Is a Job with Frequent Travel Right for You?

By: Mick, January 10th, 2007

I have heard countless people who don’t travel for a living long for the opportunity to get out and see the world on the company dime. There are clearly some inherent advantages to the working-traveler lifestyle and many of them are highlighted in the article at CareerJournal.com entitled Traveling for Business is Lonely, Annoying, and Oh So Welcome. That particular article talks about the usually peaceful working environment of a long flight and the fact that your basic needs such as food, transportation, and cleaning up after yourself are usually taken care of by other people when traveling. All of that is true and I know that I personally am always up for a business trip a few times a year, although they rarely seem to be required of me these days.

But the article and my personal preference are dealing with work travel that is the exception and not the rule of a career routine. I have two very close friends who have, at various times, traveled extensively for work both domestically and internationally. The perks that come with being a serial traveler involve countless “miles” and “points” that you can often redeem for personal vacations and other personal travel as well as the opportunity to see and experience places that you may have never been able to experience had your job not required it.

But as the title of the CareerJournal.com article points out, there is loneliness in business travel. There can also be extreme boredom and a strain on your home life for people that must travel for work with regularity. Certain types of people, I would imagine, would be immune to the pitfalls of frequent business travel. Perhaps people that prefer the company of strangers to that of the people that they know at home? Or people that can look past the annoyances of frequent travel and approach the entire experience as an adventure?

Having never been in the situation and having only received negative feedback from those forced to travel frequently for work, I can only guess as to how I might react. Likely, it’s not for me, but that doesn’t mean that it couldn’t be a great experience for the right person. Are you that person?

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2 Responses to “Is a Job with Frequent Travel Right for You?”

  1. Scott Zajicek Says:
    June 25th, 2008 at 10:46 am

    I currently worked the past 3 years on a cruise ship working long hours seven days a week. I grew up in a military household and enjoy moving around, meeting new people and visiting new places. I attended University of Arizona and several smaller colleges. I have been in management 7 years with a focus on customer service, hotels, resorts, and restaurants. I have achieved many accolades in my career and am looking to find a career for the rest of my life…

  2. travel world wide Says:
    August 28th, 2008 at 12:29 am

    well this is useful… (at least for me)

    very thanks

    ——————————–
    travel worldwide

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