advice

RTW Chat Recap: All About Career Breaks
Thursday, October 4th, 2012


We hope you joined us yesterday on Twitter for RTW Chat with BootsnAll.com. RTW Chat is a weekly conversation on Twitter that brings extended travel lovers together from all around the world to discuss everything there is to know about round the world (rtw) travel.

In case you missed it, this week was all about career break travel! Here are some of our favorite responses:

Q1: Where did/do you dream about being when you are at your desk?

@TravelMermaid: Shipwrecked on a desert island with a) King Neptune, b) George Clooney and c) the US Men’s Water Polo team.

@DestnUnknown: Somewhere where I feel like I am living life instead of killing time until I die. Too melodramatic?! If so..Antarctica!!

@Thedelhiway: Always dream about being far far away from bosses, on an island where they cant get to me & mobiles don’t work :)

Q2: What scared/scares you most about taking a career break and traveling?

@SherpaKeith: being able to get a job when I returned, but it really wasn’t that hard – urban myth

?@OurOwnPath: Thinking that finishing traveling I wouldn’t find work. I’m finding the opposite – the world is more open for me to find work

@traveling9to5: I was terrified of squat toilets in Asia – Now I prefer them!

@llworldtour: The unknown & being lonely. Both fears went away pretty quick as i learned I was rarely alone.

Q3: What is/was the hardest part of planning your career break travels?

@VolunteerSarah: Figuring out where to go–too many amazing places!

@HeckticTravels: We never really planned! Kinda threw a dart at a map, and booked our first three nights accommodations only. :)

@DestnUnknown: Getting the balance right between ‘planned’ and ‘unplanned’ – wanting to make the most of my time, but leave it flexible too

@KatkaTravels: tying up loose-ends. Finding a subleaser, home for my dog, closing accounts, etc

Q4: What is/was the easiest part of planning your career break travels?

@travelshus: I thought the easiest part was decided where to go. Easiest ended up being quitting the job and packing the stuff

@katieaune: surprisingly, renting out my condo was one of the easiest – great rental market in Chicago!

@DestnUnknown: Decision to do it was easy, it felt so right. Planning phase was fun, it felt easy because it was fun

@greentravelgrl: Surprisingly easy to sell my car. And also sell all of my furniture and move out of my townhouse to become essentially homeless

Q5: Should your career break travels include working? What kind?

@GirlUnmapped: My year working in Oz was definitely helpful upon returning (got better work experience than I would’ve in US!)

@llworldtour: Didn’t plan it, but mine did. I fell into random jobs & loved it. Became more local, met new people that weren’t travelers.

?@travelitach: I would love to work on farms in every country I visit – that’s how you really get into the local knowledge

Q6: If you’ve taken a career break, what was the most important lesson you learned?

@DestnUnknown: That you can replenish your bank account, but you can’t reclaim time – make each second in life count!

@tweetthemap: That it can be done! And if we, a family of 4, can do it, anyone can!

@katieaune: that no matter how much i stressed or worried, things always had a way of working themselves out.

@anishahbbc: That despite our differences we”re all trying to make it in this world; humans & animals. Philanthropy.

Q7: Why do we need a career break/gap year in America?

?@GirlUnmapped: There’s more to life than work & climbing the ladder – realize there’s more to the world & appreciating the diverse ppl in it.

@HeckticTravels: To broaden one’s perspective outside of their own borders. To break down barriers, stereotypes, and prejudices. TO GROW!

@greentravelgrl: Broader perspectives on the really important issues in life. Not everyone has water from a tap or garbage pickup, etc

?@wanderbelly: To end pervasive American ignorance that the rest of the world is a ‘scary’ place.

Q8: Do you think a career break will help your career? Why?

@traveling9to5: My career break is the start of my new career and my freedom to control my own life again!

@llworldtour: YES! It changed my career & my life. Went from TV producer to full time travel writer & traveler. Less Money. MORE happy.

@riorimontitours: Yes, you will become more aware of how many differences and cultures surround you, and of how vast the world is

?@OutlanderAbroad: Have a great career by US standards. Want to discover what I’m truly passionate about, maybe discover a new career!

?@KatkaTravels: I think it would help ME more than my career. You can work anywhere but working where you are happy is the best

Q9: Would you include a career break and travel on your resume? If so, how?

?@travelshus: yes, and currently do. I put it under skills. Its also clearly a talking pt due to the time gap. #rtwchat.

@insuremytrip: If you wouldn’t, you should! Place it proudly in the appropriate spot under “relevant experience.” List countries. Show pix.

@greentravelgrl: Write a list of skills that you learned on the road such as networking, nonverbal communication, problem solving, photography

?@OutlanderAbroad: YES. Show you can plan, budget, execute a massive-scale ‘project’, plus all the lessons learned & new experiences along the way

Q10: What is the biggest benefit of taking a career break that includes travel?

?@SherpaKeith: you appreciate life and what you have so much more imho

@traveling9to5: Your opportunites are opened and your mindset drastically changes on what success is

@DestnUnknown: Learn that work is not just sitting in an office. Many different ways to earn money around the world, find what you love doing

@GirlUnmapped: We are an increasingly global society. Cross-cultural communication skills, int’l exper & a global perspective are important.

 
And our favorite response of all? From @HeckticTravels: “‘I wish I had NEVER gone traveling.’ Said no one. EVER.”
 
You can also follow along on YouTube with BootsnAll CEO Sean Keener and Meet, Plan, Go! co-founder Sherry Ott as they participated in the RTW Chat:
 

Join us on October 16, 2012 for our nationwide Meet, Plan, Go! events:

Austin | Boston | Chicago | Minneapolis | New York City

San Diego | San Francisco | Seattle | South Florida | Toronto

Photo: West McGowan

Career Break Guide Table of Contents

Meet Plan Go