The 9 to 5 Globetrotter: How to Create a Travel Career That You Love

69 min readSep 7, 2015

Imagine that you’re on a journey. It’s a journey beginning with a rhythm of a people vibrating in your ear and pounding as a pulse.

There is a kaleidoscope of color, culture and artistry that surrounds you. People of every age, race and color join to celebrate the joy of life.

No, you aren’t just standing on the side and watching a parade go by.

You’re seeing it, hearing it, smelling it, tasting it, breathing it and living it. You’re completely submerged in the state of mind that allows you to go to various events and savor the flavor of a good song.

Everyone around you is jumping, stomping and swinging their hips to the pulsating calypso tunes being played as the next band marches down the road. You return home in the small hours of morning, ears ringing and muscles aching; but the journey was well worth it. What journey is this you might ask? It’s a journey called Carnival.

As a first-generation American born to parents that are Caribbean immigrants from Trinidad & Tobago, I have had the privilege to experience this phenomenal journey of Carnival at a very young age. You could say that this gave birth to a dream of having a life where I could travel around the world.

For my entire life, I dreamed of experiencing new cultures and doing something unconventional with my life. As an eager professional fresh out of college, I wanted to see the world. However, the world I definitely did not see.

Instead, I saw the inside of a cubicle, every morning, every afternoon and every evening. And by the end of the week I was too drained to go anywhere but home, let alone take a weekend trip.

I was losing motivation, and the thought of spending the next 40 or more years working 9-to-5 inside a cubicle scared the crap out of me.

So I applied to an international graduate degree program where I would spend a year divided between Italy and Japan. I remember thinking that this would be my ticket to escaping the cubicle. There was nothing more perfect.

The only problem was that my application got rejected.

After that, I decided to learn everything I could about what my options were for making a living and being able to travel at the same time so I didn’t lose my mind. I read career development books, took dozens of personality assessment tests and workshops and though there were hundreds of books and blogs that talk about leaving your job to explore the world, there didn’t seem to be anything that detailed how to have a stable career and travel at the same time.

It was at this point in time I was introduced to an industry — interestingly by the director of the same international graduate degree program that rejected me — that would give me the chance to travel and see the world and meet so many fascinating people, all the while growing my career quicker than I ever thought possible.

What industry am I referring to?

The tourism industry.

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Instead of trying to fit travel into my life where only vacation days could allow, I was able to break into the tourism industry, work remotely and travel to international cities four to five times a year.

For over 10 years, I got paid to do tourism marketing for America’s largest department store retailer to sales, management and operations for tour operators, domestic, and international destination marketing organizations.

My career in tourism marketing allowed me to travel regularly across the United States and to New Zealand, China, Bahamas, India, Brazil, Australia, Belgium, France, United Kingdom, Argentina and Switzerland on work assignments.

**Visiting major attractions during various business trips.**

I remember how difficult it was when I first started out in this industry, not knowing any other professionals I could relate to. I remember wasting hundreds of dollars taking seminars that claimed to have all the secrets to working in the travel industry, that ended up being nothing more than promoting a travel writer’s how-to program or a multi-level marketing pyramid scheme.

As I became more and more comfortable learning and navigating the ins and outs of this industry, I ultimately feel that no other person should feel as though they have no resources to lean on as they take their first step on the path to being a travel professional.

This is what made me realize that it’s time to put together a roadmap on how to get started figuring out what you want to do and could do in this industry.

And to help you do this, in this guide, The 9 to 5 Globetrotter: How to Create a Travel Career That You Love, I’ll not only reveal the 7 secrets you must know before you even try to develop a career in the travel industry, I’ll also tell you exactly how I was able to break into this industry with absolutely no experience and was able to travel to over eighty cities across five continents — entirely paid for by various companies I’ve worked for.

I’ll show you what worked (and didn’t work) for me along the way and the lessons I’ve learned from my mistakes so you don’t have to struggle or make any of them yourself.

Specifically, you’ll:

Uncover the #1 tactic you must always do to find your dream job in this industry.
Know how your lack of experience or having too much experience doesn’t really matter.
Learn the 4 stages of employment that provide thousands of career options.
Identify how your mind stops you from being successful in this industry.
Learn the major mistakes I made that prevented me from breaking into the industry quicker and how to avoid them.
Find out the unexpected way you can get industry exposure and experience today.

I know what you’re going through. I have been there. And it’s not your fault.

If you’d love to jet set around the world and ever dreamed of having a career where you get paid to explore the globe…

Then let’s turn your dream into a reality.

And you’ll see how easy it can be to go from dreaming about working in this industry, to having your dream job in this industry.

Let’s get started.

To make it easier for you to get the most value out of this guide, I’ve broken it out into the following sections:

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THE MAGIC OF TRAVEL

One of my most interesting travel experiences was getting an extreme body massage in Shanghai, China. I was traveling through Beijing and Shanghai on a business trip and the day before I was to return to New York, I wanted to get a massage.

I was able to find a reputable and safe place recommended by my hotel and soon as I walked into the place I was served tea and shown to a private room. I didn’t have to take any clothes off which I thought was weird but I had to admit I was a bit happy since I was by myself.

A very dainty woman started to massage me and I thought to myself, I’m going to take a nap (which is what I usually do whenever I get a relaxing massage). At some point, the woman asked me how her pressure was, and I told her that she could be a bit harder if she wanted to, since my shoulder and neck muscles were very tight.

This was my mistake.

There was no way I could’ve taken a nap during the massage. There was no relaxation involved. I had no idea that Chinese massages had a reputation for being painful! The woman definitely became more forceful, so much so that I swear her elbow was going to go through my back.

All she kept saying to me was “relax, relax, muscles very tight.” For an hour I mustered up all the strength I could to relax while not wincing in pain. When the massage was done, I was trying to rush out of there but then the woman took my arm, gave me a glass of water, looked me straight in the eye and said to me “no work hard.”

Even though I left the massage more sore than I started, what made it memorable to me was not only the pain of the massage but more than that, how sincere she said those three words to me, “no work hard.” I definitely returned home the next day really thinking about where I wanted to be in my career and what impact I wanted to make.

