How Travel Can Help You Get A Job

There is a lot of competition for the same jobs these days, so it’s easy to think, “I’ll travel later” because you don’t want a gap in your resumé.

People have thought for a long time that if you have a big gap in your resume, a potential employer will look at you less favorably. This is especially true if you explain the gap by saying, “I was traveling the world.”

However, there is some good news: traveling might help you get a job. As long as you can tell a potential employer what’s good about your travel experience, it could help your resume stand out and increase your chances of getting an interview. Yet traveling isn’t as unique as it used to be, so how can you sell your skills and experiences from your time abroad? Read on to find out.

Make Your Travel Relevant To The Job

For travel to look attractive on your resume, your skills and experiences should be relevant to the job you are applying for. It has to have something to do with the position. Sit down with the job requirements and figure out which of the skills you’ve learned abroad could be used for the job.

For example, are they looking for someone who is great at communicating, negotiating, or understanding people from other cultures? Is it necessary to be self-sufficient and make decisions on your own? Does the job require good research skills, and your ability to find the best things to do in Phoenix proves you’re good at this?

Your resume should tell a professional story, and each thing you say should back this up. If you don’t think your travel fits the job description, put it in the “other information” or “hobbies” section of your resume instead of the main section. It might still be useful.

Know The Difference Between Hard And Soft Skills

What’s the difference between hard skills and soft skills? Hard skills, like being able to speak a language, can be taught (and you should absolutely highlight any language skills you have learned as these could be crucial). Soft skills are interpersonal skills that are hard to measure, like the ability to communicate, lead, or motivate others. These are important skills, but they are much more difficult to quantify.

People who take a gap year after high school, for example, or those who take some time to go traveling, even if it means they’re not working, may find that they have more soft skills than hard skills. This is no bad thing; as we said, hard skills can be learned, but if you have soft skills already, you’re ahead of a lot of the competition when it comes to finding work. If you want to talk about things like self-growth, make sure that the experiences you talk about show situations, actions, and results.

Work Experience And Volunteering

If you’re going to be gone for a long time, you might need to find a job abroad to make some extra money. This is actually a good thing, as many highly regarded jobs, like working at the local hotel reception, teaching English to people who don’t speak it or being an au pair, require skills that are often directly transferable to other jobs.

So, put all of your relevant work histories on your resumé, even if they weren’t paid. Before you leave a job, it’s a good habit to ask your manager to write you a reference.

Employers will also like you more if you do volunteer work. This is because it shows that you care about your education and have a strong work ethic and motivation to give your time for free.

If you don’t want to volunteer or hop on a plane without a job lined up, many careers offer the chance to do a work exchange. This will let you keep your job in another country and travel at the same time. Could this be the right thing for you?