Jobs you can do in paradise

It's the ultimate dream job: serving as "caretaker" of the Islands of the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. The responsibilities--if you want to call them that--include exploring the islands for six months and reporting about the experience in a weekly blog, a photo diary, video updates and media interviews.

The application deadline was Feb. 22. Click here for more information. So far, they've received more than 19,000 video applications. But don't worry. There are plenty of other positions you can get in paradise.

Whether you're a plumber, a nurse, a dance instructor or a chef, you can definitely find a way to spend a lifetime in, say, the Caribbean. The only catch? You'll have to work at it.

But why not? Many of the career opportunities you'd find close to home, such as contractor or restaurant manager, are available in some of the most sublime tourist locations around the world.

To look for them, a good place to start is Unique Vacations, private owner and operator of the popular franchises Beaches and Sandals. Its competitor, Club Med, has similar career openings.

Both organisations run portfolios of properties that span the globe. A plumber in Mexico? A chef in the Dominican Republic?

The primary drawback is the weak starting salary--but don't be so quick to scoff at the numbers. At Club Med locations, in the absence of a worthy salary, the company tacks on full room and board, full medical and dental benefits, transportation to and from the resort and full use of the resort amenities. And there's always the chance to climb in the ranks.

Nurse is among the highest-paid positions to start at, offering about $1,500 a month. You'll need plenty of experience to get your foot in the door, though. Employers ask for a registered nurse's degree and at least one year of service in an emergency room or with pediatrics. Your patients will be both guests and staff.

Fitness trainer is on the lower end of the pay scale, offering somewhere in the neighborhood of $700 a month. But again, would you rather be cooped up in a city kickboxing class or kicking and punching in the open air, waves crashing behind you? The prospect of getting an even tan while you work is the cherry on top.

Kate Moeller, a spokeswoman for Club Med, says the company only promotes from within at its resorts. In any position you accept, you can move up to "assistant chief of service" then "chief of service," or manager.

"We also have a 'chief of village,' which is sort of a cross between a cruise director and general manager," Moeller says. "This is the most aspired-to position for many of our [employees]. It is like being queen or king of the roost."

Most of these businesses cater to an international clientèle and have structured recruitment programs to draw worldwide talent. They operate bases on different continents to sell the idea of careers in the Caribbean or anywhere else people go to escape.

Rachel McLarty, director of corporate affairs for Sandals Resorts International, says her company runs programs to reel in new employees for all parts of the business. It often looks to graduates of European hotel and hospitality schools for prospects.

The turnover is low, too. Lane says one Sandals accountant at a Montego Bay, Jamaica, resort has been at her post since 1981.

Stephen Hector is a relatively new hire. He started at the Sandals resort in Nassau, Bahamas, as group international public relations manager a year ago. Two months ago, he moved to the property in Turks and Caicos. He took a "significant" pay cut upon leaving his native London, he says, but it was worth (losing) every penny.

"England is cursed with very bad weather a lot of the time," he pointed out. "When you wake up here, the sun is shining in your face. You're instantly in a good mood."

It also helps that the island is tax-free and that Hector doesn't have many expenses he would have in London, like meals and going out. Relaxing at the beach is free, as is everything he eats at the resort.

"In London, I hit snooze all the time in the morning," Hector says. "Here, it's more like, 'Let's go and get into work!' That sounds go-getter-y, but it's like that. You do want to get started and get into the day."