Travel has blessed me with countless opportunities for adventure, discovery and growth, like the one you just read. Over the last fourteen years, I have explored and experienced life all around the world. Whenever I would come back from a trip, family, friends or colleagues would always reveal to me their own travel dreams.

Oftentimes they would communicate it like it was some best-kept secret that they’ve been protecting. Some had traveled before and were anxiously longing to return to the road. Others had never really traveled but hoped to do so soon. Although it seemed that I was expected to abide by some unspoken vow of silence, I always wondered…

Why do we suppress our desires to travel?

From a young age we’re drawn to captivating far-off people and places. Our impulse to move, to stretch our horizons, to meet other people, to take that much-needed break from our daily routine is natural and powerful. Our desire to travel is strong.

Technology has made the world smaller, more available, and more accessible. We now have the ability to be almost anywhere in the world within twenty-four hours. Travel is cheaper, faster, easier. More countries are open to travelers than ever before. The United Nations World Tourism Organization projects that by 2030, global tourism will reach 1.8 billion trips a year.

According to NY Times bestseller author and travel blogger, Matthew Kepnes — or “Nomadic Matt” as he is commonly known — travel is something that makes you not only a better human being, but a way cooler one too. The kind of person people gravitate towards and want to be around.

“Travel makes people better people. When you learn more about the world and the people in it, push your boundaries, and try new things, you become a more open, outgoing, and awesome person. All the people I’ve known who have traveled are better people ’cause of it.”

I have seen how travel has empowered my life. Whether we’re going for a couple of days or a couple of months, travel is truly magical. Make the time for it to have an impact in your life. Experience the magic of travel.

Click to Tweet: “Travel makes people better people. You become a more open, outgoing, and awesome person” by @nomadicmatt

YOU’RE ALREADY A TRAVELER

We nurture our travel dreams from childhood. Mysterious and enchanting faraway places fill our imaginations and create longings to discover what it’s like “over there.”

With a mental passport in our hands, our wonder takes us on a virtual voyage to places that we’ve always heard of, but to us is unknown, unseen and undiscovered. Places such as Paris, Dubai, The Amazon, Times Square, The Grand Canyon, Hollywood, The Galapagos, Machu Picchu, The Serengeti.

Right now you may have images and fantasies of taking a journey to those magical and alluring places.

This makes you a traveler already.

All you have to do is just turn those mental journeys into real encounters.

Don’t ignore your travel dreams. Travel is deeply personal. They are the rough drafts of what we’ll be, where we’ll go, what we’ll see and what we’ll experience.

“The minute you begin to do what you want to do, it’s really a different kind of life. — Buckminister Fuller.”

In a TED Talk, Jen Rubio goes into greater detail about travel, our anticipation of it and how we travel to resolve our personal desires, to take a break from the routine of who we are at home.

One thing she says that particularly resonates with me:

“The adventure doesn’t start when we board the plane, but rather the second we start to plan our trip.”

It’s never too late to travel and it doesn’t matter where you are right now.

Travel is possibility. Travel is our potential. Travel is opportunity.

When it knocks you have the power to answer. Invite it in.

Click to Tweet: Learn what makes you a traveler already. Even if you’ve never left home. Featuring @jennifer

Travel hacking expert Chris Guillebeau, who has visited every country in the world, sums it up perfectly when he said:

YOU DON’T HAVE TO QUIT YOUR JOB TO TRAVEL

We read travel books, magazines and blogs. We meet with travel agents, search online, envy others social media travel posts, and speak with friends.

We know that it’s a good feeling to get away…to jump in that car, take off in that plane, kick back on that train.

But we let go of our reasons to travel and let excuses get in the way.

Money. Time. Family. Work. Obligations. Responsibilities.

For us who truly dream of a life of travel, it hurts because the idea of not traveling means that we’re being kept away not only from our dreams but also from ourselves.

And it doesn’t help that so many of the travel experts, hackers, bloggers, backpackers and entrepreneurs out there write about a life of travel as one that’s only reserved for travel writers or digital nomads.

If you were to Google “how to quit my job to travel the world” the sheer number of articles and resources dedicated to this makes everyone assume that this is the only way to travel the world, with the usual recommendation being save money, quit your job, sell your stuff, buy a laptop and be “location independent.”

Well guess what?

You definitely don’t have to quit your job in order to travel the world.

The main issue I have with the “quit your job, travel the world” formula is that it perpetuates this ever romantic, must-be-nice notion that we can never really see ourselves having. We convince ourselves that we can never be one of “those people” who are having these great travel experiences because we have a job and debt and a family (not to mention the fact that we also have no problem with having a stable residence).

I feel as though travel is often presented as an either/or option, either you have a job and never travel or you quit your job and travel the world. Why can’t it be something that’s in between? I believe it’s possible.

Actually, I know it’s possible, because I’ve done it.

The great thing about travel is that it can mean different things to different people.

For me, travel means watching the tide come in at Bondi Beach. Enjoying a home-cooked meal at the home of a Beijing woman I had met only hours before. Witnessing morning prayers in the Mumbadevi Temple. Going on an authentic Mexican food-eating marathon in Los Angeles.

Travel is champagne sunrises while hot air balloon riding in Canberra. Visiting a voodoo museum in New Orleans. Getting a private carpet-making lesson in Jaipur. Standing atop Sugarloaf Mountain taking in panoramic city views. Standing in the middle of the world in Boston’s Mapparium.

Above all, I think that travel is meant to be freeing. Free from expectations, limitations, misconceptions or rules that state “you can only travel this way.”

We talk ourselves out of living a life full of travel. We begin to believe things like:

You must be rich to travel
You must be single with no children to travel
You must be young to travel
You must be free from responsibility to travel

Don’t believe these misconceptions.

Life coach, Marie Forleo says it best….

If you like owning a car, sleeping in your own bed and having a permanent place to call home, that doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice your travel dreams.

And you don’t have to take a career break, you can work a 9 to 5, make a great salary and still see the world.

You can have your cake and eat it too.

All you have to do is create a career where you travel for work. And the best way to do that is to find a job in the travel, tourism and hospitality industry, where travel is a major part of the work experience.

