for those who went traveling for a year

juanveron45 · 06-04-2007 6:33pm #1

To anyone who has gone traveling for a 6 months to a year to Australia or Usa or wherever, when you come back and are looking for a job do they ask you many questions at interviews about where you where, what type of questions do you get asked?

Aedh Baclamh · 06-04-2007 9:27pm

Always asked your favourite colour, so make sure you give the right answer there.

rediguana · 06-04-2007 9:32pm

I was in Australia for eight months between 2002-3. It is rarely, if ever, mentioned or brought up in interviews by either party, in my case.

Glowing · 06-04-2007 9:40pm

I was away for all of 2006 and in any of the interviews I've done since, they haven't asked me anything more than 'so did you have a good time' or 'where did you go'.

I did put a line in my C.V explaining the 1 year gap, so they've no reason to question anything.

Anyway, don't let that stop you going!

juanveron45 · 06-04-2007 10:03pm

well ive been out of work since last oct I had to quit because I hated it, im going to have to think of a good excuse for why i was out of work as im now looking for jobs I cant tell my new employers I left because I hated my last place of work so ill just tell them i went travelling for a few months

Attol · 07-04-2007 9:12am

I think lying is a really bad idea. What if you're asked "Where did you go? What part? What did you do there?" and it turns out the interviewer is from there? That could cause a lot of trouble for you and if you're outted as a liar there goes the whole interview.

Why don't you say you were looking for something different and just wanted to have some time off to assess your options?

Also what age are you and what line of work is it you're looking for? Is it hard to come by jobs in the industry? Have you taken time off after college? These could also be used as excuses.

EDIT: just searched all your posts and they're mainly asking how to get into a variety of different career paths. Your indecisiveness and lack of dedication to a specific job could potentially harm you in interviews. Just learn to really sell yourself as you seem a little lost with regards of where you see yourself in the next few years. If all your previous jobs have been in different fields you can say you wanted time to figure out what was right for you so you could find exactly what suited you in the long run.

damnyanks · 07-04-2007 12:17pm

Dont know many places that would see it as a problem. Better to get it out of your system then decide 3 months into a new job you want to go travel the world.

axer · 07-04-2007 1:43pm

I would think having travelled away for 6-12 months would be a plus as potential employers might like that you have gotten it out of your blood i.e. you did your travelling already so you are free to work on your career and thus stay a long time in the job.

Attol · 07-04-2007 3:40pm

But he didn't go away, he's lying about it to explain the fact he quit his last job?

axer · 07-04-2007 5:17pm

Attol wrote:

But he didn't go away, he's lying about it to explain the fact he quit his last job?

Yep, missed that post. Sorry.

juanveron45 · 09-04-2007 8:06pm

well Ill tell you this much if I tell the truth and that I left my last job because I didnt like it, I for sure wont get a job, I mean if I say I went to aus for 6 months they wont interogate me about it. I dont have to have gone to many places either so its not like I need to know the whole geography of the place

pclancy · 11-04-2007 7:31am

You might get found out eventually and its best never to lie in an interview. It could come up in conversation once you get hired and then get back to the boss, Id say just tell the truth. If you didnt like your last job, no HR/Recruiter person is going to hold it against you if you have a decent reason why....people move jobs or careers all the time because they're not happy.

Tony Danza · 11-04-2007 9:09am

Of course say you went travelling, the odds of the interviewing having been to whatever place you make up isn't very likely, and it's an easy excuse to explain the missing few months. Everyone lies in an interview.

cee_jay · 12-04-2007 3:06pm

This is the second thread you have created about this?
Did you not like the answers you got in the last one?

I went travelling for a year - when I got back this was brought up in my first interview (I ended up getting the job), and afterwards HR told me my heart was still in Australia - she could tell, but she didn't have any local knowledge.
However, the job I am in now, as my year out is explained on my CV, it was brought up again, and my new manager did the same trip as me - and we had a great chat about the different places we have been during the interview and since!
You don't know who is interviewing you, you don't know their backgroud, and personally I would prefer to tell the truth, than to be caught out in a big lie, which would just be embarrassing really!

galah · 12-04-2007 3:45pm

I lived and worked in Oz for two years - questions about the work there came up, that was grand, but the next question then threw me:

HR person: "So I see in your CV that between leaving your last job in Australia and starting your last job in Ireland, there are two (TWO!) weeks unaccounted for - what were you doing during those two weeks?"

WTF???

(explanation (also in my CV...): I am German, so apart from organizing the move from Australia to Ireland, my parents would have killed me if I didn't at least stop by to say hello on my way back to Europe...).

I thought that was a bit rich...

for those who went traveling for a year

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