If there is one thing that you will not often see in a resume, that will be the travel history of an applicant. Now you may be wondering why being a frequent traveler is an advantage you can actually have over other job applicants. Read on to know why.
Why Are Travelers Excellent Candidates for a Job?
1. Their personal growth doesn’t have any limitations or an end.
Those who travel frequently are in a better position to grow not only as individuals, but as professionals as well. According to studies, a candidate’s experiences and qualifications give them only 25 percent chance to get the job. Meanwhile, the 75 percent lies on an applicant’s personality and communication skills.
Traveling is a perfect way to develop your personality as well as your communication skills. When you travel, you get to know a lot of people from so many different backgrounds and cultures. The familiarity with other languages and other cultures is a strong point that will make you favorable to employers.
2. They are open-minded and objective.
Frequent travelers, particularly those who have worked overseas, have so much experience to base their decisions and opinions on. These people are not afraid of the idea of change. In fact, it excites them and they think of it as an opportunity to explore themselves more. Also, the experience that they had in traveling helps them view things in a more objective manner.
3. They have good time management skills.
If you are a traveler, you know how important it is to stick to timetables and to meet deadlines. Or else, you will have troubles organizing your trips and catching trains and planes. Travelers often have limited time to explore places as well, and so they know how to make use of their little time to do many things. Needless to say, job candidates need to be skilled at calculating time, setting goals and of course, meeting those goals.
4. They are more than willing to learn a new language.
Travelers know for a fact that language is power. They are aware also that knowing other languages is a skill that not everyone has, and could be to their advantage whether it is in their personal or professional lives. If a company deals with international business partners or clients, it is always an asset to have people who are willing and able to acquire new language skills.
5. They are independent.
Travelers who can manage to explore new places all by themselves are very self-sufficient people. They don’t back down from loneliness or the fear of being in a strange situation with nobody to help them. This is a trait that companies will surely love their workers to have because it spares them from the need to give extra training to them. Independent people also know how to learn effectively, and this is one thing employers need from someone who can serve as a mentor in the workplace. With all these experiences and background that you have as a traveler, you are in a great position to even be considered to act as a personal coach or mentor to the more inexperienced members of the organization.
Cecile Peterkin is a certified career and retirement coach, and a registered member of the Career Professionals of Canada and the International Coach Federation. She is also the Founder and Senior Career Strategist at Cosmic Coaching Centre, provider of career and life management services for middle managers and mid-career professionals across Canada, United States and Europe.