Travel doesn’t have to be thought of as being one-dimensional where the travel experience is only consumed in a leisurely way.

Travel can have both a personal and professional significance.

The thrill of relaxing and laying by a hotel pool in Thailand can have the same effect as having a discussion about your family and life back home while conducting business with an executive over your morning coffee in London.

Sir Richard Branson, founder of Virgin Group says that opportunity favors the bold, or those who take action towards their dreams — a lesson that he learned early on — that guided him as he developed the Virgin story:

“There is no greater thing you can do with your life and your work than follow your passions in a way that serves the world and you.”

Instead of lamenting the fact that you are unable to quit your job or “escape the cubicle,” figure out ways to make the world your cubicle.

By having this shift in my mindset, I was able to travel the world while continuing to work. So if you’re anything like I used to be and you want to have a career where you jet set around the world — keep reading, because that’s exactly what I’m going to show you how to do.

Click to Tweet: You don’t have to quit your job to travel. You can work a 9–5, make a great salary & still see the world. According to @marieforleo “everything is figureoutable”

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FINDING TRAVEL CAREERS: 7 SECRETS THAT YOU MUST KNOW

Do you love to travel and ever dreamed of having a career where you get paid to explore the globe, meeting people of various cultures and backgrounds?

Are you unfulfilled in your current job or have been laid off and are looking to change careers to the travel industry?

Or maybe you’re starting off brand new in this industry equipped with a fresh travel, tourism and hospitality degree and are experiencing the desperation of not being able to find work.

No matter what situation you’re in, there is one thing that stops you from breaking into the travel industry and destroys your chances for job search success.

And that is self-sabotaging barriers that you have (whether you know it or not), that are based on assumptions about developing a career in this industry overall.

You see, most of us operate under mistaken assumptions about the way the working world works. We think finding a job is only about getting more experience, writing the best resume and answering interview questions.

Unfortunately as a result, we put a lot of belief in self-sabotaging barriers — that we’re not qualified, that we don’t have the connections or skills — that actually hold us back from becoming our very best selves in the travel industry. Instead, we apply indiscriminately to mediocre jobs outside of the industry and we tolerate being underpaid and unfulfilled.

The key to overcoming these barriers is to first eliminate those assumptions or common misconceptions about developing a career in this industry that’s immediately holding you back from landing your dream job. For example, I could give you the perfect steps to take to find your travel dream job.

But if you have negative assumptions or misconceptions about this industry that are influencing your ability to process new information, nothing will work. Your belief system will always distort the new information you’re receiving.

There are a lot of misconceptions and blatant lies about what type of jobs exist or don’t exist and how to develop a career in the travel industry that I hear repeated often. Some of them used to be true and are now outdated, while some were just wrong to begin with.

Years ago I was getting questions every single day about working in the travel industry. During many of my international business trips or in the tourism and hospitality classes I teach at various universities, people would always ask me; “You’re always going somewhere. How exactly did you find a job that pays you to travel?” “How did you even get into that? It seems too good to be true.”

When people asked those questions, I wished I had a guide that I could give them and say, “Read this!” Something that could answer those initial questions and give them an end-to-end system that covered everything they needed.

But the problem was 98% of the career development or job search books out there started Chapter 1 with a lecture about how you need to update your resume.

I finally realized it was time to write a book to answer people’s questions, where they could learn more about the industry and how to find and land their dream jobs.

That book instead turned into my blog Tourism Exposed, which launched March 2014 and quickly grew into a readership of hundreds of people from over 50 countries and counting.

Since then, I’ve been getting the same questions…

…about working in the travel industry.

100% of us want to find our travel dream jobs. But what if we don’t have a clue of where or how to start or what we want to do? What are some examples of career paths? And what if we have too many career ideas? How do we actually take what we know and turn it into something that would be valuable to hiring companies in the industry?

Figuring all of this out can be an overwhelming process.

Throughout my life, I remember with each new job or career path I took, I eventually always returned to a cycle that included the following:

Period of misery
Knowing I needed a change
Did nothing but told myself it would get better (eventually)
Had no idea where to start
Stayed stuck

Something many people don’t know about me is precisely how many times I’ve reinvented myself. Many know that I used to be a national director of tourism for the largest American department store before starting Tourism Exposed.

But many don’t know that before that I worked…

…As a hospitality teacher in a culinary school.

…As an operations director for a visitor center.

…As a tourism researcher for the city of Philadelphia.

…As a brand manager for a producer of music content for digital cable television.

…As a copy and design editor for a medical textbook publisher.

There are lots of things I wish someone told me before I made the leap to completely reinvent my life direction, my career and myself. There are just so many methods that exist to help us change or choose a new career.

There are personality tests, aptitude tests and career tests. There are people who tell you what you’re good at, and not so good at. Everyone has advice for you. And then there’s your family who always thought you should’ve been a doctor, lawyer or some other popular profession.

Many people believe that choosing a career is a pretty simple and straightforward process. If this is the case, why do a lot of people find themselves with an unsatisfying, dead-end job?

It’s not their fault. The road to career happiness is usually full of bumps and curves rather than a straight, direct path from point A to point B. And as crazy as the job market and the economy have been, it’s no wonder it makes no sense to people.

Once upon a time it was pretty simple:

You went to school, picked a major and got a job in that field. Or you graduated high school, got some good training and you were off and running. Things didn’t change very much, so decisions were easier and safer.

According to Sean Ogle, we follow the path of least resistance, not necessarily because we choose to do so, but because we’re taught or expected to. Because that what everyone else does.

Click to Tweet: Thinking about a career in travel? What to do when you want to switch careers feat. @seanogle

Today though, change is so rapid and dramatic, especially within the travel industry that the way we are approaching or viewing change, is changing in itself.

How do we know what to do?

When we think about changing or choosing careers, one the first barriers that pops into our head is, “How do I pick or figure out a career path?” “How do I find companies that will hire me?” “Why would they hire me?” Right off the bat we overwhelm ourselves thinking about how we need to come up with the one perfect career path.

Finding your travel dream job is not about finding the one and only perfect career path, but taking action, however small, towards what you might be interested in the most and adapt accordingly. The fact plain and simple is that you’re good enough to land the position of your dreams in the travel industry. But the issue isn’t a lack of ambition on your part; it’s a lack of direction. And desire alone isn’t sufficient to guarantee your success.

