Career opportunities
Word Count: 2856 Author: Kimi Ural Created: 2015
Tour operator
Possible jobs in this career could be a tour designer or manager, sales representative, tourist guide and customer service representative.
Sales Representative
A Sales representatives role is to present the companies products and services as appealing as possible in order to sell them to the customers.
Qualifications and skills which a sales representative may need are:
- Persuasive.
- Motivated.
- Outgoing.
- Confident.
- Knowledgeable about the sold products and services.
- Award/certificate in sales marketing.
- Previous customer service or selling experience.
A sales representative receives an average salary of £27.000 per year.
Sales Representatives could progress on to a bigger sale territory, sales team leader, area or national sales manager.
This can result in a salary rise up to £37.000 per year.
Customer Service Representative
Customer service reps are the first point of customer contact and are responsible for answer any questions or concerns the customers may have.
Qualifications and skills which a customer service rep. may need are:
- Empathy and understanding.
- Organisation and planning skills.
- Attention to detail.
- Listening skills.
- Award/certificate in customer service.
- Certificate in contract centre operations.
A customer service representative receives an average salary of £17.000
Customer service representatives could progress on to senior roles such as operations director, regional director or managing director.
This can lead to a salary rise up to £62.000 per year.
Tour Manager
Tour managers are responsible for managing the travel arrangements of holiday makers and business clients to make sure everything runs accordingly to plan.
Qualifications and skills which a tour manager may need are:
- Being able to interpreted into the customers position and being able to relate.
- Friendly and approachable manner.
- Organising skills.
- Consultant certificate in business travel.
- Leadership and management certificate in business travel.
A tour manager receives an average salary of £15.000 per year.
Tour managers could move on to working in a large international company or specialise in a certain area such as business travel management.
This can lead to a salary rise up to £125.000 per year.
Resorts Representative
Possible jobs in this career could be a tourist guide, receptionist and events manager.
Tourist Guide
Tourist guides are responsible for showing visitors around places of interest such as towns and cities, historical buildings, gardens and art galleries.
Qualifications and skills which a tourist guide may need are:
- Polite and friendly.
- Enthusiasms.
- Blue badge in tourism guiding.
- Route flexibility level 3.
A tourist guide receives an average salary of £24.000 per year.
Tourist guides could progress on to a regional tour supervisor or manager as well as being self-employed.
This can lead to a salary rise up to £60.000 per year.
Receptionist
A receptionists job is to ensure that the customers feel welcome and know what to do next as well as ensuring an excellent first impression and helping with any sort of problem or concern they may have.
Qualifications and skills which a receptionist may need are:
- Welcoming and friendly.
- Good appearance.
- Understanding.
- Organised.
- Multilingual.
- Diploma in reception operation and services.
- Certificate in front of house receptionist.
A receptionist receives an average salary of £15.000 per year.
Receptionists could progress on to larger organisations, supervisory roles and human resources administration.
This can result in a salary rise up to £26.000 per year.
Events Manager
An events manager is responsible for planning, organising and running events effectively.
Qualifications and skills which an events manager may need are:
- Organized.
- Communication.
- Budged awareness
- Ability to work under pressure.
- Level 2 award/certificate in event planning.
- Level 2 certificate in live events and promotion.
An events manager receives an average salary of £19.000 per year.
Events managers could progress on to events with a larger budged, management within a company or setting up a new business.
This can result in a salary rise up to £80.000 per year.
Airports
Possible airport jobs could be baggage handler, security and ticket desk staff.
Security
Someone working in the security sector is responsible for insuring that the customers are safe and that everything works like planned.
Qualifications and skills which a security person may need are:
- Calmness and empathy.
- Strength.
- Degree, at least a 2:1 in mathematics, law, economics, politics, languages or history.
A security person receives an average salary of £22.000 per year.
Security people could progress on to working with the MI5 and MI6.
This could result in a salary rise up to £40.000 per year.
Baggage Handler
Baggage handlers need to insure that they transport all the suitcases correctly.
Qualifications and skills which a baggage handler may need are:
- Strength to be able to lift heavy suitcases.
- Eye for detail.
- Being able to work quick under pressure.
- Communication skills.
- Driving license.
A baggage handler receives an average salary of £15.000 per year.
Baggage handlers could progress on to lead ramp hand, supervisor or manager for training new staff.
This can result in a salary rise up to £40.000 per year.
Ticket Desk Staff
Ticket desk staff is responsible for handing out the right tickets and advising customers to the right place in a welcoming manner.
Qualifications and skills which ticket desk staff members may need are:
- Knowledge about the airport and current flights.
- Friendly and welcoming.
- Being able to work fast.
- Affectively dealing with customer complaints.
