When you are interviewed for a company that has multiple locations or you’re interviewed for a position such as sales or consulting, there are chances that you would most likely travel, so one of the questions you may be asked is “Are you willing to travel?”
One of the major reasons why this question is thrown at you is to ascertain your level of flexibility, and commitment to the position you are applying as this will certainly affect your home and personal life.
In this article, we will be looking at how to answer the interview question – “Are you willing to travel?”
Let’s quickly delve into that.
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Tips To Answer The Interview Question “Are You Willing To Travel?”
There are certain points you need to keep in mind when asked this question so as to give the best possible response, and they are:
1. Carry Out Your Research
It’s important that you do your homework before applying for the job in the first place.
One of the easiest ways to confirm that the job requires lots of travel is from the job description. This way, you can only apply if you are willing to travel.
Again, you need to also find out how much travel is typically required for the position you’re applying for.
For instance, if you are applying for the position of a campus ambassador, you should know that you will be doing lots of travel during the academic year.
Furthermore, there are times when the job description and interviewer don’t outline the travel requirements, so be ready to find out the details.
It’s good to ask relevant questions as this will give your prospective employer the impression that you are very much interested in the role and willing to make it work for both parties.
You can say things like “I would like to understand the company travel schedule a bit better. Can you give me an example of how long each trip would be, or what a typical month looks like?”
All of this information will help you give the best response to this question.
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2. Show Enthusiasm And Commitment
When asked the question – “Are you willing to travel?”, you must show a level of enthusiasm, and one of the ideal ways to do this is to explain how travel expands your professional opportunities.
Another way to express this is by saying that travel increases a company’s networking capacity.
This way, you will show your willingness to carry out your duties irrespective of
where you are expected to travel to.
3. Be Honest
Don’t tell lies or exaggerate. Only state what you can do while demonstrating flexibility.
Sadly, most job seekers are scared of setting limits in a job interview to avoid ruining their chance of getting the job of.
Interestingly, this exudes confidence, and can actually make you more attractive to the company.
However, if you think it is possible to travel although you are not sure about it, you can easily say yes.
The best way to know the ideal response to give as I said earlier is to carry out your research about the findings and job description.
Ideal Way To Answer – “How Much Are You Willing to Travel?”
The best way to answer this question is to state your answer as a percentage, and for some companies may directly ask you “what percentage are you willing to travel?”
Before I proceed to give you examples, let’s look at the meaning of a travel percentage as well as how to negotiate your travel percentage.
What Is Travel Percentage?
It is simply the percentage duration your employer expects you to spend traveling or away from home.
For instance, if an employer offers you 70% travel, it means that you will spend 70 percent of your working days traveling, that is, for every three days in your home town/office, you will spend seven days traveling or away from home.
Well, most travel jobs offer 50% or below as this is fair, and sustainable.
If the percentage being offered is not okay by you, you can as well negotiate, especially if you are interested in the job.
to Negotiate Your Travel Percentage/Willingness to Travel
Negotiate by saying:
“I don’t believe I can travel that much. If the travel needs may be decreased to 30%, I’d love to consider the position because the job and work sound fascinating.”.
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Sample Answers To The Question – “Are You Willing To Travel?”
Having found out the travel percentage, and you are willing to accept this, then you can indicate that you agree to what they’re proposing by saying something like:
“I am willing to travel, yes. Traveling for my past work gave me the opportunity to attend unique conferences and training that increased my understanding of our industry. I always aim to be a benefit to the business I work for, so if traveling is necessary to that end, I’m more than willing to go.”
OR
“That amount of travel will work for me. In my last company, I traveled that same amount, and it worked out fine.”
These answers are also ways to show your employer that you’ve done something similar in the past successfully, and that you have the potential to handle theirs the same way.
However, if you haven’t had any experience, some of the ways you can answer this question include:
Sample 1:
“I find that amount of travel acceptable. For this role, I have no issues carrying that out.”
Sample 2:
I’m willing to travel without a doubt. I’ve been seeking for a job where I may travel as part of my duties because I think that doing so helps me learn more about the diverse aspects of a company’s customer base. Travel enables me to expand both my professional network and my knowledge base.
Sample 3:
“That sounds acceptable to me. I’d love to hear more about the role, and if it’s a good fit, then I am able to travel.”
Mistakes To Avoid When AAnswering The Question – “Are You Willing to Travel?”
When answering this question, there are certain things you must not say, as they could mar your chances of getting selected.
In this section, we are going to be focusing on them.
1. Do not start describing your family or personal responsibilities
2. In a bid to let them know you buy the idea of traveling, don’t go saying that you enjoy sight-seeing or going on vacation while on business travel
3.Avoid giving a specific maximum percentage of preferred travel
4. Avoid complaints about travel or speaking about past occurrences in the course of your previous trips.
5. Avoid asking questions about travel reimbursement or travel policies immediately. They could be asked (and will be answered) later.
6. You should ask questions like if you can bring your spouse or children with you on a business trip.
Final Thoughts
It’s important that you see the question “Are you willing to travel” asked during the interview to be more of a screening tool rather than a point of discussion, and that is why preparation is key.
However, you must be sure to put your schedule and personal life into consideration to be sure it’s something you may want to do.
Having said that, are there other questions you may want to ask, if yes, feel free to drop them in the comment section.