More Millennials Are Quitting Their Jobs In Order To Travel — Why?

The American dream is continuously changing, and for Millennials, this dream might not involve a white picket fence. It turns out more and more Millennials are leaving their well-paying jobs. Why? Because they want to travel.

When nearly 95% of Americans live within a driving distance to a navigable waterway, the allure of packing their bags and taking to the sea is ever-present. Unlike their land-locked parents, Millennials have opted to act on their urge and take to the seas and skies instead of staying in one place forever. But why?

The managing editor of LinkedIn thinks he knows the answer.

“People are voluntarily leaving their jobs at the highest rate since 2000. The hiring market is strong. There are now more open jobs than there are unemployed workers, so people who are thinking about quitting are saying this looks like a really good time to do so,” he said.

Gallup agrees. According to their 2017 State of the American Workplace, results claim that over half of currently employed individuals are actively looking for a new job despite job stability.

Millennials reportedly plan for months in advance in order to save enough money to travel. Others are simply moving in the hopes of finding another job elsewhere thanks to the lucrative job market. This is a popular option for those who do freelance work or work remotely as well.

For those who want to travel outside the country, many are choosing to teach English as a second language in foreign countries for a set period of time. Others are simply opting for cheaper travel options, including visiting locations in South East Asia instead of Europe.

Nearly 43% of employed Millennials claim that they plan to quit their current job within two years’ time, according to the Deloitte Millennial Survey in 2018. Some Millennials even hope to market their traveling experience as a resume builder.

With so many travel avenues opening up, Millennials are continuously finding nuanced ways to make their jobs work for them, not the other way around.

For Millennials that are failing to find lucrative jobs in their field, it makes sense that they would want to travel to different locations. Despite the job market on the up-and-up, many jobs are still lowballing salaries or demanding exorbitant work experience for entry-level positions. Instead of choosing the first job that comes around, Millennials will look for other options in new areas.

The travel bug has bitten the Millennial generation hard, and thanks to new advances in technology, working remotely has emboldened thousands of individuals to travel more. With so many options on the horizon, it’s no wonder that new generations are seeking to explore them all.