other visitors barely give a passing glance . If you are interested , let me know . I would be happy to provide you with information that will enable you to travel independently

Thank you, Steven. I am encouraged by your comments and feel the same way you do about tour groups. We are very much willing to prepare in advance and learn the basics of the Cyrillic alphabet to help us have a better experience.

I would be very interested in learning more about your experience in Russia and receiving any additional information you can provide on independent travel there, starting perhaps with obtaining the visa.

I am not opposed to hiring a private or small group guide for a specific site or for a day trip outside St Petersburg and Moscow, but, like you said, I much prefer the freedom of staying at places as long or short as I want and seeing the sites that interest me most. For example, neither my wife nor I are big into shopping, yet most tour itineraries leave afternoon time for just that. Not interested!

Please provide whatever you may feel would be helpful for us.

Russ , I see you are quite near San Francisco - you can start by looking at the VISA procedure , it's fairly straightforward . Since there is a consulate in San Francisco - look here http://www.consulrussia.org/eng/visa-sub1.html

And here - http://ils-usa.com/main.php

Having always traveled independently, we thought we could do a better job than any tour. How misguided (pun intended) we were. Now that we have had the experience of having someone native to the area walk us around and explain things through a personal perspective we realize how much we missed. For St. Petersburg I highly recommend http://www.peterswalk.com/tours.html . This is not a traditional guided tour, but an opportunity to receive some orientation to the area as well as insight into the "Russian soul". I think if you did this upon arrival the rest of your time would be much more meaningful. We really liked the http://www.pushka-inn.com . The location is superb (just around the corner from the Hermitage square), the rooms lovely, the included breakfast at the restaurant next door ample and overall an excellent value. We used this company to get our visa: https://www.passportvisasexpress.com/site/san_francisco_customer_service Note that it costs about the same for a 3-year visa as a one-year, and you never know if you might want to return within that more extended window of time. It is not cheap, so factor that into your planning.

If you like traveling without a guide in other countries and find this satisfying, the same will be true in Moscow and St. Petersburg. Of course it's not either/or - you can certainly take a guided walk or boat tour, for instance.

I cannot emphasize enough the importance of learning Cyrillic if you're going on your own. The book I used was Teach Yourself Beginner's Russian Script, which was great. It breaks down the alphabet into letters that are the same as English, letters that look the same but are pronounced differently, etc. It's out of print, but you can get used copies on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Teach-Yourself-Beginners-Russian-Script/dp/0071419861/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1459701143&sr=8-2&keywords=teach+yourself+russian+script

Russia is indeed a bit more "foreign" than say, Italy. However, in Moscow and St. Petersburg, I found enough English to be able to get by. Many restaurants had English menus and/or English speaking staff, for instance. This was most emphatically not true in Vladimir and Suzdal (two cities in the Golden Ring outside Moscow). I went with my sister, a Russian speaker, and if she hadn't been there, I would have been in big trouble. So, if you want to see places outside these two big cities, use a guided tour (even if just for that part). Also, Moscow and St. Petersburg are huge cities. Coming from New York, I wasn't intimidated, but those not used to a megacity may not be so cavalier (even I found them overwhelming at times, especially Moscow).

I found both Lonely Planet and Rough Guide to be helpful, and both to have various errors. Look at both, buy whichever one has a more recent edition, and then be prepared to have to discard some of the advice therein. Also, these places change more quickly than places in Western Europe. Be very careful of outdated advice. For instance, I was there in 2001 and 2010, so I won't give you any specifics on getting a visa - that changes constantly.

Just as a teaser, two things I saw and loved that I doubt would be included in any escorted tour are the Gorky House in Moscow (an Art Nouveau wonder) and the Sheremyetov Palace in St. Petersburg (it's now a museum of musical instruments, and the decor is amazing, particularly in the Etruscan Room).

Thanks for all the good advice. Any additional thoughts are welcomed.

