When we think about what makes a dream job, “plenty of travel” often comes high up on our lists. And that shouldn’t be a surprise: just think about how much of our own money we spend travelling for pleasure and then imagine earning cash for travelling instead! And they do say “variety is the spice of life” after all, so the prospect of seeing new places and getting paid for the privilege is certainly an attractive one for many of us. But it’s not just the perks that make travel such a great field to work in: demand is higher than ever, with the global travel industry worth an incredible one trillion dollars (about £650 billion) in 2011 and with over a billion international tourism arrivals taking place last year. Yes, times are tough, but any industry of this scale offers huge opportunities. What’s more, the diversity of jobs within the sector is huge: from waiter and stewardess to pilot and ship’s captain, from travel agent to tour guide, from check-in assistant to global marketing executive – there really is something for everyone.
Up in the air
Say “travel industry” and for many people aviation immediately springs to mind, partly because it’s by far and away the most popular form of international travel and partly because since the dawn of passenger flight this sector has worked very hard to establish an aura of glamour and sophistication. Just look at a typical ad for an airline, for instance: ridiculously attractive staff, often pouring champagne or plumping up a pillow or two (which really bears very little resemblance to the economy-class travel most of us enjoy – or endure). This is still seen as a lifestyle industry and our familiarity with it means we all probably have a few preconceptions about certain jobs in this business.
If you want to get the most miles covered and actually get up in the air, the two main options are flight staff and cabin crew. For flight staff – pilots and copilots – years of training are required before getting the relevant qualifications to fly passenger aircraft; this is a career path that requires a lot of dedication, hard work and potentially a lot of investment (especially if you start out by learning to fly privately). Although a degree isn’t strictly necessary it can be an advantage; either way, good knowledge of maths and physics is essential along with the proven ability to handle an aircraft, assessed over many hours of supervised and solo flying.
For cabin crew, the required qualifications vary from airline to airline, but good customer service abilities are obviously crucial, as is the ability to deal calmly with stressful situations and stressed-out passengers. Good language skills are valued very highly and the more languages you speak the greater your options in terms of employment and the kind of routes you’ll be able to work.
Both these careers come with a lot of perks in terms of discounted or free travel and the chance to see a wide variety of new places; however, would-be applicants should also consider the cons including long and irregular hours (potentially impacting upon family ties), and remember that much of the time your experience of new places is limited to airports and hotels – don’t buy too much of the hype surrounding this side of the business, because the reality is often a lot less exciting than the ads would have you believe.
Of course airlines require many more people than just those actually flying about to keep them running. If you’d rather keep your feet on solid ground you could consider options as varied as check-in staff, baggage handling, and customer service along with all the usual administrative jobs that big companies need. Again, while of course these very different roles will require very different skills and qualifications, languages and experience of working with different cultures are always two big advantages. This holds true just as much for administrative jobs and indeed here good language skills can really help staff rise up the ranks as many airlines have incredibly widely distributed operations.
On the road
Prefer wheels to wings and propellors? That’s fine: the travel industry has plenty to offer here too. A huge amount of travel is conducted by road, with coach tours a popular way to see countries and continents and with minibuses heavily used by tour companies especially in conjunction with hotels and cruise lines. If you’re a driver by trade the options are obvious and straightforward, with a license to drive the vehicle in question top of the agenda; those looking to work as a tour guide will need either a detailed knowledge of the place they’ll be touring or a really good ability to bluff your way through it! Languages, again, are of great benefit here.
There is also a huge industry set up around tourists who prefer to make their journeys in their own (or hired) vehicles; camping and caravanning are big business in gross terms with millions of people taking a trip of this nature each year. Many campsites are run by families or small businesses so this might not be the place to look to develop a high-flying career long-term – unless you’re lucky enough to own a suitable tract of land that you can potentially turn into your own moneyspinnner… There are however a number of support organisations which have tapped into this sector, some very venerable and respected, such as the Caravan Club, now over 100 years old and serving over 375,000 member households; bodies like the Club offer a good range of both office and non-office-based work, with customer service abilities once again particularly valued in would-be employees.
All at sea
Back in the misty days before the invention of the aeroplane much international travel had to be conducted aboard ship, and the sea is still worth a great deal to the travel industry thanks to the consistent lure of the cruise. Cruise ships offer a wealth of employment opportunities thanks to their sheer scale; the larger liners will have several thousand staff working alongside thousands of passengers, from the ship’s captain through catering, cleaning, medical and security staff, entertainers and shop assistants, tour guides and mechanics, engineers and decorators, plumbers and a long list of other indispensable roles. Truly cities at sea, liners need a whole society in miniature working together to keep everything ship-shape (sorry!).
