3 ways to travel AND improve your career prospects

You dream of escaping from the hubbub of the city, hop on a plane and travel the world until your feet are sore and your head is filled with thoughts of home.

Of course you do – the large majority of us would love nothing more than to travel.

But here’s the problem – when you’re on a gap year, how do you explain the 365-day hole in your career to prospective employers on your return?

Without making sure you’ve looked active on your CV, employers will give you a wide berth. And no one wants to be panhandling after a magical trip abroad.

It’s a sticky situation you’ll have to resolve before you jet off to far-flung lands.

But fear not. We’re packing more holiday advice than a travel agency, and we’re willing to share it.

So if you’ve got the travel bug but are frightened about making the leap, read on. Our advice will give you options on how to stay active in the employment market AND enjoy a year’s worth of travels.

Get some distance and go the distance

There’s a lot to be said for a good education. It broadens the mind in a similar way to travel, but the mind-expanding elixir known as ‘formal education’ will provide you with a bona fide qualification.

And there’s a way to gain that qualification when you’re travelling. It’s called distance learning, and it’s arguably one of the most convenient forms of education ever produced.

That wasn’t always the case. Only 30 years ago, distance learning was about as advanced as the abacus. You sent your coursework through the post and received reading materials from universities within a matter of decades.

Now, however, universities like Anglia Distance Learning have made the process more convenient, especially if you’re trotting the globe.

Available to you when you sign up is a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) containing all the materials you’ll need to complete the course. These materials can be accessed from your laptop, tablet or your phone. So you can enjoy a real education whether you’re wandering the Great Wall of China or lounging in a Parisian cafe.

Stay networking

The real benefit of social networking sites like LinkedIn is that they can help you network no matter where you are in the world. If you can document your travels on your LinkedIn profile and highlight their positive impact, you’ll look very impressive to prospective employers.

Keep a blog

WordPress is the ideal way to create a spiffy looking blog to help you document your travels.

Not only will this look impressive to employers, but it’s an ideal way to improve you communication, design and photography skills, all of which are vital if you want to nab a top job in a modern corporate environment.

That’s our list! Got any tips of your own? Then let us know in the comments below!