9 Benefits of Traveling That Will Help Your Career

I always hear the old argument of “do I travel or focus on my career?”

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I’ve never understood it.

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Why are these stated as though they’re on opposite sides?

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It’s as though one will suffer if you choose the other, which puts people in a tough spot.

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Some, who love to travel, may feel pressured into ‘focusing on a career’ because that’s what society expects of them.

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Which, by the way, is in no way a bad thing whatsoever, as planning your career path (if you know it) can be a very good idea.

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But this doesn’t have to be at the expense of your dream of traveling.

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It’s drilled into us that they’re mutually exclusive.

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They’re not.

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They can go hand in hand and actually benefit each other.

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The benefits of travelling are more than a stamp in a passport and an Instagram-worthy picture.

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Plus, having a career path can also guide how you travel and what you’d like to achieve from it.

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So let’s get over the outdated “travel or career” belief. Let’s get both.

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The benefits of travelling far outweigh the drawbacks and listed below are a few aspects on how travel can turbo-charge your career:

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1. It develops your network

Whether you work at a summer camp, in a resort, or you secure a gap year job abroad, all will broaden your professional and personal network.

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Professionally, it’s not just about the direct reference you’ll get.

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You’ll be meeting many professionals, with different backgrounds and different futures.

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You never know, further down the line, you could end up in the same industry, or even the same role.

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You’ve got a wealth of information available to you, if you maintain good professional relationships.

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This opens up more doors and more networks, so make it a priority.

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If you’re not already, get yourself on LinkedIn.

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For those who are unsure of what it is, the best way of describing it is a professional Facebook.

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You can keep in contact and connect with fellow professionals and it acts as a social and jobs platform, all in one.

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Getting recommendations off your network is the new ‘providing references’ and can give your CV a real boost.

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This needs to be your new professional online network.

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Yes, you’ll also make mates who you’ll reconnect with about ‘the good times’ and that personal network is great to have.

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But don’t forget, these friends will go on to achieve all sorts of great things in their own respective industries.

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So even by accident, you would’ve grown your professional network; by becoming mates.

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This is one of the major benefits of travelling, so bear it in mind.

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2. It displays versatility and adaptability

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If there’s one thing that helps develop your versatility and adaptability, it’s travelling.

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You’re going to be pushed out of your comfort zone. A lot.

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You’re going to come up against some real challenges and they’ll test you. Your ability to deal with fresh, unexpected twists will grow and how you respond will become more refined.

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Travel is not all sunshine and rainbows, but that’s a good thing. Dealing with these issues is a transferable skill that you’ll be able to carry over to the professional world.

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Moving to another country is already enough to display these characteristics.

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You’ll display a willingness to embrace the unknown head-on and to jump straight in.

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If an employer sees that you’ve worked in America, or Australia, for example, it displays a lot about your character.

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Don’t undervalue how much of an impact these travel moves can make.

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3. It gives you experience in new countries

Like the point above, seeing another country on your CV speaks volumes to employers and is a huge benefit of travelling.

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Your CV will display the fact you’ve worked in different countries and in such a connected world, that’s a huge bonus.

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Larger corporations have hundreds of offices around the world, with opportunities arising everywhere.

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By displaying a willingness to move abroad and travel, you’ve already shown you could handle such an opportunity if one ever popped up again.

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Yet as we all know, every country is so different, from its people to its culture.

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Your experiences will vary everywhere you go. Getting this mix of experiences and perspectives through travel helps shape your own approach, based on what you’ve learnt.

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You’ll be bringing so much more to any table, so it’s important to take it all in when you are working abroad or travelling.

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4. It helps make your CV stand out

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Put yourself in an employer’s shoes for a moment.

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The number of CV’s they must see on a weekly basis is borderline ridiculous.

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For our age group of between 18-30, it can be hard to stand out from the crowd, when the crowd have all been doing the same thing.

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Although we may have the skills needed for the job, it’s our experience that sets us apart.

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Everyone can write ‘versatile’ or ‘outgoing’ on a CV, but to be honest, each job will expect you to bring those sort of characteristics to the role anyway.

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The best way to show it is through what you’ve done.

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If you work in hospitality, what says you’re more versatile to working in new environments; writing 'versatile' down as a bullet point, or the fact you’ve worked in travel hospitality roles in New York, Sydney and London?

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Stand out by doing (and travelling), not saying.

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5. Travelling can further your background in a specific industry

This one is much more targeted, but it can pay off the most.

