How I Travel With A Full-time Career

I personally haven’t previously touched on the topic of how I travel with a full-time career because well… many people already have. However, I thought I’d share my perspective because my answer to this question has been different at different stages of my career and mayyybeee my perspective just might resonate with someone.

A bit of background: I work for a global accounting & consulting firm and I’ve done so for a decade (don’t let the baby face fool ya!). Though most of my career has been based in the US, I’ve done stints of varying lengths in Europe, Asia, and South America. However, most of my travels (especially internationally) have been personal. So here we go, here’s how you can travel with a full-time career. Don’t miss the tips within every sub-topic!

Do You Travel Full-Time? Can I Travel With My Job?

No. I don’t. While I follow and support many full-time travel bloggers I have no desire to do so full time. I’m convinced that part of my gift/calling to the world is in the corporate space in some capacity. I’m still working through all of that but full-time travel and blogging is not for me. If that ever changes, I’ll share. In the mean time, I travel during weekends or on my vacation days. So I have a career, its a demanding one (i.e. not 9 -5), but I travel and so can you!

Tip/Morale Of The Story: You don’t have to travel full-time to incorporate travel into your life. You also don’t have to travel every month or even every year to do so. Your race, your pace, your time.

Did You Grow Up Travelling? How Can I Get Started?

No, I did not. My first time on a plane was to attend University in the USA. I’ll write about that whole experience another day. I started travelling in 2010 after saving up during my first full year at work. I started out at one big trip per year and I was ecstatic about that.  In 2012, I did not go on any international trips!! It’s totally ok to go through a life season where travel is not an option. Read about my first trip here if you’re new around here.

Read This: You don’t have to come from a family that travelled to do so. That’s the beauty of the Internet and Social media. We have access to things and can be exposed beyond our immediate environment/circumstances. The Internet was where I found travel inspiration; no one in my immediate world was doing it and I started with local travel within the US before I went on that first Europe backpacking trip. Beyond travel, I have access to people and organizations I admire/aspire to through social media. Take advantage of what is available to you instead of focusing on what isn’t available to you.

When’s The Best Time To Start Travelling?

I don’t remember a time when I didn’t know I wanted to travel. I’ve always been curious but have not always been in a position to act on that curiosity so in that time, I read books, watched TV shows, read travel blogs, wrote down lists over and over again until I was able to get on that first backpacking trip.

Remember This: There’s no perfect time to know or start. But there’s no better time than today, its not too early nor is it too late for you to travel. Do it, I’m rooting for you!

How Many Vacation Days Do You Get? How Do You Use Them?

When I started with my employer a decade ago, I had 18 vacation days (plus 10 holidays), which is pretty good by US standards but not great outside the US. Now, I have about 25 vacation days a year (plus those 10 public holidays). Vacation days at my employer are standard based on your level within the organization.

Here’s How To Make The Most Of Your Vacation Days (4 Tips):

• Plan trips around holidays to make the most of your time off without using a lot of your vacation days.
• If you can, work remotely for a day at your destination. Ask for permission to do so but be sure to DO the work you promised (I’m doing this in the UK today and tomorrow).
• If vacation time is negotiable, pay attention to that when you’re evaluating your total compensation package and negotiate accordingly.
• Lastly, travel on weekends to destinations nearby so you don’t have to use a vacation day if you don’t need to.

What Are Other Ways To Get More Time to Travel?

There are a few options but it depends on what’s suitable for your personal circumstances but here are some suggestions for starters:

1. Buy additional vacation time (some companies give this option and the pay is deducted over the course of year so the reduction in pay stings a bit less. I did this once in my first year of work)
2. Take time off in between jobs (changing jobs? Why not insert a week or two in between to travel? I took six weeks in between transitioning from the UK to the US in 2018 but saved for it for three years.)
3. Take a sabbatical or short leave of absence (I’d recommend this when you’ve worked for a few years and have saved for this)
4. Seek a job living abroad (teaching English, working at sea on a cruise, and other opportunities, the key is to look for opportunities that match your skill set)
5. Negotiate remote working for a few months (I know someone that did for a summer and then worked while travelling Europe on weekends).
6. Add on a weekend to a work trip (whether it’s a domestic trip or international trip take advantage of the free flights)
7. Win the lottery  (I mean…)!!

What Other Tips Do You Have For Someone Looking to Travel With a Full-Time Career?

Ask For Time Off Early: Even when I don’t exactly know my travel plans, I put in my travel dates 6 months or so in advance to let my team be aware and to also stay ahead of everyone trying to take the same week off.

Prioritize: This will sound basic but it comes down to priorities. Save for travel monthly, have it as a sure item on your annual plans just like your pap smear, or family reunion, and then work towards it as though there’s no alternative.

Tag Along With Friends: Have a friend or partner that travels often for work? Ask if you can come along on one of their trips. Chances are, they’ll say yes and you’ll at least have free accommodation. A post on this is in the works too.

Seek International Travel Through Your Employer: If you work for a company with global operations, that’s a great start. I’ll suggest talking to someone within your company that has done what you aspire to do and make sure you start building your skills/toolkit such that when the opportunity comes, you’re the right candidate. Let people know that you have an interest (your mentor, line manager, manager’s manager). This in itself is a separate post that I’ll write at some point based on my personal experience or I’ll take all day!

Read The TravFessionals Series:I started the TravFessionals series to highlight people that are travelling locally and domestically while still not only working but also being pretty kick-ass in their roles as ambitious and high performing professionals. I’ve featured Amarachi and Gabe & Birdy and there’s so much more to come. Check out the series for the experiences they’ve shared because its great to have other perspectives.

The bottom line is that I’m not special, I really enjoy travelling and I plan to continue to do so as long as I am able to do so. I am able bodied, I can save for it (thankfully as I know not everyone is able to do so), I plan for it, and I am relentless in seeking opportunities for travel both personally and professionally. Visa denials are just ‘try later’ or ‘go a different route’ to me.

There we have it, my best tips on how to travel with a full-time career because 90% of us have no intention of being on the road full time. What questions do you have? How can I help? What other tips do you have to share?

Till Next Week,

Ms. Heels.