Love to travel and want to get paid for it? Here are the top careers for professionals who love life on the road:
- Sales
- Travel Nurse
- Management Consultant
- Coach
- Reporter/Journalist
- Flight Attendant
- Military
- Motivational Speaker
- Pilot
- Standup Comedian
Think you are a road dog? If you are considering a role with significant travel, you should honestly conduct a self assessment that accurately measures your ability to deal with:
- Changes in schedule
- Hotels
- Constant change
- Periodic chaos
- Maintaining self discipline when it comes to health and wellness
- Less than ideal travel partners at your company
- Alcohol
- Driving at night in unfamiliar areas
- Noise
- Sleep issues
Still convinced you have what it takes to make it work on the road? Then experts recommend that you do the following:
- Update your resume to indicate extensive national and international travel.
- Keywords and phrases should focus on your track record delivering on goals while doing frequent business travel on a regional or national level, international travel and list the continents, TSA Pre and SENTRI, etc…
- If you are multilingual, definitely list the languages in which you are proficient and fluent.
- If you have dual citizenship in another country, definitely indicate that you are authorized to work in that country or region for example the EU.
- List any experience living abroad for any extended period more than a month such as a semester abroad, summer programs, immersion programs etc…
- If you also traveled as a college athlete or even at a higher level such as in the Olympics, definitely highlight this. It shows significant maturity.
Typically, people who have handled business travel successfully are good hires for companies when they have to fill a travel role. They don’t want to discover after a hire is done that the person doesn’t like extensive local travel, national travel or extended international trips lasting weeks.
Are you a new college grad seeking to go on the road? Before you apply online, it’s critical that you ensure you have:
- Valid Driver’s License
- Valid Passport
- Credit card (not debit card) with at least a $5,000 credit limit that covers all auto rental insurance
- A roller bag that actually fits into the overhead compartment
- A Mifi modem so you don’t have to count on wifi
- Appropriate business attire for your region and industry
- Universal Travel Adapter Kit
- Priority Pass membership
Experienced working professional considering your first high travel role? Ask yourself the following:
- Am I comfortable leaving for extended periods – 2-4 days weekly?
- Am I willing to travel on Sundays to get to locations for Monday meetings?
- Will I consider doing a red eye?
- What will I do with my pet?
- Which credit card has the best miles program for the things I want to do?
- Do I have ICE updated in my phone?
- How will I handle auto insurance while driving rental cars?
- Which airline lounge membership is best for my schedule?
- Which credit card can get me access to the most airline lounges?
- Which airline should I use to earn the most points?
- Should I invest in a Priority Pass membership?
There’s no sense in traveling without reaping the benefits of earning points. My favorite movie about business travel has to be Up in the Air with George Clooney.
For all business travelers who plan to spend a lot of time on airplanes for the first time in their careers, my advice is to invest in:
- Wifi modem
- Neck support
- Earplugs
- Noise canceling headphones
- Comfortable shoes
- Eye drops
- Generic Lunesta