The travel industry’s a broad one. Whether you wanna be a flight attendant, holiday consultant, tour guide, travel writer or something else in the field, the options really are endless, and, of course, come with perks that are hard to beat.
We spoke to Flight Centre Recruitment Leader in NSW and the ACT Maureen Bell on traits that are good to have if you want to crack into the travel industry. The chances of you already possessing them? V. good, my friend. Keep reading to see if you’ve got what it takes to travel the world and call it a job.
SOME PREVIOUS TRAVEL IN THE BAG
One of the hardest parts of getting any job is having experience. Like, how are you meant to gain experience in an industry, if no one will give you a bloody job in said industry? Does a lot of heads in. The good thing about gunning for a gig in the travel industry is that plenty of applicants probably already have experience without even knowing it.
How?
Because having travelled in general (both domestic and international) makes you quite favourable in the eyes of a recruiter. Maureen tells PEDESTRIAN.TV, “The more you travel, the easier it is to sell these destinations / places to future customers” and you’ll be able to “relate to customers and share their personal experiences.”
A GOOD, SOLID EDUCATION
As with a lot of jobs out there, having some kind of degree in the bag is good for a travel gig. “The years spent at university give applicants more life experience. During their uni degrees they normally work part-time and travel which all adds to what they can bring to the role when they finish,” Maureen explains.
However, we’re not saying you’re screwed if you didn’t go to uni. Maureen assures us it’s not a prerequisite for a role in the travel industry. If you’re looking to get a quicker one-up, a Diploma in Travel and Tourism is a real goer and shorter than a uni degree. You can actually do this via Flight Centre Travel Academy.
ACE COMMUNICATION SKILLZ
Whether you’re going to wind up client / customer facing or not, you’re going to need good communication skills. Why? Because if you’re going to be meeting all different walks of life via travelling, it comes with the territory – in fact, it’s one of the most beautiful things about it.
If you’re not a people person you’re probably not going to like travelling, and if you don’t like travelling, well a) who even are you and b) you’ll hate working in the industry. Maureen looks for people who “love dealing with people” and have good “rapport and communication skills“. Check yourself before you… go for a job that’s not suited to you.
Maureen particularly sees retail experience as an advantage when hiring for Flight Centre gigs “so they understand the retail environment particularly targets, customers and a challenging environment.”
A GENUINE THIRST FOR THE WORLD
We get that not everyone can just whisk away on an international vaycay for a week, month or even years at a time to see what the world has to offer. But you *should* at least have a genuine thirst and curiosity for what’s out there.
Maureen says that geography knowledge, like knowing where countries and their capital cities, goes a long way. “Read up about countries / destinations so you understand what you can do at that destination and why people travel there.” Look, I’ve read worse things in my time.
Reckon you’ve got the above traits going on? Check what jobs Flight Centre’s got for the taking here and kickstart your career in travel now. There is full on-the-job training provided and plenty of perks that’ll ensure career-envy from your mates.
“It is a global company and the opportunities to grow and develop are endless,” Maureen says, “For example, I had the opportunity to work in Los Angeles with Flight Centre. FCTG promote from within so the above becomes possible.”
Apply now here.
