Make your time really count

Steward on a yacht in the Caribbean
Pour martinis and serve canapes while sailing around the Caribbean on a 100ft luxury yacht.How to do it: Log on to the website crewseekers.net, which lists up-to-date yacht work opportunities worldwide, from stewarding to crewing — many of which don’t require previous yachting experience.
These are in destinations including the Med, Caribbean and Malaysia, ranging from one month to longer-term contracts.

Adventure tour leader anywhere in the world
In this job you get to experience some of the world’s most exciting group holidays, albeit from the other side. But it’s not all glamour: looking after clients’ health problems and arranging accommodation and meals are part of the job.
How to do it: The two big boys in adventure travel are Explore and Exodus. Explore looks for “active, resourceful and well-travelled candidates”, who are willing to work for periods of up to six months.
Among the most likely places a tour leader will be posted are Greece, Cuba, Morocco, India and Egypt.
For Exodus, applicants must be at least 25 years of age, have first-aid knowledge and speak a second language. All flights, food and accommodation are provided by the company. Careers are advertised on the agency’s website.

English teacher in Thailand
If you’re a native English speaker, then you have a commodity that is in huge demand. You can work in almost any destination, and earn decent money.
How to do it: Many schools insist on a formal qualification, and if you’re certified it’s easier to nab a job. There are always jobs listed on seasonworkers. com and teachabroad.com, in destinations from Brazil to China.

Ski instructor in the Alps
With perks including a free season lift pass and getting paid to ski nine-to-five, being a ski instructor has to be the ultimate ski-season job — but it takes time, money and hard work to get it. If you manage to land a job in a luxury chalet with super-rich clients such as in Richard Branson’s lodge in Verbier — you can expect up to €200 an hour in tips.
How to do it: First you need to get your instructor qualifications.
It’s not cheap, but once qualified you can work in most countries.

Work on a game reserve in South Africa
Tourism ventures in exotic locations, such as African game reserves, often need an extra pair of hands for basic duties, in exchange for food and board. You don’t get paid cash, but you can stay in an amazing location for free with friendly hosts.
How to do it: Jobs vary from assisting with the running of a big-five game reserve in South Africa to setting up an organic farm in the US Virgin Islands in the Caribbean. Or subscribe to World-Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms (WWOOF), which facilitates the placement of volunteers on farms from Argentina to Australia and Canada to Costa Rica. Register via the central website (wwoof.org) and you get access to lists of organic farms and smallholdings that welcome volunteer help.

Travel writer
We’re not saying it’s easy to break into travel writing, but any chance to make a crust from reporting on new destinations, accommodation gems and the unforgettable things you’ve experienced is worth a go.
How to do it: Thanks to a new website, anyone can be a travel writer — and get paid for it. Simonseeks.com is an online community of travellers who share information about their favourite destinations by writing travel guides, covering everything from romance to long-haul adventures.

The key innovation is that the site pays contributors by sharing the advertising revenue generated by their guides (which must meet the site’s “quality standards”).

Extra in a Bollywood movie
You just need to be in the right place at the right time to get spotted.
How to do it: The easiest way to make it happen is to hang around Colaba Causeway in Mumbai. If you are of a good height, there’s a good chance you’ll be approached to be an extra. Expect long hours and lots of waiting around — but it’ll all be worth it when you tell your friends you starred in a Bollywood movie.

Overland tour driver in Asia
From the Silk Routes of Central Asia to the Sahara desert, see the world from behind the wheel of a truck, as an overland tour driver.
The job involves driving long distances, arranging excursions and looking after passengers.
How to do it: If you get through the round of interviews, you will take part in a two-month  training programme, after which you could work all over Africa, Asia, Central and South America, where you earn a wage and receive a daily living allowance plus bonuses. Applicants must be at least 25 years of age, be willing to work anywhere in the world for a minimum of 15 months, and hold an LGV/PCV (large goods vehicle/passenger carrying vehicle) driving licence.

And if you’re lucky enough...
Ben Southall (34) beat 34,000 applicants to become “island caretaker” of Queensland’s Great Barrier Reef, a six-month contract promoting tourism in Queensland. Like him, you too could try your luck!