|
Career Counsellor Psychologist Career Coach POSITIVE STEPS FOR A POSITIVE FUTURE
|
|
Travel for Work |
JUST ANOTHER DAY AT THE OFFICE
BRIEFCASE? CHECK. PASSPORT? CHECK. ALLISON TAIT TALKS TO THOSE FOR WHOM FLYING IS PART OF THE JOB TO FIND OUT WHAT IT'S LIKE TO COMMUTE AT 35,000 FEET.
(Article for Business Agenda in Virgin Voyeur inflight magazine)
When we think of people who travel for work, we tend to think of rock stars in private jets, Victoria Beckham emerging from the pointy end of the plane (on her way to Paris to 'research' her own fashion collection), models being flown to exotic locales to look pretty and journalists jetting off to interview famous people in luxury hotel rooms. In a word, glamorous. We don't think of the pharmaceutical rep who's on her third trip to Singapore in as many months, or the Sydney-based environmental planner who spends three days of every week working in the Brisvegas heat. Or even the IT consultant who remembers every detail of the computer system at his next destination - but can't remember where he's staying that week.
The truth is that travel can be a component of many professions - and some surprising ones at that. Anthony Flynn, 33, is a volunteer with Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF). "Even before I began my studies, I imagined that nursing would lead to travel," he says. "I always wanted to work in developing countries in a humanitarian context. I wanted to 'save the world'. I'm not as idealistic now. I'm doing an essential job." As a nurse, and now field coordinator, with MSF, Flynn has spent 18 months overseas since December 2007, working in Uganda, Ethiopia and Chad. In March, he headed to the Democratic Republic of Congo for a six - month stint. The work is unpaid but volunteers receive a monthly stipend. He says, "It's a nominal amount of money, calculated taking experience and responsibility into account. "The intention is that it contributes to your expenses at home," he explains. "Of course, it's tiny compared to the size of most mortgage repayments and normal Australian living expenses." MSF also pays for transport and accommodation as well as any travel vaccinations needed while volunteers are paid a 'per diem' amount to cover food and their expenses in the field. Although it's a far-flung destination, Flynn admits that sightseeing is not part of his daily agenda, "The nature of the work is that we're in tough places and we're there for a reason," he says. "Part of the agreement is that we have a week's holiday at the end of each three-month period. This time, I'll have amazing places on my doorstep, such as Kenya, Eastern Congo, Uganda and Zanzibar."
“People tend to think that travelling for work is a lot more glamorous than the reality.”
As Flynn's example shows, an exotic location doesn't equal an easy life - you're there to work, and you work hard. "People tend to think travelling for work is a lot more glamorous than the reality," says Jacqui Rochester, a Brisbane-based registered psychologist specialising in career counselling and coaching. "You might be going to lots of places, but you're not necessarily getting the time to do anything fun. You're often on your own, staying in anonymous hotel rooms and dining solo in restaurants."
Dan Sims, project manager for The Wine Guide, a wine consultancy company, who sits on the National Executives of Sommeliers Australia, agrees that the perception of constant glamor is a misplaced one." I enjoy the mix of work and play that my job involves," he says. "But is hanging out at the airport glamorous? No, not really. Am I staying in five-star hotels all the time? No. I go to a lot of rural areas." Of course, it doesn't hurt that the rural areas involved are some of the best-known wine-making regions in Europe, New Zealand and Australia. As part of his work with The Wine Guide, Sims advises restaurants all over Australia, as well as undertaking training work on the education committee for Sommeliers Australia. He is also involved with the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival, which takes place in March each year. A sommelier's job is to help diners navigate their way through a wine list, to construct a suitable wine list for a restaurant and to manage all aspects of the wine experience within the restaurant, including ordering and managing the finances for the wine. For Sims, 33, who began working in the hospitality industry in a front-of-house role when he was only 16, travel is an essential part of that job description. "If you're in the wine industry, visiting wine regions is assumed," he says. "It's one thing to read a book, but until you stand in that region and look at the environment and see how it all works,.' it simply doesn't click." Based in Melbourne, he's away from home at least a couple of times a month. "I find the day trips most exhausting," he says. "But it's not about being tired. Experiencing something new every time you get off a plane is exciting."
“Meeting new people, experiencing new cultures and getting to know what life is like in these places is the biggest reward.”