- High school diploma.
A ticket desk staff member receives an average salary of £18.000 per year.
Ticket desk staff members could progress on to service agent, station agent, chief of the ticket office or sales representative.
This could result in a salary rise up to £31.000 per year.
Airlines
Possible airline jobs could be a pilot, air hostess or marketing manager.
Pilot
A pilot is responsible for a safe flight and informing the customers in case of any changes or emergencies.
Qualifications and skills which a pilot may need are:
- Strong nerves.
- Free from giddiness.
- Technical understanding.
- Communication skills.
- Trained flying degree.
- Emergency trained.
A pilot receives an average salary of £90.000 per year.
Pilots could progress on to a co-pilot on long haul flights.
This could result in a salary rise up to £160.000 per year.
Air hostess/Cabin Crew
An airhostess is responsible for the customers wellbeing.
Qualifications and skills an airhostess may need are:
- Knowledge in emergency procedure situations.
- Height needs to be between 5’2 – 6’1 with weight in proportion.
- Clean criminal record.
- Civil aviation authority.
Cabin crews receive an average salary of £14.000 per year.
Cabin crew members could progress on to a crew supervisor, cabin crew trainer or international cabin crew.
This could result in a salary rise up to £20.000 per year.
Marketing Manager
Marketing managers are responsible for excellent presentation of products and services.
Qualifications and skills a marketing manager may need are:
- Able to create advertisement on a computer
- Persuasive/convincing.
- Certificate in marketing management.
Marketing managers receive an average salary of £30.000 per year.
Marketing managers could progress on to account director or marketing director.
This could result in a salary rise up to £100.000 per year.
Accommodation
Possible accommodation jobs could be hotel owner/manager, cleaners, receptionist or room service staff.
Hotel Owner/Manager
A hotel owner/manager is responsible for keeping everyone on task to ensure everyone is doing what they are suppose to do.
Qualifications and skills a hotel manager may need are:
- Budgeting and money management skills.
- Supervising skills.
- Communication skills.
- Organisation.
- Hospitality management degree.
A hotel manager receives an average salary of £40.000 per year.
Hotel managers/owners could progress on to managing larger hotel chains and working abroad.
This could result in a salary rise up to £100.000 per year.
Cleaners
Cleaners are responsible for keeping the place tidy and welcoming.
Qualifications and skills a cleaner may need are:
- Eve for detail
- Work accurately
- Working fast under pressure.
- No qualification needed.
A cleaner receives an average salary of £15.000 per year.
Cleaners could progress on to a supervisor, manager or setting up their own cleaning business.
This could result in a salary rise up to £30.000 per year.
Receptionist
A receptionists job is to ensure that the customers feel welcome and know what to do next as well as ensuring an excellent first impression and helping with any sort of problem or concern they may have.
Qualifications and skills which a receptionist may need are:
- Welcoming and friendly.
- Good appearance.
- Understanding.
- Organised.
- Multilingual.
- Diploma in reception operation and services.
- Certificate in front of house receptionist.
A receptionist receives an average salary of £15.000 per year.
Receptionists could progress on to larger organisations, supervisory roles and human resources administration.
This can result in a salary rise up to £26.000 per year.
Progression Routes for Two Jobs in T&T
Pilot
Roles, main Duties and Responsibilities
A pilots role is to fly an airplane to transport the customers around the world. This is an exciting job with a high income which can also be really challenging. The pilots main responsibility is to keep the customers safe and provide a pleasant flight. The pilot also needs to inform customers in case of an emergency such as a bad weather conditions or a problem with the system which could lead to a flight cancellation. There are also duties which the pilot needs to fulfil before and during the flight such as checking the instruments, engines and fuel before setting off; check that all safety systems are working; work out the best route based on the information from air traffic as well as making changes to suit the weather changes. Also after the flight, the pilot will have some more tasks to do such as writing a flight report including all possible problems which may have appeared and sometimes even help load and unload the luggage if it is a small airplane.
Entry Requirements
Certain things need to made sure off in order to being able to become a pilot. The individual needs to have an Airline Transport Pilot’s Licence (ATPL). The first step of this process would be starting as a first officer after gaining the frozen ATPL. Many flight hours are needed before applying for a full ATPL in order to become a qualified airline pilot. In order to receive a full ATPL the applicant need to be at least 21 years old. Certain GCSE or A level results are not needed however the chance of getting a training place can improve when having good grades in subjects such as maths, English and science. Also medical checks are required and passing a class 1 medical certificate. Generally pilots need to be physically fit, having a good hearing and eyesight with a normal colour vision. Some airlines may even set height and weight restrictions. There are three ways to get in to this kind of job: one would be through the UCAS process to pick one of the few universities which offer courses such as air transport or aviation engineering. The second one could be through private lessons and training at an approved training school where a course typically costs around £60.000 or the third way which would be through the army.