One of history's seminal works pertaining to Russian history and culture and a MUST for anyone contemplating a visit or simply interested , is this fine work from 1980 - http://www.amazon.com/Land-Firebird-The-Beauty-Russia/dp/096441841X

This is about you and not about Petersburg. Do you like guided tours? We don't and didn't find that a guide added to our experience in China where we did hire private guides mostly for the logistics; it was easy to have someone drive us places. But once at a site, we didn't need the guide. I felt the same way about our 9 nights in Petersburg. We did hire a guide for the trip to the Catherine Palace again for the ease of logistics for us Olds. Here is our visit: https://janettravels.wordpress.com/2016/01/23/an-easy-trip-to-the-catherine-palace/ There are also snapshots of the Church on Spilled Blood in this photo journal. Having someone pick us up at the apartment and get us in without line ups and shepherd us through the palace steering clear of the tour groups was lovely. But we didn't need commentary because we can read and prepare.

You certainly don't need a guide for the Hermitage (we spent 4 days there), the Russian Museum, the Kazan Cathedral or Church on Spilled Blood or the Faberge Museum. We enjoyed a number of self guided walking tours including a couple from Rick Steves guidebooks. We took the canal cruise suggested by RS that had an English commentator. I would not take one without that as you will be totally clueless. The commentator was not all that good but at least we had some idea what we were seeing. So for people like us who like to do our own thing and can read a guidebook and don't particularly like to be led about, a tour is not needed. If you enjoy tour groups, then go for it. Petersburg is easy to negotiate. It helps if you can read the cyrillic alphabet and it is also useful to have the google translate ap on your phone. We found ourselves translating packages in grocery stores with it and the occasional museum sign or menu. I have one food I need to avoid and so it was handy to have the translator to talk with waiters (I could either show them the sentence, or play it for them or play it to myself and then repeat it to the waiter -- that all worked well)

Dear Russ, I cannot help you with Moscow, but about four years ago, my husband and I went to St Petersburg on our own. But, we did use a private guide for 4 half days. We both feel that our guide absolutely made our trip (we stayed 6 or 7 nights). We used a company owned by Tatyana Chiurikova, www.tour-stpetersburg.com I cannot say enough good things about her and our experience. I emailed her and we worked out a schedule/ sights that was tailored to our interests. She also offered some recommendations, which we took. The guide will meet you at your hotel. And frequently, at certain places, with the guide, we were able to skip the long entrance lines. We had an half day driving tour of the city (car, driver, & guide). You are taken to & go in places such as Peter & Paul Fortress, some of the cathedrals, etc. We had a half day with the guide at the Hermitage which ensured that we would see the major sights there. And, of course, you can stay after your guide leaves or return another day. Also, we had the guide for Peterhof (a must & go by boat) and Catherine's Palace. I hope that you will go to the website. As I said, our guide made our trip. I am positive that we would have missed quite a bit on our own everyday. And I'm sure we would have wasted a lot of time trying to get to various place.This was the best of both worlds, a guide where needed and plenty of time on our own. Whatever you do, I'm sure that you will love St Petersburg! Ashley

I am curious about the lines as we encountered no lines on our trip -- but it was in September. We got tickets for the Hermitage at machines and skipped those lines and our guide for the Catherine Palace which was our only guided experience (as noted before, chosen for the logistics of getting there) had arranged tickets and we didn't have a line, but then we also didn't see lines. We did not find lines at any other site.

Both Moscow and St Petersburg I've done on my own, that is together with the Dear Partner. I can't remember any problem getting where we wanted to go. The Metro systems are well signed, and with a little exercise and patience you can recognize the station names. With a good map and a good guide - we had the Rough Guides - that part of the logistics is solved. The language is a major problem, but the usual tricks of pointing, looking helpless, and making a joke of it all do wonders. I would hate to be led by a guide, but for others it is a comfortable thought.

We also did both cities on our own. I found the DK Eyewitness guide for Moscow has the best map. I used the one from our library (kept the book at home). Took the smaller RS book for St. Petersburg ( his book on northern cities). His map and restaurant ideas were all good. We also downloaded the Google maps in our Android Samsung tablets/phones for both cities and then could get directions to any place we typed in. The blue ball guided us everywhere. I'm sure we missed somethings by not having a guide, but we just enjoy walking around and getting a sense of a place. If you like art, The Hermitage is great. We went 3 times and still missed alot. In St. Peterburg we stayed at the 3 Mosta which we loved (quite and not far from the Church of Spilled Blood.) We also loved the Georgian food in both cities. There's a great Georgian restaurant near the 3 Mosta hotel. We're now in Belarus- very scenic. Enjoy your trip!!

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