Jobs that involve a lot of travel?

DCHurricane · 03-20-2010, 08:08 PM

Something I've always enjoyed is traveling. I know that it can be extremely stressful for work when you've got a family, but I reckon I won't have that until my late 20s at the earliest (and that's a very slim chance). I also know it's not always fun and games like in that movie Up In The Air, but having read a lot of posts on another forum that's focused toward travel, it sounds like a life for me.

The thing is, what sorts of jobs involve this much travel? Obviously pilots and flight attendants do the most travel, but I'm not sure if I want to (or could) be a pilot. And I don't think flight attendants make lots of money... I'm all about doing what you love but I know the kind of lifestyle I want requires a bit of moolah.

I hear about sales and consulting jobs, but how exactly can you get into that? Can I major in pretty much anything? Would a marketing major help for sales? An MBA with focus in HR for consulting (well, HR consulting)?

pandem · 03-20-2010, 08:16 PM

Go to school abroad.
Learn more than one language.
International business.
Teaching English abroad.
Internet entrepreneurship (you don't even need a degree for this one.)

applicannot · 03-20-2010, 10:50 PM

My uncle works for the government (he is a civil engineer). He can work basically anywhere he wants. Right now his options are the U.S., Germany, England, Hawaii, Japan, and Australia. He is probably heading to Hawaii or Japan next year. His transportation and housing (!!) are all paid for. His wife is an HR manager. They both work for the NSA. He has lots of vacation time and great benefits, although apparently (?) he works hard.

EDIT: And yes, he makes a lot of money ($200,000+). However, he has a very senior position and has been working with the NSA for a long time. Because the benefits are so good - and housing is paid for - salary "seems" lower (i.e., starting salary is certainly not $200,000!).

Ruby_x3 · 03-20-2010, 11:10 PM

Diplomat and foreign officer is the obvious way to go! They relocate every 2-3 years and get to be in some of the exotic or impoverished countries in the world and as you move your way up, you can have a preference in where you want to go. Requires sacrifice- being away from friends and family, can be a lonely life, but if you can deal with that and have a sense of adventure then go for it.

reillytheman · 03-20-2010, 11:23 PM

learn to fix wind turbines you'll go places (literally)

DCHurricane · 03-20-2010, 11:26 PM

Aplicannot what does he do in the NSA? I never saw them as needing guys who know how to build stuff...

Awped · 03-21-2010, 12:12 AM

Consulting involves a motherload of travelling.

If the college you go to is good enough, look into MBB (Mckinsey, Bain, BCG). These are the three top consulting firms. HR consulting? bahaha

soccerguy315 · 03-21-2010, 12:17 AM

Quote:

Aplicannot what does he do in the NSA? I never saw them as needing guys who know how to build stuff...

Installation and Logistics Careers at the National Security Agency (NSA)

Quote:

NSA Civil Engineers perform engineering calculations and prepare engineering drawings, project specifications, technical reports and design and construction cost estimates for civil and structural systems.

NSA Civil Engineers perform tasks in areas such as:

Storm water management
Sediment and erosion control
Waste water and water supply systems
Underground utilities
Principles of transportation and traffic management/traffic signalization
Soils and foundations
Environmental regulations, specifically the Maryland Department of the Environment

NSA Structural Engineers apply their skills to perform tasks such as:.

Understanding the properties and uses of steel
Reinforcing concrete and pre-stressed concrete
Applying your work to find uses for wood, seismic loading and moment frames
Analyzing existing structures

Jimgotkp · 03-21-2010, 12:19 AM

I second Awped's comment on consulting.

DCHurricane · 03-21-2010, 10:47 AM

@Awped indeed you laugh, but Accenture has it as a position on their career search site.

edit: So how does one get into consulting?

ken285 · 03-21-2010, 12:17 PM

Go to a top school where consulting firms do a lot of recruiting (the Ivy League schools, MIT, etc).

Jimgotkp · 03-21-2010, 12:25 PM

Most consultants major in stuff like Information Technology, etc.

applicannot · 03-21-2010, 04:57 PM

soccerguy answered your question. However, my uncle now manages the other civil engineers.

maxellis · 03-21-2010, 06:39 PM

Somebody I was talking to last week was telling me about his upcoming job (technology consultant) where he can live anywhere in the continential U.S. he wants as long as it has a major airport, and he flies out to a different place each week, stays there for the week, then flies back home for the weekend.

The kicker is that he has the option to fly either back to his home, or any place that would be cheaper than the plane ticket to his house. So if he has a job in LA, he could fly to denver over the weekend and go skiing instead of flying back home to chicago.

DCHurricane · 03-21-2010, 09:34 PM

That's really cool, maxellis. From what I've read, consultants tend to do longer trips whereas sales people tend to do many short trips in a week.

@Jim what other majors lend themselves well to being a consultant?

Also, to all, what about accountants at Big 4 firms? I hear they travel a lot, any truth to that?