The problem is that you’re not aware of the opportunities that exist, how to find them and what to do as far as how to promote yourself. You’re ready to work harder…you just don’t know where to direct your energy.

The travel industry has undergone great transformation as more and more people all from different types of backgrounds and economic status are getting out and seeing the world. However despite all of these changes, common myths continue to plague job seekers’ strategies at all levels in this industry.

There simply isn’t a one-size-fits-all formula for discovering how to take what you’re passionate about and then transitioning it into a new career. That being said, working in this industry has taught me seven secrets that I want to share with you to help you stop dreaming and get closer to a career that includes travel.

Secret #1: Industry Jobs Are Easy To Find

The standard mindset among people looking to switch careers to the travel industry is that if you’re unable to find the job you want, the only solution is to improve or increase your skills with the goal of making you more marketable to hiring managers. I think that this particular mindset is the most fundamental reason why you are and continue to be on the outside looking into this great industry.

Skills are important, especially a transferable skill set, but what is more important is how you strategically approach available and potential career opportunities. A proven example of this is that we all know people who are not as smart or talented or even as educated as we are but have amazing positions in the travel industry. These people didn’t get their jobs by having a great cover letter or resume. These two things are merely tools in the overall strategy of finding a job.

Bestselling author, Geoff Colvin talks about how talent can be overrated when trying to achieve our goals and be successful:

The overall tactic people used to successfully land their travel jobs was the power of talking to people. Just think about it. No matter how you find a job, what will get you the job is talking to people. And by people I mean everyone.

Whether it’s face to face, over the phone, in an email or via social media, talking to people is your number one tactic to breaking into the travel industry and getting a job. After all, people you know can lead you to people you don’t know or haven’t yet met, who can help you find more people who can connect you to more opportunities.

The biggest mistake people make when trying to enter this industry is to repeat one job-hunting tactic over and over again before saying, “I’ve applied to 100 jobs and heard nothing back!” You should never have gotten to this stage in your career development to begin with. After the first 5 applications, where you got no results, you should have stopped, reassessed and made a new plan.

Being able to attract people to you and articulate your goals and desires in a compelling way that creates trust, loyalty and support is a skill you must develop and sharpen. It’s a non-negotiable factor.

Today, you will not find your dream job by sitting at your desk and hiding behind your computer or just asking your family and friends for help. Yes, there are great social media tools such as LinkedIn that are designed to assist you in bridging the gap of getting connected to people, but as powerful as it is, nine times out of ten, it won’t get you work either.

It’s only through engaging personally with colleagues, peers, acquaintances and even complete strangers, demonstrating your skills and expressing your interests, and being of service in a powerful way that the door of opportunity will open for you. You’ll be provided with reenergized and new supporters to help you fight the good fight of developing a thriving career in this industry.

Have the courage to ditch what isn’t working and try something new, which might. For example, talk to someone at a company where you’re interested in working or who is in an area of the industry in which you want to work in. What have you got to lose?

There are many opportunities out there beyond what we know to exist, so long as we are willing to seek them or perhaps even create them for ourselves. For instance, if you think you might be interested in tourism marketing — Destination Marketing Association International, an association that focuses specifically on marketing as a career in tourism — provides employment opportunities both here in the U.S. and around the world.

In the words of actor Will Smith, the level of success you’re able to achieve is only as high as the level of hard work and personal development you’re able to commit to:

“I will not be out-worked, period. You might have more talent than me, you might be smarter than me, you might be sexier than me, you might be all of those things, you got it on me in nine categories. But if we get on the treadmill together, there’s two things: You’re getting off first, or I’m going to die. The majority of people who aren’t achieving the things that they want is strictly based on hustle. I say all the time if you stay ready, you ain’t gotta get ready.”

The overall point I want you to get is that you can have your pick of travel jobs to choose from. There are jobs for those who know where the jobs are located, and who understand how to find them.

Secret #2: No Experience, No Problem

You don’t have to have industry specific experience, background or skills to get a job in the travel industry or to develop a long-term successful career. While every job is different and having prior experience is dependent upon what type of work and area you want to go into, most industry employers believe in hiring for attitude and fit and training for skills. What this means is that with the right approach you can gain entry to this elusive industry.

There are countless routes to having a career in travel.

If you absolutely want to have a taste of what it’s like to work in the industry before you decide if this industry is one in which you definitely want to build a long-term career, you can work part-time, evenings or weekends in a hotel, travel agency, tour operator or visitor attraction, for example, depending on your career goals.

You could consider summer work or spend time working or studying abroad. You could also start with on-the-job training, an internship, temporary or volunteer opportunity, or take a course or certificate program.

However, again it doesn’t matter whether you have little or no experience whatsoever for you to enter and have a successful career in the travel industry. What you absolutely need though is a transferable skill set. I cannot stress to you enough that your particular skill set, in whatever industry you gained it, in whatever way you gained it, and the ability to effectively promote them to employers in this industry, is key to you securing a position.

When I graduated from college I officially entered the professional working world by becoming employed at a medical textbook publishing company. Yes, you read that correctly. A medical textbook publishing company.

The project management experience I gained there led me to then getting a marketing position at a company that programs music and produces music-related content for digital cable television.

I didn’t initially see the travel industry as a career option for me, as I had no experience in or knowledge of it. It wasn’t until I pursued my passion for travel and researched career paths, I was able to determine that the project management and marketing experience I gained from those other industries (my skill set) was based on customer needs and my ability to create a profitable desire for a product, service or relationship to meet those needs. Once I figured this out, I then mastered the ability to communicate my skills as those I could transfer to various employers in the travel industry.

In the end, I’ve come to realize that this industry is a dynamic one where individuals of all backgrounds can find their niche. Jobs and careers tend to be fluid and changing. If you have a background in the arts, humanities, finance, medical and science for example, you need not pigeonhole yourself in an industry where you’re unhappy.

Gone are the days where you have to be in a particular job, in one particular industry, in one particular location in the world for the majority of your life. Those who get jobs are those who can sell themselves the best and have functional skills that are transferable from one job to another.

