I can't decide weather to stay in my job for 2 years and receive a qualification or to just GO
Stay for 2 years (at a low paid job) and receive a qualification or just work hard at a better paid job for 8 months-1 year and GO?
Is it completely ludicrous to quit your job and travel? It's all I want but I do want to ensure I'm being smart. Should I start my career first?
Thanks for any advice in advance.
Reply to this Well, to my mind, it depends upon the job you have. If the position you occupy is quite responsible and you wish to succeed in it, then it makes sense to work for a while and then to start travelling. If you have a low paid job you are not really interested in, then why don't you start travelling right from the start and then look for a job you will value? The latter decision will be reasonable only if you have money to travel, of course. By the way, some people manage to combine traveling and their career in quite a successful way. A friend of mine, for example, who works for the IT-company, has already visited numerous countries of the world and is not planning to stop. She does not have any secrets, she has just learnt the basics of distant working. Fortunately, there is the Wi-Fi connection almost everywhere, so that's not really a great problem today! Maybe, you should consider this option as well, if your job allows you dong that, of course. Good luck!
Reply to this Given that you are in a low paid job which likely isn't your career choice, but would provide funds for a long trip if you worked hard for the next year, I would also recommend like Nataly that you GO for it. For the next year you can work hard, plan harder, and dream hardest! Lots of Travelbloggers do just what you are proposing to do. Your trip would be like a gap year...finding what you really want out of life, what you would enjoy doing. And international experience adapting to many different cultures is a great learning experience that should look good on a resume once you are ready to work again. And as Nataly says, you might find a job that involves traveling, or at least allows you to work via the internet from anywhere.
Reply to this What about international volunteering somewhere. That would combine a low income job with international experience and fun which you could even show on your CV afterwards.
Reply to this In response to: Msg #194571
While traveling, I met a lady who works in UN and gets posted in various countries. She loves it. For the same reason, I tried to get a job in UN for many years, but I couldn't get an entry. So, I travel when I get my vacation time in my regular job. But I have colleagues who quit their jobs in early days so that they can travel and came back later. One admitted to me later in the career that she wished she wouldn't have traveled so much because it impacted her career. Some kept their balance and went fine. For me, I always play it safe to maintain my regular job and take an yearly vacation to a new country each year. That way, it gives me ample time to plan for the trip all through the year and earn money for the travel at the same time. At the end, I think it all depends on individual perspective. Hope this explains few scenario that I have experienced.
Reply to this Like many soon-to-be college alumni, I remember facing multiple options for life post-grad. Two felt responsible — attend graduate school or immediately enter my career — while the third seemed more personally fulfilling: go see the world.
After a lot of thinking, research and having lots of others opinion, this website had helped me a lot. You may have a quick look on it. It might be of great help for you too..
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[Edited: 2016 Jan 28 10:56 - traveltalesofawoollymammoth:258356 - No URL addresses please]
Reply to this Depends on what you like. if you are a career person, you should get a job with a career and travelling during your on leave. But if you are not a career person, you can try work as a freelance while you are travelling.
Today with the internet, you can easily find freelace job, as in <snip>
[Edited: 2016 Feb 01 09:18 - traveltalesofawoollymammoth:258356 - No commercial links please]
Reply to this I was faced with similar question few years ago - pursue my dream job or my travel dream. I decided to go for both 😊. Instead of taking a chunk of time off to travel, I decided that I am going to take 1 - 2 trips per year using vacation, and work hard rest of the year. 10 years after I feel like that was a good decision. I managed to travel a lot, and at the same time have a career. I first travelled within US, South America, and then transferred to Europe to cover this part of the world. So it depends, if you think that you have a job that you really like and can make a career out of, then stick with it, but if you are in between and are not sure what you want to do, take the time to travel - it is also a great opportunity to figure out what you want.
Reply to this Hi, I would suggest you to stay for a job, get a good experience and your future is bright ahead 😊
Reply to this I would say it depends on the kind of person you are. I would personally travel before any Job. I would suggest just do what feels right for yourself to be honest.
Reply to this If the work you are doing interests you and you want to make a career out of it then two years to firm up your skills and reputation could help you a lot when you return and it will allow you to build a nice travel budget. If traveling is what you want to do most and you have a way to finance it then I think traveling would be the best choice. I worked for about ten years before I went traveling and it allowed me to have a lot of contacts when I got back to help me get my career going again. I also worked contract jobs periodically while I was traveling to keep my resume gaps to a minimum (I traveled for about 5 years so the resume gap would have been difficult to overcome). The bigger thing to note is that traveling is a learning experience and you will likely be a different person with different interests and career goals when you return, so any certifications and experience you get before you go may not matter when you get back. My family and friends thought I had lost my mind when I quit my job to travel, but it ended up being one of the best decisions I have made in my life.
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