THE JOURNEY IS THE REWARD
For some people, however, the experience on the plane is the job. Linda Wentworth*, 45, is a Brisbane-based mystery shopper for Customer Brand Services. In essence, she goes undercover on behalf of a client to assess the experience their customers receive. In her case, the client is often an airline and she travels free up to (four times a month) to various interstate destinations for the job. Sounds like fun, right? Of course, you do get to fly free, but before you leap up to sign on for a mystery shopper's boarding pass, consider this. Accommodation is not included and you don't get paid, apart from $6 each way for a modest meal at the airport. Then there's the fact that there are reports to write. And a lot of details to remember - after all, you can't blow your mystery shopper cover by scribbling notes as you go. To give you an idea, from the time she enters the airport, Wentworth has to remember: what time she enters; whether an airline representative is available to help her join the queue; how long she waits to be checked in; whether the process of checking in goes smoothly; whether the area is clean; which check-out counters are open; who's there to man them; whether priority guests are kept waiting and for how long; how customers are treated at the desk...the list goes on. Add to that the fact that you have to remember the name of every single person you have contact with, from when you arrive at the airport to when you leave at the other end, and you begin to get an idea of the effort involved. "You have to remember that it's work," says Wentworth, a 10-year veteran of the industry, who started out assessing fast food venues at $5 a pop and moved her way up to airlines. "You're not there to enjoy the flight. And you can never have paperwork anywhere it can be seen." The job of a mystery shopper is to help improve customer service. Once the flight's over and the reports are written, Wentworth is on her own. "I've made very good friends in the cities I go to regularly - Sydney, Melbourne, Cairns." she says. "I have regular haunts in every city too. It's funny, I don't remember the names of any of them but I could take you there!" “I've made very good friends in the cities I go to regularly – Sydney Melbourne, Cairns. I have regular haunts in every city too.”
ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE
The idea of a barista or bartender in another city knowing your name and your favourite drop is seductive. Flynn nominates Geneva as his favoured travel destination - he's visited five times for briefings since starting with MSF. "I keep discovering new parts of the city," he says. "It's a nice contrast to the extreme parts of this type of work - and an important one." He nominates the central running track as his favourite haunt. "It goes along the river and it's beautiful," he says.
Sims, on the other hand, relishes the fact that travel allows him to seek out something new. "I get the best understanding of what's happening in food and wine by visiting as many restaurants as possible. Although, I do love Cafe Italia, a restaurant and wine bar in Desenzano del Garda, Italy. I also love The Square, a two-star restaurant in London."
While the thrill of the new can keep you going, however, constant travel can get old for those you leave behind. Rochester says, “When people who've been in a job where they travel a lot come to me to talk about a career change, I have discovered that it is usually because their circumstances have changed. The most common reason they cite is that they want to spend more time at home."
Of course, there are plenty of frequent flyers who do make it work. Sims and his wife, Joanne, have been together for 10 years and married for two. "When we met, we both worked in hospitality, so we got used to having limited time with each other," he says. "It is difficult, but it's better to enjoy the time together, rather than complaining. It's also important that we get away to places together - that aren't wine-related!" Wentworth believes her job has no impact on her relationship. "Sometimes my husband will hop on a cheap flight and come with me," she says. "My children are grown up so I'm free to do what I want."
For Flynn though, the long periods of travel overseas that his job involves can often make establishing long-term relationships a little difficult. "Personal relationships always come with a contingency - my availability is always going to be limited," he says, adding that, for now, he's happy enough with what he's got. "I could stay at home in Melbourne, develop a long-term career and live happily ever after in a routine that's been done a zillion times before me, but I probably won't because I believe that I'm doing vital work overseas."
Those keen for a job involving travel should take note. "The reality of travelling for work can come as a rude shock because it's quite different from travelling for pleasure," says Rochester. "There are all sorts of little aggravations, from being out of your normal routine to being both physically and mentally exhausted. However, loving your job will compensate for all the travelling time." Rochester adds, "Meeting new people, experiencing new cultures and getting to know what life is like in these places is the biggest reward. When you visit a place a few times and start to feel like a local - that's amazing."
CAROUSEL CONFIDENTIAL
We asked our three frequent flyers for their top travel tips:
HAVE YOU CONSIDERED...
You might be surprised by the variety of jobs involving travel. Here are a few examples:
BRIEFCASE? CHECK. PASSPORT? CHECK. ALLISON TAIT TALKS TO THOSE FOR WHOM FLYING IS PART OF THE JOB TO FIND OUT WHAT IT'S LIKE TO COMMUTE AT 35,000 FEET.
