Would you take a job that is up to 40% travel

[Anonymous]

I wouldn't love it, but I make under 100k, so I'd probably do it to triple my salary. Not sure about doubling, how much is time with little kids after school worth?

[Anonymous]

It would have to come with a major lifestyle changing salary increase.

[Anonymous]

I would do it. Maybe that means you work Monday-Wednesday travel and remote work Thursday and Friday. Seems fine but make sure money is right

[Anonymous]

It depends how the travel is structured:

-2-3 days per week or 2 weeks per month (Mon-Thurs)?
-All air travel or is it driving distance?
-Schedule flexibility, ie can you take off a day here and there to get your life back in order?

40% in itself isn’t that difficult if you have things in place or have control over the travel itself. Age 25-33, I traveled by air every single week. Literally 70-90% travel. That was a lot, but it greatly advanced my career (it was pre-kids and in the stage where I set myself up for that transition). I was often promised 50% travel in hiring interviews, but it always became more.

I took a new job at 33 that was 40% travel and was about half air and half driving. The nice thing about driving is that I could control the calendar a bit more since I wasn’t dependent upon flight times. I could drive 3 hours on Monday morning so I didn’t miss Sunday dinner and leave after dinner on a Tuesday night so I didn’t have to miss Wednesday morning with the family. The company provided a vehicle.

[Anonymous]

I've done that. As others have noted, it's crummy if you have kids that you want to spend time with or a spouse who isn't thrilled to pick up all the slack. But even if you are young and single, it can get in the way of making friends, getting involved in any kind of organized or regularly scheduled activity (want to take a class? join a sports league? etc.), and dating. Some of that depends on how it's structured -- if it's always during the week and usually on the same days, that's easier than less regular travel.

Also, they might say 40%, but assume it will be more.

I'd want a huge salary increase to make it worth it.

[Anonymous]

Weekday travel or multiple weeks throughout year? It makes a difference on load of other person (of you’re partnered with kids). My husband traveled overseas a few weeks at a time when our baby was born. I was not a sahp and despite it being a travel job the pay was bare bones. It was very difficult for all of us. That said I learned how to effectively solo parent and we do have some points acquired for hotels/flights (he shares them with me). I was grateful covid ended the long trips and have better boundaries on my personal resources when he’s away.


So. If you have a family, be sure the resources are there for them back home. Money, people, good work leave jic. If you’re single think about what your home life will be. Are you a good nomad?

[Anonymous]

I did it when I was in my 20s. I was actually gone from home for long stints, like 80% of the year, and then home for a few weeks at Thanksgiving and Christmas. It was great. A big part of it was the job itself and the connections I made. My boyfriend at the time would visit me where I was and on the weekends, when I was off, we would travel around the area I was in. I wouldn't be able to do it now that I am married and have kids, though. I wasn't making a ton of money but it is one of those jobs that I talk about now and peoples' jaws drop.

[Anonymous]

I couldn't in this stage of life (early 30s with 2 small kids). My DH travels 25% and even that can feel like a lot at times.

If I was single heck yeah.

I also nannied in college for a family where the DH traveled Sunday evening-Thursday evening every week. Their household and marriage was depressing. So much built up resentment. It was palpable the second I walked in.

[Anonymous]

Not at this point. When I was young and stupid I might have

[Anonymous]

My DH has a similar opportunity but it's 50% - two weeks on location building a new NATO base, two weeks back in our European city. We have tweens and are seriously leaning against it because he will literally miss half his usual time with them. Pay increase is good, but not life changing.

I used to travel the world with my nat'l security agency, but stopped once we had kids. His travel would be just two hours away by plane, but it's a lot of time away from home when you have a family.

[Anonymous]

No, I would only do a job that was up to 10% travel and I’m a single, childless person.

[Anonymous]

Nope. I’ve got kids, I don’t want to be gone that often.

And my husband would say the same.

[Anonymous]

No, would not take it.

[Anonymous]

If I was single with no kids and no pets, yes. It's a hard no if I have kids under age 18, no matter what (that's just not the kind of parent I want to be).

If I was in a relationship but no kids, it would kind of depend on the job, the travel, and my partner's schedule. I could see doing this for a few years if my partner had a lot of flexibility and could potentially travel with me. If you got to travel to some cool places, it could be really great. I have friends who worked for consulting firms in their 20s and got to do this with partners and spouses, and it enabled them to do mini vacations all over the world without paying for much of their travel (work pays for the consultants travel, but you collect your miles, which you can the use to get your partner's ticket, plus you rack up a lot of hotel points this way too).

But I could only do it a few years. I could do it 5 years, tops.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Single or empty nest (maybe spouse can join on some trips?) would be a blast and earn tons of miles.

With kids? Brutal unless you have a SAHP that is cool being solo most of the week.

This. My Dh traveled for years. It worked for us. We were so excited when he came home and he made a lot of money so I could stay home and was happy to deal with the day to day. Plus, we then had tons of miles for travel, not to mention tons of hotel points.

It all depends on your overall life situation. And, do you like to travel. My DH was really good at it. Not everyone is.

Everyone is good at corporate travel when they are well paid. Wow did he pull the wool over your eyes. Business travel is expenses meals and nice hotels and car service and laundry at hotel. Who could not be good at that?