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Certain roles are considered desirable, especially if they’re linked with a hobby.

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I mean, who wouldn’t want to get paid to do something they love? But such travel jobs can be limited and in short supply at home.

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Let’s use outdoor specialists as an example. This can range from rock-climbing instructors, to those that teach wakeboarding.

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There’s not a huge amount of roles going within these industries, and the ones that are available fill fast. It's understandable, as these areas are a passion for people.

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This can mean it can be hard to get a ‘foot in the door’ in these industries.

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But if you’re willing to broaden your horizons, you’ll find that there are areas crying out for staff.

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Summer camps are desperate for people with a passion relating to outdoor roles and they’d love to recruit the right people to then train up.

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So not only will you have a summer of a lifetime through travelling and gain essential qualifications, but you’ll gain relevant experience doing something you love.

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6. It helps you gain new technical skills

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This is a standard when joining any new business.

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Everywhere does things different.

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Whether the software they use, or the processes they have, you’ll end up adapting and picking up these new skills.

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There are many employers out there who take training up new staff to be of the utmost importance (and so they should).

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Provided the staff have the right background and passion, they can also pick up new skills and qualifications on top of their experiences.

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When I worked at a summer camp through Camp Leaders as a water ski instructor, the camp ensured I trained up as a Red Cross lifeguard.

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They also put me through my lessons to ensure I could legally drive a powerboat in Wisconsin.

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I left from my time there with incredible experiences, yet new qualifications and licenses to boot.

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Look at your time travelling as a way to pick up new skills and you’ll be able to put them to good use when you’re back.

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7. Travel helps you develop your soft skills

This is a massive benefit of travelling.

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No matter what you plan to get out of travelling, your soft skills will develop.

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Soft skills are highly sought after by employers, because they’re as, if not more, important than technical skills.

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They include things like your interpersonal skills, leadership qualities, your ability to work in a team, your problem-solving abilities and more.

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The mix of people, social and professional skills, coupled with emotional and social intelligence is becoming well valued.

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Although beneficial for dealing with the public, it also helps how you interact and integrate with fellow staff members.

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Your experiences through travelling will cover the lot.

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You’ll be interacting with new people and new experiences on a daily basis.

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You’ll have your ups and downs, which is standard for anyone who travels.

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They will test and push you, but at the end of it, you’ll get a huge amount of benefit from travelling and it will inspire positive change in your life.

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8. Travel will make you a global citizen

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In a world where certain areas are closing their doors to others, it’s more important than ever to be a global citizen.

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According to Oxfam, a global citizen is “someone who is aware of and understands the wider world - and their place in it.

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They take an active role in their community, and work with others to make our planet more equal, fair and sustainable.”

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By experiencing new cultures and interacting with new people in different areas through travel, you’ll form a more rounded knowledge on what others go through.

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Instead of closing our minds to people because they come from a different area, we should embrace our differences and learn from each other.

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Only then can we work together to ensure we make a wider positive impact.

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This is not only something to apply personally, but professionally too.

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With how the world is, this could be the biggest benefit of travelling going.

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9. Travel itself IS an industry

Travel and tourism is one of the world’s biggest industries.

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By travelling, exploring and experiencing the planet, you are gaining direct experience to set you up for a role within the sector.

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What better experience for a travel role, than travel?

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Tour guides, adventure leaders, activity specialists and drivers are just some of the travel roles available, doing activities you love.

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You then have the larger travel companies, who have sales roles, administrative roles and account/project management roles, amongst others.

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All operators need a consistent, all-star team of travellers. Not only manage other people’s journeys, but to share their own and inspire the next generation of travellers.

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From tour operators, to cultural exchange companies. From luxury travel brands, to corporate travel management.

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There are thousands of paths you can take, depending on what works for you.

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Travel doesn’t have to be about only you seeing the world, it could also be about helping others do exactly that too.

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So let’s get rid of the ‘travel versus career’ argument.

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The benefits of travelling far outweigh not travelling. Let’s realise how both are incredibly important, but also how they complement each other.

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You’ve got time on your side to experience and see the world, which in itself is massive for your self-development.

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Growing as a person through travel will aid your career, as you take across transferable skills and networks you’ve built up.

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You’ll not only pick up memories, but a rounded skill set, which is becoming sought after in modern workplaces.

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How you grow will help set you apart, and the benefits of travelling can give your career a boost, in whatever direction you want.