Pamela Slim talks about this in her book, Body of Work. According to Pam, when you focus on developing a set of skills, you’ll have more freedom and clarity to choose different work options in different industries throughout your life and you’ll be able to connect your diverse accomplishments, sell your story and continually reinvent and relaunch your career.

Click to Tweet: You don’t need experience to break into the travel industry, you need transferable skills feat. @pamslim

Secret #3: A Degree Is Not Required

You don’t have to go back to school and get an advanced certificate or degree specifically in travel just in order to enter the industry and have a successful career at any level.

Most positions in the industry don’t require a university degree. There are many routes to learning and depending on the specific career path you choose, you can enter the industry and even achieve a management position through on-the-job training or through an apprenticeship program.

Most industry leaders want to hire professionals who have transferable skills and who are trainable. Since they train their employees to respond to the needs of their organization, they want people who can quickly learn new skills and put them to action immediately. You first need to know though what type of transferable skills you already have and if they are appropriate for the type of travel job you’re seeking. Based on this, you may or may not need more education or training depending on your present skill levels and the needs of employers.

So what exactly are transferable skills?

Transferable skills are talents and knowledge you’ve acquired or developed that can be used in future employment. The experience and accomplishments you’ve gained from your current job and those before it, internships, volunteer work, hobbies, sports, college coursework or even your daily life or life events can lead you to find these skills.

Once you have identified the specific knowledge and skills that are needed by the new employer in which you’re interested in, the trick is to then be able to show the employer the transferable skills you have, how they apply and are useful to them.

Start with the job you seek and identify the three most important abilities you’ll need to do that job well (customer service, management or marketing for example). Then look over your experience and describe what you’ve done before in terms of what you want to do next. The best way to do this is through customized resumes and cover letters.

A graduate degree can enhance your career and in some cases help you move more quickly into supervisory and management positions. But by no means is it a requirement or prerequisite and oftentimes it’s not mandatory or even the first thing employers look at. Many organizations and employment recruiters in this industry are happy with a general undergraduate degree and few job advertisements stipulate a graduate degree qualification.

Secret #4: Opportunities Exist Beyond Hotels, Airlines And Travel Agencies

Opportunities in travel are extremely diverse. The nature of responsibilities can vary from working on a beach to developing marketing strategies for an international organization to preparing gourmet meals. The travel industry offers something for everyone, with varying stages of responsibility and levels, from entry-level and management to executive, all providing great opportunities for lucrative career growth.

Careers in travel are much bigger than what can be found only in hotels, airlines and travel agencies. Opportunities range from accountancy, architecture, engineering, consulting, sales, law, financial auditing, education, marketing, sales, public relations, web design, information technology, attractions, development, management, loss prevention, foodservice, healthcare, construction, entertainment, transportation and service positions of all types.

You can have a lifelong career or a part-time summer job. Many travel occupations involve working with the public, particularly in front-line positions such as customer service, operations or visitor relations. There are however, numerous jobs behind the scenes where employees or professionals have little or no direct contact with guests or tourists but may have to deal with clients or vendors instead. Examples of these types of positions include research, sales, marketing, planning or technology.

There are four stages of positions that outline the typical career path of a travel professional. You can start in an entry-level position and elevate to a senior position within a relatively short period of time versus in other industries. The travel industry also offers unique opportunities for those who wish to start their own business.

Entry Level: Involves direct contact with tourists and is usually the first point of contact for them. Includes operational and front-line positions such as concierges, visitor center representatives, sales coordinators, tour guides and customer service.
Management: Involves hiring, supervising and motivating operational and front-line positions as well as providing functional expertise such as budgeting, analysis and planning in order to help an organization or department grow. Examples include guest services supervisor, visitor center manager, housekeeping manager, attractions operations manager.
Executive: Involves being responsible for a department or several departments and can function at the regional, national or international levels. Overall strategic planning and budgetary approvals are also major accountabilities. Examples include hotel general manager, vice president of human resources, tour operator chief executive officer (CEO), convention and visitors bureau president, convention center executive director, director of sales and marketing, regional director of restaurant chain.
Entrepreneur: Many opportunities exist for the self-starter. Some include opening a restaurant, starting an online travel agency and freelancing as a tourism-marketing consultant.

I was hired by a department store retailer to develop and promote their organization to tourists worldwide. I say this not to brag but to impress upon you that organizations within and outside of the travel industry want to hire employees who are passionate about this industry, positive and have something important to offer.

To learn more about the industry overall and the impact it has on career and job growth, two great resources to start with are the Travel Means Jobs report by U.S. Travel Association, which promotes travel to and within the United States, and the World Tourism Organization, which promotes tourism worldwide.

Secret #5: Great Salaries Do Exist

Travel positions often pay well in comparison to other industries. Many factors will determine exactly what you’ll earn, such as job location, cost of living, type of business or organization, specific position type and stage, your skills, education and training. Furthermore, whether or not the area, location or destination is in high demand for tourism or are year-round tourist attractions are also factors in determining salaries.

Some jobs in the industry make up for their relatively low salaries via travel perks or benefits that are offered, such as discounted or free airfares, accommodations, meals and uniforms and the ability to receive added commissions, gratuities, education or training.

A travel agent for example is traditionally thought of as earning a low salary or minimum wage, however this is a common misconception among those who do not fully understand this industry and the scope of what a travel agent’s role actually is. What type of travel agent are you talking about?

By segmenting by type of travel agent (leisure, corporate, luxury or home based), you can come up with an accurate estimate of a salary for a travel agent. Based on this, travel agent salaries can range from the mid $30,000s to $100,000 a year. Yes, it’s possible for a travel agent to make six figures!

In this industry, there are just too many variables regarding salaries for people to just assume that you can’t make a comfortable living across the industry as a whole or to try to nail down a specific salary dollar amount in general.

Secret #6: A Bad Economy Doesn’t Mean There’s No Industry Jobs

Is it hard to find a travel, tourism and hospitality job in a bad economy? Yes. But there are more opportunities out there than you think. Advertised jobs on career websites or job boards and want ads represent only a small portion of the opportunities available in this industry. Furthermore, there are many opportunities once you’re in the industry to move to different positions to enhance your career and best utilize your skill set.

