foXnoMad
더 똑똑한 여행.
If one is running to the store that you need something from, ask them to pick it up on their way. You can always repay the favor next time you have to go out.
Look for jobs that offer flex time. Some professions are more flexible than others, but those jobs are out there you just need to look for them. Flex time lets you get in early and leave early so you can squeeze in time for oil changes, and most places let you make up hours without burning vacation time. So you missed a few hours for your cousin’s Bar Mitzvah stay a bit later on Thursday and save your leave.
Ask your boss for flex time. If your company doesn’t have flex time, maybe it’s because nobody’s asked! Many professions don’t need to hold traditional hours and coming in an hour or two earlier each day to leave at 3 or 4 might be plausible in a variety of fields.
Read your companies leave policy and know it. That way you don’t screw up your vacation with your Latin lover because you added incorrectly.
Take time off during non-peak times of the year. You will certainly get more sympathy if you happen to need a couple extra hours off if you are not taking a trip when half of the office is already gone.
Work for companies that offer require an amount of travel you are comfortable with. Business trips can be planned right before a weekend and with some careful organization can be made into a mini tourist vacation. I’ve traveled to nearby cities, explored entire regions, and seen places I’d never plan to go otherwise because I jumped at the chance. Don’t turn down going to the places nobody wants to go otherwise you won’t get priority for that conference in Hawaii.
If you have to be away from your office, try to do work at the same time. A good example is waiting an hour for your oil change. So some reports need to get done? Take a laptop with you, even your personal one if you can and save that hour for Tahiti.
Use your time off! The New York Times reports that the average American worker has 16.6 paid vacation hours but 36% did not plan to use it.
If you plan to switch jobs plan a vacation in between with the hours from your soon-to-be ex job. Once you leave most places that personal leave time goes up in smoke and you don’t get reimbursed with money for it. Might as well use it, even if it’s a day or two. Back it up against a weekend and take your girlfriend out to the beach.
Above all, remember that your job funds your travels. Getting sick of your job, not happy with the amount of time you get off, and a number of other things can make you lose sight of the fact that your job isn’t getting in the way of your vacation, it is the force behind it. If you are burnt out take time off, and change your surroundings if you’re not happy with time. It’s under your control.
There are some pieces of advice that have worked for me and others I know. A good place to network about jobs that offer what you are looking for in a “vacation-funder” is LinkedIn. There you can consult with your peers to find out benefits, personal leave time, and flex time options.
How many hours of personal leave time do you get and is it combined with your sick time? I’m curious what everyone else does to maximize the amount of time they can spend away from work, or does it matter to you?
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