Many people at one stage of their lives wish to travel and see different countries and experience different cultures. Many people tend to do this shortly after graduation. This is an ideal time to go travelling if it is something that you wish to do, as your commitments are likely to be at their least amount of any time of your life. In the past many employers of graduate jobs would have a habit of looking down upon those who opt to travel, but that has certainly changed over the last decade or so
I have spent a lot of time in my working career talking to graduates from University when I have tried to place them in the many Graduate Jobs that I had to recruit for. I for one, have had first hand experience of all of the trends from employers and their attitudes when it comes to things such as travelling. Over the last decade employers are certainly more interested in learning about what you did when you were travelling and even what you achieved than they were before. This may sound a little strange, but ideally you should keep a record of your time when you are away.
One of the key areas that employers will look for from all candidates and not just those who have travelled is transferable skills and past experiences. If your not sure what this means, transferable skills are those that somebody possesses and could be used in different situations. Usually if you have gained skills in a position which isn't the exact scenario but can prove that you would be able to move them into a different one, that will please a potential employer. As well as experience with jobs, this will also apply to behavioural traits.
When you are planning your travels, you would be wise to do so with the intention of building and developing a set of skills that you can transfer into the world of work. Many of you will think this is a bit boring and will neglect to do so. However in reality deciding to travel the world for a while is a great chance for you to build an impressive range of new skills which can easily be called upon in many different jobs. As a side piece of advice, why not take a diary with you when you are travelling? It would make an excellent prop at an interview and will be something that you can always look back at when you are older.
This article is written by Jonathan Walker of
Graduate Jobs
