Depends largely on your specific field....if you have one. Some lend themselves to short stints of work interspersed with time off, and some are perpetually seeking skilled and motivated workers. Sometimes, both are true of the same field.

OP's question comes up a lot, and not just on traveler's forums like this one. I gather that in some fields it's considered highly suspect to have taken long periods to travel, but I can't say it's ever gotten in my way. I used to do construction labor, then various skilled trades; I'd work three to twelve months, then take a month (or six) off. I lost ground financially, but I was never terribly ambitious in that realm anyway. It didn't stop me from progressing from the very bottom to somewhere within reach of the very top within my little world....following which I took five (5) years off to go to college, then grad school.

These days I'm a licensed professional. After my last long trip--a couple of years of intermittent travel and little honest work--I found a job within a few months of my return, and stuck that out for 3+ years before setting up my own business. Now, almost 4 years later, no one cares about any of that. Why would they? I'm measured by my performance--or at least, by my customers' beliefs about my performance.

It all changes if you're supporting other people, especially kids. It all changes if you return home to a major recession, or if you've chosen to live in an economically-depressed area, or if you're in a field for which there is little demand. And of course it's more difficult to get your footing in an area where you don't know anyone or have any previous employment history. But the main thing is the nature of your work and your level of skill. If you happen to be a skilled carpenter, you could probably move to my town and have a job within a week regardless of your travel history. If an art history major just out of college, maybe not so easily.

Hope that's helpful.

Mark

For construction trades it's now easy pickin's here in Nor Cal. With the Fires in both Northern Cal and now Southern Cal, THOUSANDS are trying to rebuild houses. All related trades busy across the state. BUT Expensive to live here.
Many live in an RV or camper.

Cost of materials has gone way up and no one can get guys to work. Many tradesmen seem to be gouging a bit, but any skilled building trades ... or even laborers ... are getting work without much in the way resume' or real skill.

So, it's the Wild West again here. Tradesmen pull up to the job in their $60K 4 wheel drive truck with all the Bell's and Whistles. But trades can be tough and hard to find ones that takes you into your 60's and beyond.

The IT kids in San Fran and Silicon valley are killing it too. But very competitive from what I understand.

As said above, really depends on what skills you have. Also consider going down to Mexico or Cent. America and peddle what you have there. Boy, do they need "real" Plumbers and trained Electricians.
Good luck!

There is some good advice in this thread.

One life lesson I would comment on is, "Follow the Money." (To a certain extent of course) To follow the money you need to be flexible with your plans and not afraid of what others think.

There have been a couple times when I walked away from a potential opportunity because I was afraid about what others might think of me doing that career. In hindsight, it was a mistake.

It seems like a lot of people are afraid to relocate to a new state because they think it is a boring state. They stay in their same area where there is no opportunity and complain for years about it.

Another thing is to always measure the return on investment of the education. A nursing or physical training degree has a great return on investment. Other degrees have a pretty sketchy return on investment.

__________________
http://www.journeyrider.net Latin America blog (07-8)

Sadly, with the responsibilities and liabilities that come with setting up a house for a family and dealing with Loss and severe illness, I have not been able to leave for a long trip yet... But it does not stop me thinking about it, I have managed a week away on the bike a few times, for both business and pleasure. Now I am seriously looking at trying to go from the UK to India in 4 or 5 weeks. Now I am contracting again, so I can break up work between contracts when I need to so it allows me to ease in and out of a full-time job, keeping house, raising a daughter and being a husband, while trying to fit in the odd adventure!

I've been lucky enough to pack up and leave everything several times. I quit my job as a salesman at a car dealership, sell everything I own and leave a small suitcase of work clothes at a friends place.
Currently It's a great set up for me.
I'm able to save up enough money in 1 year of work and translate that into 2 years of moto travel around the world (se Asia, S.A & Mexico C.A.)
When I get back to the US I'm able to call my boss and say I'm back, I'll be at work tomorrow. I find a room to rent on craiglst 800-1000 here in so cal
I have minimal expenses. Spend most of my time working and thinking of the next moto destination
Still in my early.....errr mid 30's and I plan to keep this plan for the foreseeable future..... no reason to grow up

Thanks for the responses so far. My background is in conservation but know a lot of other fields.

Another question:

-How do folks approach the interview and pretty much say...
"I've been travelling for the last few years and I may take off again after working a year or two"

-How do get around the career blacklist of not having steady employment?

-Any suggestions on "selling" travel as a skill building expereince rather than a vacation?

@The Raven, for me it worked out well. I was "only" away for more than one year, while keeping my contract. But it actually may have had a positive effect. They asked me for a position where I am now communicating with customers all over the world, and sometimes travelling to the customers as well. With me they know that I can manage myself.

Now we are planning a new trip of "only" 6 or 7 months (we have young kids now) and will still be at the same employer.
As long as your employer is happy with you, this may work out. Like Catracho does.
But there has to be work.
For me it is a risk that I may not be able to do the same job as I do now, when I come back. I might have another job within the same company (because they want to keep the contract with me)
I work in a field where there is work enough to be done, so I'm not to afraid of finding another job if necessary.

I'm not sure how that is for conservation and other fields.

It may be hard what to expect. You shouldn't expect to much, but if you are okay with working in a bar or something (just an example), then it may be harder to leave that.

I guess you can promote yourself that all the travelling means you can handle unexpected situations, and that you are flexible in a lot of things. And like I mentioned, communication with foreign customers and travelling there.