Career skills you can improve while travelling

Travel is the most sought after getaway for most of us when we want to take a break from work. However, travel isn’t all about fun. The experiences you encounter while traveling can help build your personality and also boost soft skills which are much in demand in today’s job market. We’ve stressed upon the importance of soft skills or workplace skills earlier as well and travelling can help improve these to quite an extent. Here are a few skills that travelling can help improve –

Interpersonal skills – Dealing with new cultures, social norms and language different than yours requires a great deal of ‘people skills’. Good interpersonal skills are a must-have to be able to successfully deal with the different people around you and travelling can give you a great exposure to this. You will find yourself to be much more compassionate and willing to listen and understand after interacting with people from different parts of the world.

Problem solving or decision making – During a trip, you might come across glitches that can put all your plans on hold. A flat tyre, missing bag, wrong directions and countless more situations can increase stress levels. What you need however at this time is the ability to think on your toes and stay calm. Quick, smart thinking to identify and address the problem can do a great deal of good when you’re in such situations. Travel will definitely help you understand and make you more adept at tackling such situations.

Adaptability/openness to change – Being rigid at work can definitely hamper your career growth. Being open to change, dealing with new situations and adjusting to circumstances can definitely make you a better worker and team player. Travelling teaches us many of these things as we are constantly in unfamiliar situations and yet enjoy ourselves to the fullest. Having a plan B both while travelling and at work will take you a long way.

Team work – Travelling with friends or family can never be easy. Ever created a whatsapp group with friends to coordinate your next vacation? Listening to everyone, taking up a few opinions, letting go of some and ensuring no one is overlooked in the entire process. Well that’s pretty much what teamwork implies. Being a good team player is not just a great quality to possess but also a skill that can boost your resume.

Time Management – Managing your time well is one of the most underrated qualities. Prioritising, making a plan and getting things done is the simplest of expectations any employer would have. Now if you’ve been on a trip before then you know that managing time well is extremely important to be able to enjoy the trip to the fullest. From must-visit places, to coordinating flights and trying to explore the new cuisine, we always want to fit in everything into our trip. If you’re a smart planner, then meeting deadlines at work will surely not be a problem for you.

So when are you planning your next trip?