Are you thinking of travelling after Uni?
It is graduate season and certainly a time when most graduates are weighing up their options. Are they to stay and enter the work force, or is it time to see the world?
If travel is something that appeals to you, then our recommendation is to get that out of your system before engaging in full-time work! Employers have spent the last few years bowing to the demands of GenerationY and keeping roles open for those that suddenly decided to go travelling for a few months. The reality is, that in the current economic climate it should be “all hands on deck”.
Now is not the time to be starting full time work, and have an employer invest in your training and development if there is even a small HINT of you wanting to leave to go travelling.
If you’re feeling the travel bug now, and you havent commited to full-time work…then get it out of your system and just go! If you need to save money then take on a casual/ temporary job to assist you in putting money aside. Whatever you do, do not take a role unless you know that hand on heart you can be commited to it for at least 3 years.
Companies will only start to see a return on their “graduate” investment after approximately 18 months of being in a role (sometimes longer) and so it is essential that their investment is recognised by candidates.
Over the last 12 months, in a tight economy we have seen a huge decrease in candidates wanting to go travelling, and certainly and increase in the average tenure in a role. The job market has been tighter and hasn’t provided the same opportunities as it had several years previously.
As a young person with limited experience, it is easy to overlook the company that first invested in you at the start of your graduate career. Try to keep in mind that your first employer has had to invest in you enormously, possibly more than any other employer. They will have invested time, effort and money on your training and development. Ensure that you treat them well as they are likely to assist in future career moves – going off travelling after a few short months of working for a company is not likely to assist in the form of a glowing reference!
So…if you’re considering a trip away and you havent started work yet…go for it! There has never been a better time. Besides, many employers make look more favourably upon you if this is “out of your system” prior to starting.
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