Do you need help with your travel agent career? There are many kinds of travel agents, each with their own focus. Assuming you’ve already figured out what kind of travel agent and have completed (or are in the midst of) at least one certification such as TICO , CTC or CTM, the next steps are a résumé, networking, and interview preparation.
Résumé Preparation for a Travel Agent
If you’ve done research with the Canadian Job Bank or Indeed, you might see a number of recommended skills with different wording and weight. We’ve found there are seven most consistently requested skills for a Travel Agent:
- Communication
- Customer Service
- Negotiation
- Organization
- Information Technology (GDS like Amadeus, Sabre, Galileo, as well as office suite applications such as Microsoft Office)
- Time Management
- Hospitality
In addition to these key skills, the following skills are also asked for, but either with less frequency, weight or expectation:
- Financial resource management
- Creativity
- Marketing
Additional help with your résumé is available – book an appointment now!
Networking for Travel Agents
Résumés are required, but the key to finding work is networking. The old saying of “It’s not what you know, but who you know” is just as applicable now as it was then – but these days there’s more ways than ever to connect with people who can hire you or know someone who will. Even if they don’t know of anyone today, they could tomorrow and keeping your network healthy won’t just be critical to finding a job as a travel agent but well into your entire employment.
Organizations such as ACTA can provide networking opportunities with people already in the industry, and they’re a fantastic starting point. Social media platforms offer an easy way to connect with people all over the world, but the quality of those connections will vary greatly. Professional platforms like LinkedIn are more likely to provide industry connections compared to casual ones like Facebook or TikTok, and if you’re not familiar with how to make the best use of them then Rite Careers [Link to Appointment] can help. In addition, applications such as Discord also provide access to specialized servers including travel which could provide a helpful community to become a part of. Being part of a community – whether ACTA, LinkedIn or a Discord travel-focused server – is powerful both for its support and potential career opportunities.
Help with using LinkedIn is available now!
Interview Preparation for Travel Agents
Indeed has a listing of 49 travel agency interview questions that can help you prepare for an interview, although you should probably be wary of the example answers considering that anyone else with access to that link – potentially including your interviewer – might have read them as well. You’ll want to ensure that your responses not only satisfy what they’re looking for but also really put your best qualities front and center. Interview practice will help steady those nerves and provide feedback. If you don’t know of anyone that you can practice with, consider making an appointment with Rite Careers. It’s not often that a potential employer will give you that crucial feedback you need if you can land the interview but not the job.
