Get a Travel‐Related Job
Working in a travel-related career can involve doing a range of things, from tour guiding and hotel management to working in a travel agency, driving tourist buses, even flying private or commercial planes or flight attending. Thus, the first and most important thing to do is to narrow down your skill set or interests, then get the appropriate qualifications, work and/or volunteer experience, after which you can start job hunting.
Steps
- Find your travel interests, What do you want to do? The variety in travel-related jobs are endless - one one side of the spectrum are hotel staff, tour guides, drivers etc, who are mostly based full time in one travel destination and don't travel too much, compared to the other end - pilots, flight attendants, etc, who are constantly "on the go" with constant travel as part of their jobs, a thrill of adventure for some people, and a nightmare for others. Therefore it is extremely important to look upon all aspects of the travel - related job you wish to follow, not just the aspects you like.
- Decide how you will get there. Think about destinations you like and dislike, think of places or companies with job openings, and think of your pay. The pay may or may not be important to you depending on your own priorities, but different countries and companies will have higher pay than others. Put that in mind when thinking about your dream travel job.
- Study for your chosen field. Along with real-life work experience, studying is an important part of getting your travel related job. Whether you study a degree in tourism, learn to drive buses or boats, or even study advertising and marketing to know what can make people want to choose your travel agency/tour guide/etc.
- Don't be afraid of changing direction. If you find out along the way that you don't like the job you have chosen, that's good. Then you can study about different jobs to find out which one is for you.
- For example many aspiring travel industry workers often initially are thrilled at the aspect of flight attending, only to later realize the hectic constant airplane travel schedule which airlines put on the attendants.
- Get out there. Once you have decided, get excited! It is now time to start your training courses, start learning, even apply for jobs or local volunteer work, whatever you feel is necessary to give you an extra edge in your career and experience.
- In the job interview process, be cool, calm, collected, and above all, enthusiastic. Show your people skills, because after all, the travel industry is a very "people related" industry! With the exception of pilots or drivers, you will have to deal with the public everyday, so it is essential it is something you enjoy.
Tips
- Think about your exact situation and where and what you want to work as. Are you someone fresh out of high school who is willing and able to study for several years to become a commercial pilot? or are you already an experienced worker in another industry, seeking a quick career change with minimal study time?
- Consider your time away from home - travel related jobs involving a lot of time away from home include but are not limited to : commercial pilots, flight attendants, full time Professional travel photographers. On the other hand, jobs involving little time away from home (meaning you are able to go home most or every night) include but are not limited to: hotel managers and other hotel staff, tour guides, tour bus drivers, etc
- Another wildcard job to consider is travel agency consulting. Although perceived as a "boring shopping mall job" to many, a new trend to reward consultants is many travel agencies do reward their workers with sporadic travel opportunities for fun, rest, and relaxation, as well as to further their knowledge of travel destinations while consulting.
- If you are interested in flying or assisting the pilot, check out local flight schools in your area, most of which are found near most airports. These flight schools are privatised and may be slightly expensive; however, they can train you almost 100% of the way from absolute beginner to certified private or commercial pilot!
Warnings
- Some of these jobs may not be right for you. Find out if you really want that job.