You’re probably saying to yourself, “ok, ok, Kimberly, this is all fine and well, but I think there just aren’t any jobs available right now or I am not sure there will be any jobs by the time I graduate from school or in this economy, I’m lucky to have a job, so I don’t want to rock the boat.”

As the development of countries increasingly becomes defined in terms of encouraging greater foreign investment and import-export arrangements, government agencies are encouraging and promoting private business domestically and internationally that foster travel, since the industry as a whole is the largest and most diverse in the world and a considerable economic driver.

The travel industry is hiring right now all around you.

There are more and more companies that are realizing that tourists can bring in a lot of money to their businesses and as a result need people with new ideas to make their businesses top of mind among these tourists.

Furthermore, no matter what kind of state the economy is in at the present time, professionals are getting promoted, retiring or going on leave of absences. Unfortunately, professionals die or get fired. With all of these occurrences, vacant positions are created which have to be filled because work still has to get done.

Recruiters are finding candidates mainly through word-of-mouth connections and referrals but also through the use of internal company postings, social media sites and resume databases. There is a hidden job market within the travel industry that you can tap into where the majority of available jobs are filled even before they are publicly advertised.

However, if you can’t find a job in the travel industry don’t look to the outside world for what’s going on. Look inside yourself and make a critical shift. People who thrive in this industry don’t break themselves against what is, but experience challenges as a way to bend themselves around them and become stronger, more resourceful and more resilient.

Yes, the economy may be bad, yes the news reports look bleak and unemployment may actually be at an all time high, but there are other factors behind your lack of success, and the first and best place to look is at how you’re thinking about, and approaching, your situation.

If you feel desperate, angry, victimized and can’t believe that you’re unhappy in your current job or career path, can’t get over how you were laid off, or graduated with a mountain of student loan debt and still can’t find your dream job, find a way to shift these emotions into something more positive that will propel you forward, not keep you stuck in resentment.

Everything is energy in this world, and your anger, fear and frustration are indeed real, creating a wall around you that repels others and drives away potential opportunities for success.

Chris Guillebeau talks more about tackling fear and giving ourselves permission to choose the life we want to live and to do what we love. He doesn’t recommend that we try to be fearless or pretend we aren’t impacted by fear, but rather we try to prevent fear from making decisions for us.

Click to Tweet: How to not let your fear block your career success featuring @chrisguillebeau

Given that the foundation of travel overall and especially when it comes to developing careers in the industry, is about relationships, the building of those relationships and the ability to embrace change, find a way to deal with in a positive way what you’re going through, and work through your fears as you go out in the world hoping to find career success.

Secret #7: Internships Are Not The Only Way To Get Industry Experience

Many companies in travel recognize internships as one of the most effective recruiting methods available to them in order to obtain young talent. Overall, internships are work-related learning opportunities that college students often attain through school, personal connections and job postings and are generally unpaid, but may offer college credit, where companies hire them as trial employees.

For students, internships are important because it provides them with the opportunity to develop skills, preview a specific industry or company, and learn about the corporate culture. Furthermore, students view internships as a sure-fire way to get a full-time job.

Interestingly, in today’s job market, internships are not just for college students as they once traditionally were. Recent graduates, people in their mid-careers, career changers, stay at home moms ready to return to the workforce and unemployed professionals can all use internships as a way to learn first-hand about career paths and gain experience in the travel industry.

An internship can bring you up to speed on new developments in the overall industry, provide you with the opportunity to make contacts with valuable insiders who may be able to help you network your way to bigger and better opportunities, keep your work and social skills sharp, fresh and up-to-date and could possibly give you an advantage over others applying for a job at the same company.

However, I have a couple of issues with internships. A major problem with internships is they are commonly unpaid, which for many, just isn’t an option. A lot of professionals can’t afford to work unpaid as they have families to support and rent or mortgages to pay.

But more importantly, my major issue with internships is that they are always referred by educational institutions and general career development experts as being the only method for people trying to break into the travel industry.

Other ways to get industry experience and exposure other than internships are free work and temporary jobs. Charlie Hoehn, author of the Recession Proof Graduate talks about the difference between internships and free work. Although his talk is geared to college graduates, his major points are applicable to anyone looking to change their careers to a new industry.

Temporary jobs, commonly known as “temp jobs or temps,” are contract assignments that usually consist of part-time work at companies for a short or specified period of time. You can find these types of positions through temp agencies or directly from hiring companies and depending on location and your skill set they can pay anywhere from $15 an hour to more than $10,000 a month, varying from coordinators all the way up to CEO.

Temporary jobs are almost always a better option than internships because not only do you get paid, gain experience and make contacts, but when these types of jobs become permanent ones, the person almost is always offered the chance to become a permanent full-time employee in the same role. Furthermore, people in internships generally help out with a little bit of everything, whereas temporary professionals are hired to work on one assignment or project until it’s completed.

In addition, most companies view internships as a form of giving back to society and hire these trial employees even if there aren’t really any solid tasks to give them. Temporary workers on the other hand, are only hired when there aren’t sufficient resources to get the work done but there’s no permanent staff available so they always have some solid tasks to do.

While internships, free work and temporary jobs all have their pros and cons, what’s important for you to recognize is that there is more than one option for you to break into the travel industry. Hiring managers in the industry want to see how your experience will translate to their business, regardless of where that experience specifically comes from.

Click to Tweet: There are more ways to get travel industry experience than you think. Featuring @charliehoehn

8 CAREER MISTAKES TO AVOID AT ALL COSTS

Developing your career is one of the most important things you can do in your life. Choosing a particular career and knowing how to be successful in it is not a one-time decision, it’s a series of decisions, that you need to correctly make as you go through different stages of your life, experience and responsibility.

Each and every job you take is a step on the career ladder, which means that each one can have a significant impact on your future career prospects. Why is it then, that many people get stuck in their careers, chronically bogged down in jobs they either hate or that provide them with no advancement despite their best efforts?

Because knowing what not to do in developing your career is just as important as knowing what to do. And while making mistakes is part of how we master new skills, there are eight career mistakes you should avoid at all costs. Mistakes so harmful I like to call them the “Travel Career Destroyers.”

