What should I consider before taking a job with a lot of travel?


Many people are attracted to jobs that have significant travel.  The allure of traveling to new and exciting places, the potential for airline and hotel program status benefits, meeting new people, etc.  All of these things may be exactly what you are looking for.  But my advice for anyone who is considering a position with significant travel and who has not experienced that type of work-life before is to think about all the things in their life that they are involved with that make them happy.  Think hard about whether you can take them on the road with you, reproduce them wherever your business travel takes you, or do without them.  Perhaps you have a standing poker night each month with your friends.  You may not be able to attend that with any regularity.  You may love the climbing gym or cycling club at home.  Can you replace that with hotel gyms?  Do you stick to a diet that will be hard to keep when you need to eat out a lot?  Do you have a relationship at home that will suffer if you are gone a lot?  The list can go on and on and is different for each person.  But it is critical to evaluate this aspect of how your life will change when you travel a lot of the time and make sure you are happy with the accommodations and changes you will need to make.  Another important consideration is whether you will be traveling to different time zones.  Often the idea of globetrotting to different parts of the world is very exciting, but you will have to deal with jetlag while maintaining your work performance.  You will end up dealing with canceled or delayed flights, traffic, and other types of travel disruptions.  Ultimately, a job with significant travel can involve a lot of excitement and fun.  But it is not right for everyone. It is not vacation travel.  And being honest with yourself about what changes you will need to make, what hassles you will need to deal with, and what you will have to give up will help you make the right decision.  And you will never truly know until you do it.