inbetweeners travelling
Uncategorized

How travelling the world makes you appear more employable

Every year since I was 21 years old, I take a two to three month vacay overseas to refresh myself and embrace cultures that don’t feast on McDonalds when they’re drunk – not that there’s anything wrong with that. Travelling […]

Every year since I was 21 years old, I take a two to three month vacay overseas to refresh myself and embrace cultures that don’t feast on McDonalds when they’re drunk – not that there’s anything wrong with that. Travelling overseas does give the odd millennial a fat scoop of perspective. Some find there’s no place like home, and others may realise there’s a whole other world out there with their name on it. Besides a dose of outlook, can travelling also boost your job prospects? 

 

Honey Boo Boo Child chicken nuggets

 

Seeing the world isn’t just an exciting and fulfilling experience with parties in Mykonos and gelato in Italy – it also sets you up to be far more employable. With help from the experts in youth travel and working holidays, The Global Work & Travel Co., we globe-trotting millennials can travel the world while also adding to our resumes at the same time. Here are a few ways that travelling the world can make you a more appealing employee:

 

Offers you diverse work experience

 

From working a winter season in Canada, volunteering with wildlife in Africa, au pairing in California, or teaching English in Vietnam; the work experience you gain when travelling is invaluable. 

 

Working holidaymaker, Maddison Smith, says working and travelling abroad shows you’re not afraid to throw yourself into the unknown and put your skills to the test in a completely foreign environment.

 

“Working overseas allowed me to accomplish a lot of goals I had set for myself, like climbing a mountain, travelling throughout Canada, and even some unexpected experiences I’ll always look back on, like getting chased by an elk,” Maddison said.

 

chased by kangaroo

 

Also, imagine when you’re in an interview and you tell your potential future bosses than you’ve undergone an overseas job or internship –  you’re resume has gone from Eoghan from Love Island (sexy, but missing something), to Adam (sexy, no bullshit, and committed). According to research from Hostelworld, 82 per cent of employers think you’re better suited for a job if you’ve been travelling, and you make an even more appealing employee if you have worked abroad. 

 

“I am so happy I chose to step outside my comfort zone and took the steps needed to complete a working holiday because it challenged me in ways I haven’t been before. I have proven to myself that I had the courage and ability to try new things, and this made me far more confident when I returned home and started applying for jobs,” Maddison said.

 

Teaches you how to manage stress

 

Anyone who has travelled will know how stressful it can be trying to get from A to B whilst trying to work out foreign travel timetables, currency exchange rates, as well as travel etiquette. I know I’ve broken down at Athens airport on more than one occasion, what about you? The more you deal with these sorts of situations though, the easier it gets to cope with the stress, and (in theory) you should be able to transfer this ability to cope well under pressure to the workplace too. See, paying 10 grand for the trip of a lifetime does pay off eventually. 

 

travelling running late airport

 

Makes you more adaptable

 

Learning to adapt to new and different environments can most definitely come in handy when it comes to future jobs. Australian traveller, Ashleigh Jones, who au paired with a family in Italy said: “the most rewarding part of my time overseas was the self-growth that came from the experience.”

 

According to Lonsdale Institute, a study conducted by NACE found that 97 per cent of uni graduates with international experience found a job within 12 months of graduating, compared with only 49 per cent of the general graduate population. That’s a big jump. 

 

Employers want to know that you’ll be able to cope if something unexpected happens and you’re required to step up and out of your normal role. 

 

culture shock

 

Improves your budgeting and organisational skills

 

First and foremost, a traveller is financially disciplined (if your name isn’t Claudia Siron). Travelling makes you more organised and forces you to take stock of your budgeting and income. This is honestly a great quality to have in the workplace, as we all know how valuable an organised person is to have on the team, as well as someone who can actually respect the company card when it’s given to them (lol).

 

Want to travel the world whilst getting paid and adding to your resume? The Global Work & Travel Co. has a range of working holidays and volunteering trips all around the world. I know what I’ll be doing next European Summer.

 

Feature Image.