Careers Advice

Vibrant, Exciting Careers!

Loads of opportunity in hospitality, leisure, travel and tourism.

You’ll find information on all of the different roles and career paths available to you, as well as real life career stories, the Good Employers to work for and live job vacancies. You’ll also find information on the qualifications and training that Good Employers look for and the best places to get them.

FAQ for Travel

Q: What’s the pay like in the sector?

A: The pay structure is a little different from other jobs in the hospitality, leisure, travel and tourism sector. As a travel agent, you could expect to receive a salary approaching about £20k at most agencies. However, many travel agents work on a commission basis so, the better you are at your job (i.e. the more holidays you sell), the more money you earn.

Q: Career-wise, what long-term prospects does the travel industry have?

A: Most large organisations in the travel industry have a clearly defined career path for employees. Generally, you will start as a junior travel consultant, working your way up to a fully-fledged consultant. Following that, there may be scope to become a branch manager, with additional promotions to regional or even national level for the particularly talented.

Q: What skills will set me apart from other candidates looking for work in this industry?

A: One of the major things that employers look for from job applicants is a real interest in travel. This is often a prerequisite for the job, with some travel agencies only taking on staff who have visited several continents. Nowadays, many people take time out to travel around the world - if this is something you’ve done, it may be to your advantage when applying to work in the travel industry.

Q: Are there any other benefits to working in the travel industry?

A: Travel agency staff often get particularly good deals on flights and holidays. ‘Familiarisation trips’ are also common - staff might be sent to new resorts or emerging tourist destinations to see exactly what they’re like first-hand.