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Join Date: Oct 2015
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Career Path for Travel Opportunities?

10/18/2015 2:48 AM

Hello, I am currently a University Mechanical Engineer Senior and I have come to realize after my international travel experiences that I love to go abroad. I was wondering what are some career paths that allow international travel opportunities? I've been searching "engineer+travel" on job finder sites like indeed and listings like field service engineer pop up, but I am wondering if there are more I am unaware of.

Or is this just a terrible idea and should I just aim for a career with decent vacation time? I would like to know your experiences if you have any.

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#1

Re: Career Path for Travel Opportunities?

10/18/2015 3:02 AM

So, you either want to get paid to travel or not work very much?

Since you give no indication of where you are, the term, "abroad" is nebulous.

How did you come by your, "international travel experiences" and why did you stop them?

I think you should become a travel agent or be an engineer on a cruise ship line.

Good luck.

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Participant

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#2

Re: Career Path for Travel Opportunities?

10/18/2015 3:15 AM

Thank you for the reply. Working on a cruise ship is something I can see myself enjoying and I'll have to research the pros-cons of being a travel agent.

I was mainly thinking along the lines of getting paid to travel. I reside in the USA and I have mainly traveled to China, Japan and Canada to see family members. These trips were funded by my family for this primary reason.

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#3

Re: Career Path for Travel Opportunities?

10/18/2015 8:09 AM

Pico Iyer might have some ideas.

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#4

Re: Career Path for Travel Opportunities?

10/18/2015 8:27 AM

A lot of Engineering jobs may require travel. You just ask about it when you apply for the job. Remember that the hiring "agent" will be looking for your "Engineering" qualifications more than your travel desires. I traveled all over the world for companies I worked for. After a few years it becomes much less desirable. I stay at home now that I'm retired, although I could travel if I chose to...it's not fun any more!

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#5

Re: Career Path for Travel Opportunities?

10/18/2015 10:44 AM

I agree with Tom_Consulting , if you get a job with a multi-national engineering company, all you will have to do is whisper the fact that you enjoy travel. You will get all you can handle. This presumes however, that you have the skills they need in those places.

Just beware what you ask for: If you can handle going out-of-town/abroad, and handle the stress of startups, troubleshooting or fixing foul-ups when the financial pressure is on from the client - you will be pigeon-holed, and do that for the rest of your career.

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#6

Re: Career Path for Travel Opportunities?

10/18/2015 11:18 AM

You have to make a choice what is the most important to you. It's a stressful and risky job flying around the world and it should be well compensated. Quality family time is an issue if you are married and have little kids. Kids stay at home around 18 years and you would be left alone with your wife, starting probably at their college days.

It's always best to work at home with the kids and enjoy your wife and family if you can manage and you can do business.

But, hey, if you are single? Why not?

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#7

Re: Career Path for Travel Opportunities?

10/18/2015 9:49 PM

Speaking as a ex-road warrior, I enjoyed the hell outta traveling all over the place.........for a while, then I figured out what I was missing out on at home (had one of my associates wife tell him "I'm having sex this weekend.....are you going to be there?").

I saw many wondrous things while traveling, but never really got to enjoy any of it due to the pressures of the job at hand.

Now that my kids have left the roost I'm starting to think about all the places I've been and would enjoy seeing again as a tourist.

But I think I'll just travel the USA first and see what there is to see (just did a road trip to Yellowstone not long ago and that was something that i'll always remember).

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#8

Re: Career Path for Travel Opportunities?

10/19/2015 8:37 AM

About the only things business trips have in common with vacation trips is that you are away from home & sleeping in a hotel. Once you go through the gates of the plant or office building where you are working, it doesn't really matter what city you are in. Sometimes you can find time to sightsee when you aren't working, but business trips don't often take you to places you would select for a vacation. I'm not trying to pee on your parade... Business travel can be enjoyable. But it's definitely not much like vacation travel, unless you plan to take some time off while you are away. Plan to pay for your own expenses during your day(s) off.

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#9

Re: Career Path for Travel Opportunities?

10/19/2015 11:21 AM

Well, if you wish to stay in the engineering field - there will be plenty of travel opportunities if you work for an organization that either designs OEM equipment that is sold globally, or provides technical services globally.

But, it's not likely to happen right way. Since you are still in school, you bring no applicable experience to the organization as a fresh graduate and usually those that travel for companies are those that have experience and solutions in their toolbox.

It's a cost vs. value equation - there is significant cost to sending employees globe-trotting and rarely do green employees fresh out of school provided the level of value necessary to outweigh the cost.

Summary - you are in the dawn of your career; get some hands-on experience, become bi-lingual, and the travel will come - more than you will ever want.

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#10

Re: Career Path for Travel Opportunities?

10/19/2015 1:30 PM

Talk to your local recruiter. The armed forces is always looking for smart people who like to travel.

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#14
In reply to #10

Re: Career Path for Travel Opportunities?

11/21/2015 3:53 PM

...and kill people.

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#15
In reply to #14

Re: Career Path for Travel Opportunities?

11/23/2015 9:27 AM

Don't you mean 'defend' the people whom share the same values and freedoms that define you as a people and nation? Even those that do not have the fortitude to stand proud next to their convictions but rather would hide behind the veil of anonymity?

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#11

Re: Career Path for Travel Opportunities?

10/19/2015 1:50 PM

You might want to look for a technical-support position with a company that sells specialized, complex equipment, where start-up support is a key part of the purchase agreement. Those guys are called upon to go all over the world to start-up new equipment or provide specialized technical support. It has been my experience that these guys aren't necessarily senior-level engineers... they know their own equipment intimately. They also typically need to have communication skills to provide training for the customer's maintenance and operations people.

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#12

Re: Career Path for Travel Opportunities?

10/20/2015 1:00 AM

Get a job first in say, the US, that has operations in other countries.

Say a large construction company that is vertically integrated and does its M and E all in house...

These glamour jobs are getting harder to find as your overseas competitors get trained.

Maybe a job at home that eventually pays well and has flexible appearance requirements would work for you.

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#13

Re: Career Path for Travel Opportunities?

10/20/2015 1:01 AM

Join the military?

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Anonymous Poster (1); Brave Sir Robin (1); JavaHead (2); Kilowatt0 (1); Legolaz (1); lyn (1); R.Yellow (1); Tom_Consulting (1); Tornado (1); tribefan1952 (2); Wal (2); Wrench twirler (1)

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