I quit my investment banking job to travel the world for 2 years, and it was the best thing I could have done for my career

Sabina McBride

After 10 years in the world of investment banking, I decided to drop everything and travel the world for two years, both volunteering my time and backpacking as a tourist.

Traveling provided me with an invaluable global perspective, gave me insight into different cultures, and taught me the many different ways people interact.

During those two years, I traveled from one culture to another every month. I had to completely reset with each move and learn the key social contexts and languages of my new home base.

After going through this process and rapidly having to adjust each time to sometimes vast cultural differences, I learned to digest my new context quietly and observe to give myself the confidence and conviction to know what I was doing. 

I never knew what I was walking into in each place — sometimes friendly faces, like in Thailand and Mongolia, sometimes very unfriendly scowls. I had to be ready for anything. 

When I re-entered the workforce after traveling, I had so much more confidence because of this experience. I could go into interviews, meetings, or events knowing that I could handle whatever was going to be thrown at me. After all, it was likely going to be easier than negotiating a rickshaw ride in Cambodia or figuring out how to bring back water from a well with a terribly leaky bucket in India.

Below are the five ways traveling helped me grow my career, and how it can help any professional advance:

1. Developing fearlessness

The sense of having no fear is one of the biggest takeaways I had from traveling and the biggest thing that has helped me in my career since. After adjusting to different cultures, communicating with people who don’t speak the same language as I do, and overcoming every obstacle that came my way, I’m less afraid of walking into uncomfortable situations.

It trains you to become more confident. As a leader, I’m now less reactive when situations arise, and I’m more comfortable walking into unknown circumstances. 

Sabina McBride

2. Developing adaptability 

Traveling to a different country every month means that you have to be able to adapt quickly to different environments. In your career, you may get a new boss or be sent to work on a project you aren’t familiar with — both things that require you to accept change and adapt willingly.

In turn, this helps you become more resourceful. When traveling, you may miss a flight, end up without a place to stay, or get lost exploring. In these instances, you need to think on your feet and work with what you have.

3. Developing perspective

If you’ve ever had to figure out the currency of a country you don't know or get directions in a place where you don't speak the language, you learn to rely on yourself, which makes you a better professional. There is nothing like having a global perspective in today’s world.

Everything is about human interaction. Now I can talk to someone from China or India and actually know a little bit about where they come from.

4. Developing curiosity

When traveling, you are constantly asking questions about directions, food, currency, or customs. This sense of curiosity and seeking to understand the world around you helps in any career, because you’re constantly aiming to understand the reasons behind decisions and motivation behind actions. You don’t take things at face value.  

Sabina McBride

5. Developing inspiration

Often times, inspiration comes from new experiences, and there is no better way to get new experiences and inspiration than from traveling.

I kept a journal and took notes on anything and everything I found interesting. These notes have inspired a lot of ideas in my professional life — from how I can work better with my team to ways I can get meetings run more smoothly and efficiently.

Sabina McBride is the chief operating officer for LaSalle Network, where she is responsible for overseeing the overall strategy and operations of the company as well as the company’s marketing recruiting practice. Before joining LaSalle Network, Sabina was founder and president of her own consulting firm, specializing in helping small to medium sized businesses in the areas of corporate strategy, financial analysis, and human capital management.

NOW WATCH: Ancient Romans had perfect teeth because their diets were low in one substance