What to do with your job?
Planning a world trip
By Jaimy de Vries
So the plan is ready; you know where you want to go and when, you have a budget and you fixed your housing situation. The next step is making a plan what to do with your job. For some this part is easy. If you’re one of the many people using a world trip as a way to get out of the career you dislike, just simply quit. But not all long-travelers started traveling because they hate their job. There are plenty of people out there traveling who actually love their jobs, plan on returning, but simply wanted a break (like me!). If you are one of these people, then it’s time to start planning how you can keep your job while still traveling the world.
How to quit your job?
It’s important to be optimistic when planning a trip and a lifestyle change like this, but it’s also important to be realistic. There are plenty of employers and bosses who simply aren’t going to go for the sabbatical or leave of absence route. They know that there are plenty of people out there looking for jobs, so why keep one if they actually do need the employees? This is a legitimate concern, and even if an employer does agree to a leave of absence, it better be in writing to make it official. If you do have to just outright quit your job in order to travel the world, then make sure you don’t burn any bridges while doing so. Even if that boss is unsupportive and just doesn’t get it, it pays to remain cordial. A job may be open when you return,
and if not, you are probably going to need him or her as a referral. If you don’t have anything lined up for when you return, that’s okay. It can be stressful, yes, but if you know this going in, you can plan and make sure you have a little nest-egg for when you return (which is something you should have regardless of your employment situation).
Do the things you love!
Your trip is going to give you a whole lot of newly found confidence, which is something that will benefit you greatly in your return to the job search. There are countless career breaks, world travelers who left their jobs to travel the world only to find a new love while gone. Typically people who are willing to quit a job to travel the world aren’t meant for the formal, cubical setting of most corporate jobs. Traveling the world gives these people a chance to take a step back from life to really assess what it is they want to do. It’s a great opportunity to reflect on your life, your decisions, and what you have done up to this point. Since time will be on your side during a world trip, take advantage of that time to dip into your creative side. If you like writing but found you didn’t have the time during your hectic life, then pick it back up on the road. If you like drawing, then draw. You like practicing yoga, then take yoga classes. All those things you have always said, ‘I’d love to do that, but I just don’t have the time.’ Do them! You never know what you may be able to build a career out of.
What I did..
‘Since 2016 I was working as an intern at JGZ Almere. In 2017 they offered me a job when I got my bachelor degree of science, diploma for nursing. I worked with many people and teams in Almere. The last two years I was working in team Buiten. A very supportive and fun team! I had such a great time there and learned a lot.
I loved my job, but deciding what to do with my job was not very difficult due to the extent of my trip and the fact that I had enough finances. My world trip is longer than two years, so a Gap-year was not possible. Especially not in my working area as a nurse – there is a shortage of health care professionals. Besides that I want to have all the freedom in the world. I don’t want to have limited time to travel, maybe I want to extent my trip to a three-year world trip. I don’t want to be tied down to go home and talk to my boss and finger crossed that they will accept to extent my leave. Another reason to just quit was that I’m not sure if I want to keep working as a nurse, maybe I want to start my own business or maybe I discover a new love while traveling like working at a farm or as a scuba diving instructor. I have all the freedom now to discover what I want to do and what I’m going to do in the future!’
Thursday the 11th of November I had my last day at the office. It felt strange to be unemployed, but also felt great… a sense of freedom and luxury. I’m blessed with having this opportunity! At my last day I took a look back how I started as an intern and grew into a full-fledged youth nurse, how my colleagues put it in words nicely. I laughed and I cried with colleagues, I had a great time and learned a lot. But after 5 years I thought it was alright so I started my early retirement. Okay, bye!
Special thanks to
….all my colleagues at JGZ Almere! I had such a good time with y’all!!
