Traveling abroad teaches a lot and is perhaps one of the best forms of entertainment that help build your characters and offers you memories to cherish and last for a lifetime.
Apart from this, traveling offers you all form of benefits such as improving your health, uplifting your mood, develop an understanding of different cultures, meeting new people, enjoying amazing food, living an adventure, etc. No matter which way you look at it, nothing beats traveling, so it is so popular these days.
According to a recent study by Access Development, people before the COVID-19 pandemic were spending a total of $1.1 trillion on their travels. This included $278.9 billion for food services, $242.3 billion for lodging, $210.8 billion for public transport, $169.7 billion for auto transportation, and so on.
People were spending so much on travel that travel and tourism were the second-most-popular choices for discretionary spending. Boomers by far spent the most on average at $6,600 per travel, followed by Gen-Xers at $5,400 and Millennial ($4,400).
In light of this information, let’s take a quick look at some of the reasons why traveling can be an impressive trait on your resume.
1. Adding Professional Value
There are times when traveling can add professional value, especially for a particular job you may be applying for.
For instance, if you are planning to be a historical museum guide and have a detailed history of traveling to various landmarks and popular sites around the world, it can pretty much help you add professional value to your work since you would have practically visited the place and seen it upfront and close personally.
But this is just one example. Let’s say you are in the hospitality industry and want to opt for a new position of hotel manager, then your travel history and stays at major hotel resorts in the past can come in handy.
Because by then, you would be quite adept at knowing what exactly is a luxury and what is just pretentious when it comes to interior decor and all the little things in furniture, fixture, and fittings that matter.
Likewise, how about you want to be the main lead as a wildlife photographer for a major nature-inspired channel or magazine. Your previous encounters with wild beasts of the jungle would definitely make you more adept for the opening rather than other candidates.
Again these are just examples, and there can be a ton more where traveling can definitely add professional value to your profile and make you look irresistible for recruiters because they know that you have been there and done that.
2. Special Skills Acquired
During your travels, you might come across various situations in the wilderness and in the urbanized settings where you might have been required to acquire a new skill. That skill would later help you to overcome a hurdle in your path, and the rest of your travel would happen smoothly. This might sound conceited but bear with me.
Let’s say you are an adult who planned to visit their grandmother, a warden, at a girl’s college hostel. Now during your stay at your grandmother’s designated room, an unconscious girl was brought into your custody who had swallowed a heavy dose of painkillers and fainted. While your grandmother wasn’t there, you used your quick wits to call the ambulance, alert 911, and carry out CPR that you recently learned.
The girl recovered consciousness, was taken to the hospital to be detoxified, and everything was back to normal again. The college hostel awarded you an official certificate and a medal for your just actions.
Or if that is too convoluted an example for you, even though it’s true, how about your recent trip with your boy scouts, where you all learned kayaking, swimming and earned certificates accredited by the NPLQ/Royal Life Saving Society. That alone can help you get a lifeguard job throughout the states.
3. Language Skills Matter
Traveling also can teach you terrific language skills. You end up at a destination where the locals speak a totally different language, and therefore you face considerable language barriers throughout the day. All this makes your life miserable, until one day you decide to overcome this nuisance once and for all. This is where you try your best to learn another language. Slowly and slowly, you get the hang of it.
However, with unwavering determination, consistency, and commitment to yourself, you are able to start grasping that language finally, and soon enough, you are speaking it as fluently as the locals. But guess what?
Lingual skills are highly appreciated by company managers, owners, CEO, and recruiters. This is because having bilingual skills gives you the edge over other applicants because you have brought something new to the table. And that is the ability to communicate with a more diverse range of people to do business with.
Hence if for any reason a company has to go overseas where your language skills can be utilized, be sure that they are going to capitalize on that factor and make the most of it. So don’t brag, be honest about your language skills as you don’t want to end in a position where you lie and cannot back up your words with the right actions.
4. People’s Person
What do companies, organizations, establishments, and enterprises look for in a new recruit or a candidate looking forward to being a part of the company? They want a people’s person. One who can not only work along with people but also through them. However, to do this, you need to be a good communicator, have sound listening skills, and have the desired social skills that make you an interesting person to talk to without boring your immediate audience.
What traveling does is that it make you acquire these small skills. Not only are you able to make “small talk”, but you also quickly learn to break the ice, feel the tension in the room, be aware of your own limitations, and never project yourself in negative connotations. Hence you can never be a racist or discriminate against people regarding their gender, color, race, body shape, ethnicity, creed, etc.
Unfortunately we live in a world where #Black Lives Matter, #MeToo, and violence against women are still making headlines. Nevertheless, all big companies and organizations are looking forward to employees who keep their emotions in check and never let go of their self-control.
Furthermore, they should be able to communicate with people with ease and perform not only as a team member but also lead the team when required. Young learners who opt for coursework help should consider sharpening their soft skills as they matter a lot in their professional careers.
5. Share Work Experience
Lastly, when you travel to a new place and stay there for a long time. There are chances that you might start doing odd jobs or actually settle down there temporarily. If that is the case, then the most undeniable thing you can do is earn a decent living to support your living expenses. When that happens, you are directly increasing or adding to your work experience, which can go straight to your resume.
If you think that the skills you acquired and the work you delivered while you were on a trip are somewhat related to your new job. Then make sure you highlight this aspect of your resume.
Recruiters and headhunters are always on the lookout for candidates. These candidates can add a little extra to their profile and are capable of getting work done under pressure. The more competent you are, the more viable your application becomes for selection.
Conclusion
A lot of people also travel to heal, find closure, or overcome personal loss or trauma. Hence confining travel to one purpose is simply not enough. However, no matter where you travel and who you travel or how long you travel, it teaches you a lot.
Nothing in the world can make traveling any less enlightening than it already is, and that is what makes it such a wonderful experience. I wish you all safe and enjoyable travels in the future. Cheers and Bon Voyage!
Author Bio
Stella Lincoln currently works as the Assistant Editor at Dissertation Assistance UK. She is quite fond of indulging herself in pop culture, including anime, movies, music, and video games. During her leisure time, she likes to doodle, create wall art, and practice mindful yoga.