(Article for Business Agenda in Virgin Voyeur inflight magazine)
When we think of people who travel for work, we tend to think of rock stars in private jets, Victoria Beckham emerging from the pointy end of the plane (on her way to Paris to 'research' her own fashion collection), models being flown to exotic locales to look pretty and journalists jetting off to interview famous people in luxury hotel rooms. In a word, glamorous. We don't think of the pharmaceutical rep who's on her third trip to Singapore in as many months, or the Sydney-based environmental planner who spends three days of every week working in the Brisvegas heat. Or even the IT consultant who remembers every detail of the computer system at his next destination - but can't remember where he's staying that week.
The truth is that travel can be a component of many professions - and some surprising ones at that. Anthony Flynn, 33, is a volunteer with Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF). "Even before I began my studies, I imagined that nursing would lead to travel," he says. "I always wanted to work in developing countries in a humanitarian context. I wanted to 'save the world'. I'm not as idealistic now. I'm doing an essential job." As a nurse, and now field coordinator, with MSF, Flynn has spent 18 months overseas since December 2007, working in Uganda, Ethiopia and Chad. In March, he headed to the Democratic Republic of Congo for a six - month stint. The work is unpaid but volunteers receive a monthly stipend. He says, "It's a nominal amount of money, calculated taking experience and responsibility into account. "The intention is that it contributes to your expenses at home," he explains. "Of course, it's tiny compared to the size of most mortgage repayments and normal Australian living expenses." MSF also pays for transport and accommodation as well as any travel vaccinations needed while volunteers are paid a 'per diem' amount to cover food and their expenses in the field. Although it's a far-flung destination, Flynn admits that sightseeing is not part of his daily agenda, "The nature of the work is that we're in tough places and we're there for a reason," he says. "Part of the agreement is that we have a week's holiday at the end of each three-month period. This time, I'll have amazing places on my doorstep, such as Kenya, Eastern Congo, Uganda and Zanzibar."
“People tend to think that travelling for work is a lot more glamorous than the reality.”
As Flynn's example shows, an exotic location doesn't equal an easy life - you're there to work, and you work hard. "People tend to think travelling for work is a lot more glamorous than the reality," says Jacqui Rochester, a Brisbane-based registered psychologist specialising in career counselling and coaching. "You might be going to lots of places, but you're not necessarily getting the time to do anything fun. You're often on your own, staying in anonymous hotel rooms and dining solo in restaurants."
Dan Sims, project manager for The Wine Guide, a wine consultancy company, who sits on the National Executives of Sommeliers Australia, agrees that the perception of constant glamor is a misplaced one." I enjoy the mix of work and play that my job involves," he says. "But is hanging out at the airport glamorous? No, not really. Am I staying in five-star hotels all the time? No. I go to a lot of rural areas." Of course, it doesn't hurt that the rural areas involved are some of the best-known wine-making regions in Europe, New Zealand and Australia. As part of his work with The Wine Guide, Sims advises restaurants all over Australia, as well as undertaking training work on the education committee for Sommeliers Australia. He is also involved with the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival, which takes place in March each year. A sommelier's job is to help diners navigate their way through a wine list, to construct a suitable wine list for a restaurant and to manage all aspects of the wine experience within the restaurant, including ordering and managing the finances for the wine. For Sims, 33, who began working in the hospitality industry in a front-of-house role when he was only 16, travel is an essential part of that job description. "If you're in the wine industry, visiting wine regions is assumed," he says. "It's one thing to read a book, but until you stand in that region and look at the environment and see how it all works,.' it simply doesn't click." Based in Melbourne, he's away from home at least a couple of times a month. "I find the day trips most exhausting," he says. "But it's not about being tired. Experiencing something new every time you get off a plane is exciting."
“Meeting new people, experiencing new cultures and getting to know what life is like in these places is the biggest reward.”