For British jobseekers cruise liners have traditionally offered the added attraction of a lot of sun, with so many boats plying their trade in the Caribbean and Mediterranean (although popular regions also include Scandinavia and Alaska, so don’t bank on spending your whole working life topping up your tan). Another benefit which doesn’t necessarily apply to, for example, the aviation industry is the fact that stop-offs for cruise liners tend to last at least a day, potentially offering the chance to see a little of your destination, as opposed to what might only be a few hours in an airport for airline staff.
Once again, great language and customer service skills will stand you in good stead here. Required qualifications vary hugely from role to role and from country to country but, of course, someone looking to become a ship’s captain or another senior officer will have to do a lot more, and possess a lot more specific qualifications and permits, than someone looking to work in a gift shop or as an entertainer. Running a ship of that size is a staggering responsibility and only those with years of experience and a specific set of abilities are even considered for the task, so if that’s your dream job, be prepared to have to work and fight very hard to get to the top.
As with aeroplanes, ships – and the companies running them – need large administrative workforces onshore to keep going so if you like the idea of working for a travel company but don’t particularly like boats or the sea, there’s still hope. There’s a special need for good marketing staff at this time as competition is extremely fierce and customers are increasingly cash-strapped thanks to the recession.
Some people of course aren’t feeling the recession at all; there is a growing number of super-yachts afloat and each of these, plus many of their smaller brethren, needs staff to run it. Working directly for one wealthy owner rather than for a cruise line has its pros and cons of course but some people may find the pace, and experience, of working for private individuals very much to their liking – but opportunities to work for the likes of Roman Abramovitch and Paul Allen might not come along too often. Either way, those with a lot of experience actually sailing large boats (rather than, for example, serving drinks on them) are sought-after at present, and this is a popular option right now for those leaving the Navy.
On the front line
One big part of the travel trade which doesn’t involve significant travel for many is the crucial element of sales: travel agencies continue to play a critical intermediary role in this business and employ many thousands of people across Britain. If sales is a forte of yours then why not look to get a job at the retail end of travel agency, working in a high-street shop and honing your commission-hunting talents? Although these are pretty tricky times economically, for many travel agents good competitive sales staff are always sought-after and the perks here can be very attractive for those who enjoy a good holiday (and who doesn’t?).
Travel agencies need many more people than just those on the shop front of course; from marketeers to lawyers, designers to buyers, accountants to tour reps, the diversity is substantial, although economic troubles mean that some of even the very biggest companies have cut back on administrative staff so competition is often fierce for new vacancies. Being prepared to move around can be a real help in this business, as with much of the rest of the travel sector.
Many travel agencies now, of course, have limited or no retail footprint, concentrating instead on the rich pickings to be found online. Companies like Flight Centre (www.flightcentre.co.uk) allow customers to find fares from a vast assortment of airlines for routes around the world, and are looking for staff to support their growth. The skills one might associate with primarily online businesses (such as software development) are clearly sought-after here, as are those with a good understanding of internet marketing, social media and technology trends.
In summary, the travel industry is one of the most diverse sectors in the world of business and has a huge workforce requirement at almost all levels, meaning there are plenty of opportunities out there even in trying times. Having a clear idea of the kind of role you’re looking for, however (especially if you’re considering a relatively advanced option such as pilot or a senior officer on board a liner) is critical; it’s senseless aiming for “the travel industry” just because you feel like seeing a bit of the world without having to shell out to do so. You need to map out what you want to achieve and be sure whichever entry point you take into the sector is right for your longer-term career path. If you do want to be a pilot, for example, there’s no point in going for a job as a baggage handler and expecting to work your way up: it simply doesn’t work like that, although rising through a corporate structure is indeed still possible in this business. Also, again, make sure you know what you’re getting into: just because you’ve decided you’ll end up having the travels of your lifetime doesn’t mean it’ll all be sunny and rosy once you’re in the seat, so do your research thoroughly and make sure you’re aware of the impact significant time away from home might have on your life. And if you’re still keen and think you’ve got what it takes – well, bon voyage!
Words: Jessie Constantine
Image: Shutterstock
[This article was originally printed in Jobs & Careers with Hilary Devey magazine in May 2013]