I have personally made these mistakes and I want to show you specific strategies for each mistake that will allow you to apply the knowledge to your own career so you don’t repeat them. Unfortunately, these eight mistakes aren’t common knowledge but rather commonly made, but once you learn to identify and stop doing them, you’ll be able to stop sabotaging your own job search efforts and start focusing on how to really fast track your travel career.

After all, sometimes the best way to start doing something right is to stop doing something wrong.

Career Mistake #1: Underestimating the negative side effects of settling.

In today’s economy most of us are conditioned to just “take what I can get.” We either stay at a job where we’re not happy because we think that’s the best we can do, or worse, we leave our current jobs where we are unhappy for another job. This new job may pay more but is nowhere near what we really want to do. In the end, we eventually become unhappy at the new job and this vicious cycle starts all over again.

How to Stop: Deep dive into the industry.

Find your best career path by learning all you can about the current status of the travel industry from a broad level. The winning formula in developing a career strategy is to research before you engage in a job search. Use the Internet to recognize what trends are happening in the overall industry, what the major issues or challenges are the industry faces and look for pockets of opportunities where a problem could be solved or a need could be addressed.

Based on your findings, identify those companies that match your interests then formulate a strategy that will enable you to learn all about those companies, their advertised and hidden job opportunities, how to get your foot in the door to get an interview and eventually get hired.

Not only will you become and stay excited about your work you’ll also be in a position to enhance your current skill set along with developing new skills, versus them stagnating over time.

Career Mistake #2: Disqualifying yourself.

Have you been guilty of making assumptions about how you are or will be perceived by potential hiring managers? For example you think to yourself:

“I have found companies and positions that match the career path I want to follow but it’s a waste of time because…”

“I don’t have the skills needed.”

“I don’t have a degree.”

“I don’t have any industry experience.”

How to Stop: Don’t shortchange yourself.

Prove to yourself that you can be successful in the travel industry by challenging yourself to contact an industry executive who you admire and ask for their opinion. Or be bold enough to apply for that position you saw. You can sell yourself on other criteria to get the job once you get your foot in the door and then acquire those core skills once you’re on the job.

While qualifications and experience are ranked high as far as hiring criteria, employers hire people for all kinds of reasons. More importantly, employers seek people who are basically likable and that can fit in and get along with their superiors, co-workers and clients.

You must be able to communicate and prove to employers that you’re such a person and more. You must overcome employers’ objections to any lack of experience or qualifications. The best-qualified person is the one who knows how to get the job and convinces employers that they are the most desirable.

If you can determine what transferable skill set you will bring to the table that will add value and tailor them to meet employers’ needs, what happens next may pleasantly surprise you.

For example, Samantha Brown, who hosts various shows on the Travel Channel explains how she got the “best job in the world,” without being a travel expert or having any experience in the travel industry.

Click to Tweet: You can have a career where you travel around the world & get paid for it! featuring @samanthabrown

Career Mistake #3: Relying on personality tests to be the magic pill.

When it comes to pursuing a career, we have been brainwashed into thinking that if we just take a personality test or self-assessment, it will reveal employment leads worth pursuing.

There’s nothing wrong with wanting to learn about yourself but the problem is that these tests or assessments rarely provide the results you seek because they are completely general and broad, oftentimes not even accurate in the description of you, and worse of all not actionable.

I view personality tests or self-assessments as just another form of procrastination. Just ask yourself, has all these tests done anything for you as far as actually getting you employed within your desired travel career?

How to Stop: Do your homework.

You’ll have to do the work of knowing what type of position you specifically want, then researching what positions exists, reviewing and learning companies and then evaluating if they are the right fit for you to proceed before approaching or applying.

One way to do this is by seeking out people who did or are currently doing the type of job you’re interested in. These people can provide tremendous insight into the pros and cons of a particular position that you may not have considered.

Career Mistake #4: Wasting time being a master of study.

You spend countless hours reading general career advice books. You obsess over your LinkedIn profile and getting it just right. You revise your resume for the thousandth time and send it out to yet another job website.

You’re doing so many tactics and none of it is working. You become overwhelmed and frustrated. Because you’re not investing your time in doing the right things and doing useless activities that aren’t getting you a job, you fall victim to being paralyzed by over analyzing and just give up.

How to Stop: Fine-tune your strategy.

Instead of wondering why you’re not getting interviews or job offers, stop looking everywhere and anywhere for the answer. Don’t be afraid to seek help from people in the position to help you.

Once you have determined your career goals and researched and identified positions and respective companies and find yourself stuck on how to proceed next, find the appropriate people who can give you advice and answer questions. Successful executives love to talk about their background, career path and how they overcame pitfalls in developing their travel career.

Career Mistake #5: Not Being Specific

Ever have trouble talking to companies about what you want to do and why they should hire you? Employers will not hire someone who will “take anything.” They want someone who is qualified, but also they want someone who truly wants the particular vacancy they are trying to fill, not someone who lacks a clear career goal. Remember, if you don’t know what you want, you’ll probably never get it.

How to Stop: Develop laser focus.

Choosing a niche or a sector of the overall travel industry where you want to work is one of the simplest ways to establish and grow your career. It’s easier to know how to market yourself, where to look and how to use what you’ve found when you know what you specifically want to do. Do you want to work in travel? Or, do you want to work in tourism? Is a career in hospitality better suited to your interests and goals?

Furthermore, you must be able to also choose a target function to find a job. For example, are you interested in marketing, accounting or product development? The job function is what you will be doing all day long on the job so it’s important to determine what it is.

You must then discover the job title or the type of job you want. In this industry, titles do matter and are important. For instance, there is a big difference between a sales manager and a regional sales manager. If you don’t learn and know the various job titles that are prevalent in the travel industry then you’re an outsider. And if you’re an outsider you won’t get hired.

As you become more familiar with the industry as you look for jobs you’ll learn more about your target niche, job function and job title with every contact made. You can start out with a naïve and vague idea such as “I’d like to work in hotel sales“ and by the end of your research you know perfectly well that a sales manager is responsible for selling one property in one location and a regional sales manager is responsible for selling multiple properties across multiple cities and states.

