Travel abroad is on everyone's bucket list, but sadly, it's hard to manage when you're on a tight budget, have bills to pay, and are often down to petty cash by the middle of the month.

If you're lucky, managing one proper trip a year is pretty good (shopping in Dubai doesn't count). If you're really lucky though, heading off to an exciting destination comes courtesy a company willing to invest in its employees' growth.

International work assignments benefit you greatly, providing insight to your field in ways you could not comprehend. They also provide unique chances of learning from experts that can impact your career and growth curve in the industry.

One such company that invests in its employees is Telenor Pakistan.

At least 20% of Telenor employees get international exposure every year.

Employees get a chance to work at Telenor business units across the globe. These locations include Norway, Denmark, Serbia, Bulgaria, Montenegro, Bangladesh, Thailand, Malaysia, Myanmar, Hungary and Singapore.

This is what some Telenor employees across the country had to share about their work and travel experience.

"I'm a challenge seeker"

If you work in one organisation for a long time it can be hard not to fall into set patterns and live in a comfort zone where fresh ideas and new perspectives become hard to come by. Inevitably, boredom and loss of interest in the job may kick in.

Traveling to different locations for work helps break this cycle.

When asked to share her experience, Zainab Hussain Siddiqui, who has been a part of Telenor Pakistan since 2012, says the same.

"In my career spanning 15 years, rarely have I spent as much time with an organisation, as I have with Telenor. This is no coincidence."

"I am a challenge seeker who needs to be kept interested and Telenor has understood and delivered on this need time and again. From rewarding assignments locally to new and creative assignments internationally, Telenor really invested in me," she says.

Also read: How Telenor's policy allows female employees globally to take salaried leave for six months during the maternity period

"I got a unique chance to work in several markets across Asia and Europe."

The more you travel, the more experience you have to add to your portfolio, which is a great advantage.

Zainab says: "My job is to think globally and locally. At the Telenor Group, I have the pleasure of working on sustainability related strategic oversight and portfolio development in several markets across Asia and Europe. How many people get to do that?"

Also read: How Telenor Pakistan is encouraging an entrepreneurial mindset among employees

"I got a chance to test my expertise"

Fatima who is an Analytics Expert based in Islamabad was sent on an international assignment to Norway by Telenor.

"After serving at Telenor Pakistan for four years, I was given the opportunity to work at the Telenor Group HQ in Fornebu, Norway. I got real-time experience of working with Nordic and European markets, and I got a chance to learn & test my expertise in markets across the world, in both contextual marketing and digital marketing."

"I got to learn from cultures across the globe."

Traveling as a part of work has an added benefit that is often overlooked – the chance to absorb other cultures, meet different people and grow through socialising and building new relationships.

Fatima says, "Being a part of the global Telenor family gave me the opportunity to travel and engage with colleagues from across the world and learn from cultures across the globe.

"The work culture at Telenor is built on respect and appreciation of diversity. Employee empowerment remained constant across all markets and made me feel at home wherever I went," she concludes.

Sheikh Hamza Qaiser, Communication Manager agrees. "The opportunity to work with a diverse group of people across 13 countries has been an incredible journey of personal and professional development."

This content has been developed in paid partnership with Telenor Pakistan.