Starting my career, now what?? - TravelPUNK Backpacker College Student Budget Travel Message Boards!

dudeman · 12-12-2008, 10:14 AM

As it says, I finally landed a job in the field I have my degree in. With the economy as bad as it is, and this being my only job prospect, I was in the processing of planning a trip to Thailand if this fell through. It didn't. Now I am wondering how do the people on here that work full time find time for extended travel? I am positive that asking if it is possible to take a month to two off at a time is not a good question to start with. So, how do you guys do it? Maybe a big trip between jobs? Some places let you take vacation without getting pay? Lets here some advice and answers to let me know that this isn't the end of my wanderlust.

**maracle** · 12-12-2008, 10:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dudeman

Now I am wondering how do the people on here that work full time find time for extended travel? I am positive that asking if it is possible to take a month to two off at a time is not a good question to start with. So, how do you guys do it? Maybe a big trip between jobs? Some places let you take vacation without getting pay?

There really isn't any way to do it. Well, in my industry you could probably get 4-5 weeks off at once if you banked up your vacation for a year and a half. I work in the tech field and it seems especially common for Indian expats to take an extended vacation to spend back in India.

Anyway, the best thing to do I think is to save aggressively and travel between jobs. Or maybe try to relocate to a country where more vacation is offered.

**Canadian Bacon** · 12-12-2008, 04:04 PM

^ Agree. The only other way is to, when you find a new job, strategically start at a later date so you have time to travel! Or get a government job.

**marc873** · 12-12-2008, 08:43 PM

Does your new company have offices abroad? If so, maybe you could line up a transfer, then travel on long wknds etc... to surrounding countries...

dudeman · 12-14-2008, 04:48 PM

My new company is a brand new software company forming off of an existing company. I am thinking I will probably just have to plan twice as hard to do this. If the company is as successful as what we hope, I might just try to buy tons of stock early and then move on. Either way as long as I get some experience here and find some time to travel, but it looks like it will probably have to be between jobs.

**Dig** · 12-15-2008, 02:16 PM

I'm kinda stuck in your shoes too. My job offers only 1 week paid vacation every year for the first 2, the 2 a year until year 5 then 3. That is rotten.
I can't deal with that schedule so I am committed to saving and moving on. It sucks but I travel takes priority.

Flood · 01-11-2009, 01:30 PM

Get a new job.

For the past 3 years I have been managing Hotels. (So far, I am GMing my 4th Hotel.)

I just started my GM position with Accor Hotels. (Massive International Hospitality Company.)

I've found these companies are more than sympathetic to people with a love of travel.

- Flood

coconut24 · 01-20-2009, 04:25 AM

well if you take off time in the middle of your days off you can extend your time. for example if i know i get two three day weekends back to back i take vacation in the middle of them and my 5 day vacation becomes 11 days

**MeTurk** · 01-20-2009, 05:47 AM

I get 4 weeks a year but 2 of those weeks are reserved for the Christmas break. I can take more time off I just won't get payed for it. Can you not just take the extra time off unpaid?

I usually tend to cram it into 2 weeks or less though. It's handy living in Europe I suppose, I can just up and leave to any other EU state any time I want. I try to make it fun by buying a ticket to one country and the return from another and see how it goes.

Over in the US you have south America on your doorstep, is it not easy to take short breaks to any of those countrys?

Flood · 01-21-2009, 05:58 AM

You know... I've been so focused on Europe... I never though about south america.

**TheWills** · 03-01-2009, 12:12 PM

Get a union job and then once your in the union after a year or so, say the work load is causing your problems, get a note fro your doctor and go on stress leave, theygive you anywhere from a month -several months paid time off.

**Sijuki** · 03-01-2009, 12:46 PM

you might able to take a 'sabbatical' if the company is lenient. and just not get paid for it

Dig, what do you work for home depot or something?

**tumblezweedz** · 03-06-2009, 06:47 AM

If the job is something you're enjoying and you want to get some experience before moving on (which helps when finding the next job, too - employers don't want to train you, only to have you up and leave), then bite the bullet and wait out those painful first years when holidays are utterly inadequate. Save up for your week's vacation and focus on ONE destination for that time. If Europe is your dream vacation, spend a week in Rome OR Paris OR Berlin. Pick someplace with enough to keep you busy for the duration, so you're not tempted to spend your time making daytrips. It takes discipline, and faith that you'll get another chance to come back and see more. But another advantage is that when you have a longer break, you can add another destination to your itinerary, since you've already knocked out a big one.

With such a short holiday, I like the suggestion of traveling north or south, instead of west or east. That way you won't lose time and energy to jetlag. A week in Rio or Macchu Picchu or Montreal is just as much travel as a week in Kyoto or Prague. For that matter, save money and time by taking a trip closer to home. I once had to cancel a longer trip to Morocco, and substituted a shorter jaunt to Albuquerque (Balloon Fiesta), Santa Fe and the Grand Canyon. Hard to imagine two more different destinations, but the latter was still fascinating, challenging, fun and memorable.

Bottom line, you can still satisfy your wanderlust while paying the bills - you just have to take a different approach.