In today’s competitive job market, candidates are always looking for ways to stand out. One often-overlooked but incredibly valuable addition to a CV is travel experience. Travel, when done with intention and purpose, can develop a range of skills and attributes that are highly attractive to employers. Incorporating travel experiences along with volunteering, work placements, and freelance gigs on your CV can showcase your versatility, adaptability, and a wide range of skills.
Highlight transferable skills
Traveling, volunteering, work placements, and freelance work cultivate a variety of transferable skills. These skills are valuable in any professional setting:
Adaptability: Adjusting to new environments and working conditions.
Problem-solving: Tackling unforeseen challenges.
Communication: Engaging with diverse groups of people.
Cultural awareness: Gaining insights into different cultures and practices.
Time management: Balancing various tasks and responsibilities.
When listing these skills on your CV, use specific examples from your experiences to demonstrate how you developed and applied them.
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Include travel in the professional experience section
If your travel experiences involved work, volunteer projects, or educational pursuits, they should be included in the professional experience section of your CV.
For example:
Volunteer English Teacher
Bangkok, Thailand
January 2022 – June 2022
- Taught English to a class of 30 students, improving their language proficiency by 20%.
- Developed lesson plans and educational activities tailored to different learning styles.
- Enhanced cross-cultural communication and adaptability skills.
Create a separate travel experience section
If your travel experiences are extensive and don’t neatly fit into the professional experience section, consider creating a separate section titled “Travel Experience.” This section can showcase significant trips that contributed to your personal and professional growth. For example:
Travel Experience
Backpacking across South America
January 2020 – December 2020
- Visited 10 countries, immersing in diverse cultures and improving Spanish language skills.
- Organized and managed a budget for a year-long trip, demonstrating financial planning and resourcefulness.
- Volunteered with local NGOs, assisting in community development projects and gaining hands-on experience in social work.
Leverage the cover letter
Your cover letter is another excellent place to elaborate on how your travel experiences make you a unique and qualified candidate. Share stories and insights from your travels that highlight your growth and the skills you’ve acquired.
Example:
“During my year-long backpacking journey across Southeast Asia, I honed my ability to adapt quickly to new environments and communicate effectively with people from various cultural backgrounds. These experiences have equipped me with a heightened sense of empathy and problem-solving skills that I am excited to bring to the role of Project Manager at XYZ Company.”
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