The advantages of travelling are endless. But above all, it is fundamental to self-learning, it allows us to know more about other cultures, languages, food, etc. Travelling teaches us to value experiences over goods. All things considered, it is life changing.

Typically, we see travelling as an escape from our life and work. But it goes way beyond that, it can help strengthen our career, but how?

First of all, travelling can strengthen our communication skills. Especially when we visit countries that do not speak the same language as us. This will force us to make an effort to understand and interact with others. It improves our active listening and our ability to communicate. In the workplace, it can help us connect and interact with others, given the diversity of the workforce we work with. Meeting new people, new languages, new places will only make us more open, flexible and more adaptable to different situations and different colleagues. Plus, teamwork becomes easier. Travellers understand and interact better with different people and cultures.

Thus, as we can understand, not only our communication skills are enhanced, but our interpersonal ones as well. They include public speaking, decision-making abilities, among many other things.

In addition, travelling can encourage one to learn a new language, which helps us stand out from other workers. Languages can be crucial in enabling companies to develop partnerships or celebrate businesses with other organisations in different countries.

On the other hand, travelling can help us expand our contacts and network. People we meet while traveling can help us get to know the market/business of a specific area but also connect us to new contacts and new opportunities.

So far, we have seen that travelling can influence our work performance. However, it can also affect our mood. After vacations, we feel happier, calmer, and more creative. Travelling combined with time off from work is a great way to relax and boost our energy. Also, it is effective in understanding our motivations and purpose. We have more time to think and reflect on ourselves and our professional ambitions.

This helps explain why travelling increases our confidence. Making important decisions such as planning where to sleep, eat, and moving from place to place in an unfamiliar location can be demanding. Knowing that we can do it all, can indeed encourage us to face any challenges we may encounter at work. 

In fact, an interesting 2017 study conducted by Hostel World, showed that 82% of employers believe that “travelling makes job candidates more employable”.

References:

1. 6 Ways Travel Can Jumpstart (And Advance) Your Career, January 2019, Forbes
2. 6 Ways Traveling Can Make You A Better Employee, December 2018, Forbes
3. 8 Reasons why Travelling is Good for your Mental Health, May 2019, THRIVE GLOBAL
4. 11 WAYS HOW TRAVELLING WILL ENHANCE YOUR CAREER & LIFE, June 2018, SHOUT ME LOUD