THE JOURNEY IS THE REWARD
For some people, however, the experience on the plane is the job. Linda Wentworth*, 45, is a Brisbane-based mystery shopper for Customer Brand Services. In essence, she goes undercover on behalf of a client to assess the experience their customers receive. In her case, the client is often an airline and she travels free up to (four times a month) to various interstate destinations for the job. Sounds like fun, right? Of course, you do get to fly free, but before you leap up to sign on for a mystery shopper's boarding pass, consider this. Accommodation is not included and you don't get paid, apart from $6 each way for a modest meal at the airport. Then there's the fact that there are reports to write. And a lot of details to remember - after all, you can't blow your mystery shopper cover by scribbling notes as you go. To give you an idea, from the time she enters the airport, Wentworth has to remember: what time she enters; whether an airline representative is available to help her join the queue; how long she waits to be checked in; whether the process of checking in goes smoothly; whether the area is clean; which check-out counters are open; who's there to man them; whether priority guests are kept waiting and for how long; how customers are treated at the desk...the list goes on. Add to that the fact that you have to remember the name of every single person you have contact with, from when you arrive at the airport to when you leave at the other end, and you begin to get an idea of the effort involved. "You have to remember that it's work," says Wentworth, a 10-year veteran of the industry, who started out assessing fast food venues at $5 a pop and moved her way up to airlines. "You're not there to enjoy the flight. And you can never have paperwork anywhere it can be seen." The job of a mystery shopper is to help improve customer service. Once the flight's over and the reports are written, Wentworth is on her own. "I've made very good friends in the cities I go to regularly - Sydney, Melbourne, Cairns." she says. "I have regular haunts in every city too. It's funny, I don't remember the names of any of them but I could take you there!" “I've made very good friends in the cities I go to regularly – Sydney Melbourne, Cairns. I have regular haunts in every city too.”
ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE
The idea of a barista or bartender in another city knowing your name and your favourite drop is seductive. Flynn nominates Geneva as his favoured travel destination - he's visited five times for briefings since starting with MSF. "I keep discovering new parts of the city," he says. "It's a nice contrast to the extreme parts of this type of work - and an important one." He nominates the central running track as his favourite haunt. "It goes along the river and it's beautiful," he says.
Sims, on the other hand, relishes the fact that travel allows him to seek out something new. "I get the best understanding of what's happening in food and wine by visiting as many restaurants as possible. Although, I do love Cafe Italia, a restaurant and wine bar in Desenzano del Garda, Italy. I also love The Square, a two-star restaurant in London."
While the thrill of the new can keep you going, however, constant travel can get old for those you leave behind. Rochester says, “When people who've been in a job where they travel a lot come to me to talk about a career change, I have discovered that it is usually because their circumstances have changed. The most common reason they cite is that they want to spend more time at home."
Of course, there are plenty of frequent flyers who do make it work. Sims and his wife, Joanne, have been together for 10 years and married for two. "When we met, we both worked in hospitality, so we got used to having limited time with each other," he says. "It is difficult, but it's better to enjoy the time together, rather than complaining. It's also important that we get away to places together - that aren't wine-related!" Wentworth believes her job has no impact on her relationship. "Sometimes my husband will hop on a cheap flight and come with me," she says. "My children are grown up so I'm free to do what I want."
For Flynn though, the long periods of travel overseas that his job involves can often make establishing long-term relationships a little difficult. "Personal relationships always come with a contingency - my availability is always going to be limited," he says, adding that, for now, he's happy enough with what he's got. "I could stay at home in Melbourne, develop a long-term career and live happily ever after in a routine that's been done a zillion times before me, but I probably won't because I believe that I'm doing vital work overseas."
Those keen for a job involving travel should take note. "The reality of travelling for work can come as a rude shock because it's quite different from travelling for pleasure," says Rochester. "There are all sorts of little aggravations, from being out of your normal routine to being both physically and mentally exhausted. However, loving your job will compensate for all the travelling time." Rochester adds, "Meeting new people, experiencing new cultures and getting to know what life is like in these places is the biggest reward. When you visit a place a few times and start to feel like a local - that's amazing."
CAROUSEL CONFIDENTIAL
We asked our three frequent flyers for their top travel tips:
- Travel light. Sommelier Dan Sims boasts he can survive for four days overseas armed with only carry-on baggage.
- Mystery shopper Linda Wentworth checks in to domestic flights two hours early because, "I avoid long queues, have time for a coffee and get more seating options on the plane."
- Volunteer Anthony Flynn is often away for months but he keeps his documents updated: "Make sure your passport is always valid, in case you have to fly somewhere in a hurry."
HAVE YOU CONSIDERED...
You might be surprised by the variety of jobs involving travel. Here are a few examples:
- Auditors
- Insolvency Practitioners
- Academics
- Project Managers
- Land Surveyors
- Property Investors
- Importer/Exporters
- ESL Teachers
|
|