Traveling the world and experiencing foreign cultures grants you the opportunity to unearth the world traveler within. Between extensive planning, time organization, and financial prioritization, travelers learn countless skills. Travel-savvy expertise enhances your ability to adapt and reassess unfamiliar situations, both of which are useful in personal and professional lives. With these travel-exclusive skills in mind, a spontaneous adventure is no longer a selfish indulgence but an investment in your career.
For those individuals chasing a perpetual wanderlust, a semi-annual vacation may not suffice. Instead of ignoring your thirst for adventure, consider changing to a career that allows you to travel to your heart’s content. Professionals such as English language teachers, flight attendants, and wanderlust-stricken travelers pursuing medical staffing jobs are consistently on the move—unlike their cubicle-bound counterparts. With ample opportunities to traverse uncharted territory, you’re bound to gain a deeper understanding of international issues and polish your stress management skills.
Still not convinced that travel can launch your career? Consider these five ways adventure drives professional success.
Enhances communication skills
During your travels, experiencing the frustrations of language barriers is a nearly inevitable doom. Overcoming miscommunication is an invaluable skill that all adventurers come to terms with. Not everyone speaks the same language, but that doesn’t mean you can’t communicate in other ways. Finding alternative ways to exchange information comes in handy in professional settings as well. For example, when a co-worker is not receptive to your words. Instead of giving up, you can find a different approach to get your thoughts across.
Promotes stress management
Unforeseen travel expenses or transportation mishaps can result in high-stress situations for a weary traveler. An inexperienced globe-trotter may respond with frustration and resentment, resulting in a disastrous adventure. But as individuals become more well-traveled, they learn to temper instinctive responses to stress and navigate the situation with a level head. The ability to manage and overcome stress certainly comes in handy when faced with a professional disaster.
Improves teamwork
Traveling with a group requires careful collaboration and negotiation. Sometimes, you must sacrifice an individual desire to cater to the group’s goals. Active participation and communication are crucial to create a memorable experience for all parties. This skill is perhaps the most transferable to a career setting. Remember, every profession, from medical workers to customer service representatives to bankers, works intimately with team members.
Encourages creative thinking
A droning desk job does little to encourage creativity and imagination. Luckily, getting out of your comfort zone in an unfamiliar country rejuvenates the artistic side of the brain. Simply admiring unique architecture like the Taj Majal or taking in a beachside vista in Morocco is bound to inspire creative thinking. With newfound enthusiasm for life, you will return to work with innovative suggestions and ideas.
Boosts visualization
No matter what your career is, you’ll need to envision future projects and long-term goals. Whether designing a new business plan, interpreting graphs, or creating a presentation, visualization is crucial. What better way to improve this skill than by traveling the world? During your journey, you will need to orient yourself using foreign maps and visualize unfamiliar ways of living. You may even imagine what life was like in an ancient civilization-turned tourist hotspot.
Final thoughts
There are more ways to jumpstart your career than signing up for a pricey certification course or boot camp. Traveling the world feeds a thirst for adventure while teaching you valuable skills. Once you’ve returned from an enriching globe-trot, you can apply those experiences to your chosen profession.