Progression Opportunities
The first step I this career would be the working as a co-pilot first officer on short haul flights which would be the frozen ATPL. In order to receive the full ATPL the pilot would need to have done 1500 flying hours with at least 500 of these as a co-pilot. After this the pilot is ready to get employed by an airline which will then also offer training such as the standard operating process of the company. After 5 years of experience the pilot could apply for a co-pilot job on long haul flights. At least 5.000 lessons are needed in order to apply for a promotion to captain. There are many opportunities as a pilot which include training or management jobs alongside flying duties as well as changing from airline area to the airport section to transfer to ground-based management. Also becoming a flight instructor, ferry flying and agricultural flying in remote areas could be a possible opportunity.
Factors affecting a Pilot
There are several factors which could affect a pilots working routine such as environmental issues, terrorism, health warnings, epidemics and natural disasters. An example for an environmental issue could be global warning which affect certain areas to temperature extremes which then could lead to people avoiding these certain areas as well as wanting to fly away from these. This can affect the pilot in a way of possible flight changes. Terrorism, especially with the recent ISIS attacks could be another factor which may lead to flight cancellation because customers are too afraid to travel in to the danger zones. Ebola and other disease outbreaks could be an example for health warnings which also lead to flight cancelation or a small amount of customers. Volcano outbreaks would be an example for natural disasters which have happened in the past and lead to flight cancellations for weeks because of the massive smoke clouds from the volcano. All these factors could affect a pilot because his working hours may go down due to flight cancellations and fewer customers which could lead to a salary decrease. Although some factors such as the volcano outbreak could affect a pilots health and safety if it would happen while the pilot is in the air. This shows that being a pilot can also be a dangerous job which would explain the high salary.
Tour Guide
Roles, main Duties and Responsibilities
A tour guide is responsible for the customers safety, to answer any questions they may have and to provide an excellent customer service. Tour guides need to explain historical facts about the place such as the buildings which requires excellent memory and communication skills. Tour guides should be able to speak several languages to ensure that every customer understands what’s going on. A tour guides job is to guide a group of people such as sightseeing tours, tours for special interest and groups themed walks. A tour guide may need to do certain safety checks if the tourists want to go through an abandoned place which includes providing safety equipment for each customer, warning them about the possible risks and making sure that it is safe enough to go through. Also, if the group of tourists includes young children or disabled people, the tour guide may need to take that in to consideration and walk slower or find alternative ways such as ramps where wheelchair users can get up easily instead of stair.
Entry Requirements
There are no certain qualifications a tour guide would need however there are some which may make it easier to get in to the job such as some GCSE grades from A* – C including English and maths. Speaking a foreign language can also be useful as well as previous experience in dealing with public. There are some courses which a potential tour guide may consider to take which are Level 2: guiding visitors on a fixed route, Level 3: route flexibility and Level 4: Blue Badge in Tourist Guiding. A tourist guide needs more mental and physical skills in order to enter this job. A tour guide needs to be healthy and fit to be able to walk all day and make it seem effortless, also being motivating is a key skill they would need in order to motivate the customers in case the walk is too long or the hill is too big. A tour guide needs to be outgoing because someone who is shy would struggle a lot with this job and may end up quitting it. Also being flexible with times is helpful in this kind of job.
Progression Opportunities
Most tourist guides work part time a long their tour guide job or only work in the holidays as a tour guide and will need to look for other work during the rest of the year. Tour guides are mainly employed by a company but often also self employed. Progression for tour guides is possible if they earn enough experience and are good in their field so that they can move on to touring bigger groups or become a regional tour supervisor to manage tours and also let others work for them. Another progression possibility would be a general manager without having to actually guide tours anymore, just planning and managing them. As staying as a normal tour guide the individual could travel abroad to guide tourists if they know the area well enough. Extreme tour guiding could be another route where the tour guides go mountain climbing, skydiving, swim with sharks and other more dangerous and experience required areas for the adrenalin kick.
Factors affecting a Tour Guide
Tour guides can easily be effected by several things because they live of the contact to the customers. Especially self employed tour guides who need to organise everything themselves rather than just relying on their company need to have good surroundings where many tourists will come to each year. Terrorist attacks could affect a tour guide in a negative way. For example the ISIS attacks in Turkey had a massive impact on the local tour guides because of the danger and the fear of most tourists to travel to Turkey. This lead to many tour guides loosing their job because there are not enough customers to show the area which means there would be a loss of money during this period. Natural disasters and health warnings such as a flooding and swine flue outbreak can affect them negatively because of the loss of customers.
