Side-hustle your way through a vacation abroad

(NC) Who doesn’t dream of travelling the world? Unfortunately for many of us, money puts the brakes on our wanderlust. But a side hustle can help fund your travels and free up your schedule for exploring. Here are some tips to doing it right.

Get your permits in order. Extend and fund your vacation abroad for a longer period by getting the right visas and permissions. A great resource for quicker and easier work permits is International Experience Canada, a government program that allows youth ages 18 to 35 to travel and work abroad for up to two years in one of more than 30 partner countries and territories.

Look for hidden skills. If you’ve been on the path of a traditional nine-to-five job, it can be tough thinking outside the box to find a niche for your side hustle. But get creative and think of marketable skills and abilities you have. If you’re a great proofreader, you can work as a freelance editor. If you’re an expert at taking photos, you might be able to land a travel photography gig or take headshots or event photos.

Set realistic goals. There’s an adage that good goals are SMART – specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and timely – and this applies to both your travel and side hustle goals. Be honest with yourself about what you want to achieve on your working holiday. How many cities do you want to visit? Do you want to experience your surroundings as an observer or immerse yourself in the culture? Your answers can help you decide on the type of work you might want to try.

Create a schedule. For success in both your work and travel goals, you need to set a schedule and stick to it. If you decide to work from ten to four every day, then make sure you’re focused and getting things done during that period. It can be tempting to move things around when you’re your own boss, but you’ll hurt your chances of accomplishing something with your business and may start to lose motivation.

Find more information on work and travel abroad at canada.ca/iec.