Have you been travelling?
With a new survey from the London Business School revealing that 70% of women feel anxious about taking a career break, it will come as no surprise that it can be quite daunting when the time comes to return to the UK and begin the job hunt from scratch. It’s back to reality, which means it is time to crack open that dusty CV and decide how to approach the six month ‘travelling gap’ on the page.
The truth is that job seekers should not be afraid to include their travelling experiences on their CV. Travelling does not equate to laziness or lack of ambition. It highlights an adventurous personality who has gained unique and sought after skills that competitors may not have.
To ensure jobseekers make the most of their travelling experiences on their CV, David Rudick, VP International Markets at the UK’s no. 1 job website Indeed.com, offers his tips on how to tailor CVs post travelling.
- 1. Highlight your ability to adapt to change
No matter where you travel to, you are bound to experience a different culture that you’re not particularly used to. The working environment is really similar in that every employer is different, with a unique culture. Therefore, it is important for employers to find employees who can adapt easily and smoothly to not just the company, but the job itself.
Don’t miss a really great opportunity to highlight your adaptability by including a sentence around how travelling has helped you transition to new environments.
- 2. Showcase your personality and interests
Personality traits such as charisma and a sense of humour are really important in today’s workforce, especially those that are client facing or communication heavy. If you love adventure and were brave enough to do a sky dive whilst travelling, add it to your CV. Exciting adventures like this highlight your personality in the first stage of the recruitment process, which can often be a challenge.
- 3. Demonstrate how your travelling experiences result in desired job skills
Travelling around the world takes confidence, and confidence is a trait every employer wants in an employee. Simply by adding a note around how long, where and with whom you went travelling will demonstrate personal confidence. If you went to a country that didn’t speak your mother tongue, did you learn another language, even if it was just the basics? If so, then make sure your potential employer knows. Markets like Brazil and India are growing economies to which your employer may one day hope to expand.