If you want to find your dream job you have to concentrate on a very small list of possible jobs. You can only look effectively for two or three different types of jobs. More than that you’re being a jack-of-all-trades and a master of none.

Career Mistake #6: Not having the right resume.

We’ve been taught by virtually all general career experts that we need to have a chronological resume that lists our entire life’s work history. Then we’re to update it every time we change jobs or do something new. This is a waste of time because this type of resume gets thrown in the trash by hiring managers 99% of the time.

Just think about it, why should a hiring manager for a hotel care about the work you did five years ago at some random unrelated company? How does that prove valuable to the hiring manager?

How to Stop: Tailor your resume for each opportunity.

Instead of sending out a blanket chronological resume to companies you know nothing about, change your resume to be functional instead of chronological. Create a travel resume that’s based on your specific skill set or range of skills that tells a story that’s catered to targeted positions based on your specific career path and respective researched companies.

No resume is sent out in response to any open position until you have thoroughly researched the companies, are familiar with their websites and social media presence and you know what their biggest organizational problems are and their associated hiring goals.

Career expert Penelope Trunk talks more about this:

“Rewriting your resume is what you do at the very end of the process of figuring out the best job for yourself. Once you know the answer to that question, it should be no problem to rewrite your resume to get that job.”

Based on this, you then can use keywords from the company’s website and from their job description for the position you’re interested in applying to, in your functional resume to further tie together your overall story and make it easy for hiring managers to see your value.

Click to Tweet: Want to find a travel dream job? Craft resume telling a story that caters to specific companies featuring @penelopetrunk

Career Mistake #7: Thinking it’s all about you.

Contrary to general career development experts and books, it’s not all about you as the job seeker. Hiring managers in the travel industry don’t care that you want a position where you can work from home or make enough money to travel or that you want to be fulfilled or stimulated in your work environment and responsibilities. What they do care about is exactly how you can add value to their company on a daily basis and quickly.

How to Stop: Invade the hiring manager’s mind.

Discover what you can offer a company and how you can add quantifiable value. Ask yourself, how can I contribute? What problems can I solve? How can I either make money or save the company time, money or resources? Get into the mind of the hiring manager or executive you will be working with. What keeps them up at night? What is the hardest part of their job? What would impress them about you?

Based on your company research, using what I like to call the MAD Method, show them how you would “make a difference” and what you would do if hired in a 30 day, 60 day and 90 day time period. Show and prove that you’re the best candidate for the position.

Most skills are transferable and you just have to learn how to sell them. When discussing your last role, specify how you improved the business and how taking advantage of your skill set would help the prospective company meet its goals.

For example, if you’re looking to work at a public relations firm specializing in hotel development, you show that you are a desired and valuable potential employee not by communicating that you have great organizational skills or attention to detail and are able to work under pressure (which are overused general terms that everyone says) but rather by communicating that through your past roles, regardless of where they were, you have an extensive database of contacts and a demonstrated, proven ability to get press coverage.

In all communication with hiring managers or executives in this industry, be sure to always use the respective words and terminology they use. Talk about the issues that are important to them.

Career Mistake #8: Not being flexible with your specific career path.

Now I’m sure you will say, “Kimberly, you just told me to be specific and choose a career niche, job function and job title within the travel industry.” Yes, I want you to be as specific as possible but at the same time do not put all of your eggs in one basket. Do not have your heart set on ONE position in ONE company in ONE area of focus within the travel industry.

The travel industry is the type of industry where there is a high degree of mutual dependence and cooperation. Individuals working in this industry can advance their careers by moving from one player to another with relative ease.

Don’t think that advancing upward in your career is the only prize. Look for those positions where you’re able to gain new wisdom and new experience and where you’re not only learning about the company but also about this great industry.

How To Stop: Think long-term.

Spread your interests across multiple areas in the travel industry based on your skill set. For example, someone with a marketing skill set can develop a successful tourism career across various positions within museums, retail, attractions and destination marketing organizations, versus just in museums.

Gone are the days where you’re guaranteed long-term employment and career enhancement by joining and remaining employed at one company. The key is to remain flexible with the type of company but still be focused on the particular niche or sector of the larger industry where you want to work.

This is important because it allows you to think about what success looks like and means to you long-term and develop your career accordingly that will thrive on a long-term basis, instead of just thinking about your next job.

Mobility among different companies within sectors of the overall travel industry leads to interesting and challenging position changes and work environments. It can enable you to advance your career in ways that you never thought possible.

Leadership blogger Michael Hyatt talks about having a long-term or future-based mindset and how vision is more important than strategy. Specifically he says:

“If you think about strategy (the “how”) too early, it will actually inhibit your vision (the “what”) and block you from thinking as big as you need to think. What you need is a vision that is so big that it is compelling, not only to others, but to you. If it’s not compelling, you won’t have the motivation to stay the course and you won’t be able to recruit others to help you.”

Navigating your career can be tricky. We all make mistakes, but while some are just mild hiccups we can learn from, others can lead to a devastating drop back down the career ladder steps. Think of each job as a step toward your bigger career goals and aim to get it right. It only gets better from here.

Click to Tweet: How to have a long-term mindset when it comes to developing your travel career. Featuring @michaelhyatt

HOW TO GET A TRAVEL, TOURISM AND HOSPITALITY JOB WITHOUT EXPERIENCE

The travel industry has remained to be one of the top industries that is recession resistant and is the only industry that has continued to add jobs to the global economy on a consistent basis.

Therefore, it’s no surprise that many people who want to combine their love of travel with making a living, turn to this industry. However, the biggest challenge for people is breaking into the industry successfully without having any industry experience or specialized education.

Furthermore, many would-be travel professionals don’t have the time, money, or even the desire to go back to school and get an advanced certificate or degree specifically in travel, tourism or hospitality, just in order to enter the industry and have a successful career at any level. So how do you get a travel job without experience or any specialized education?

Here are a few tips that will help you navigate your career into the travel industry:

Research: Staying on top of industry news and trends, including companies and key players, is very important when trying to break into the industry. There are numerous travel industry news sources, many of which are excellent for not only finding out who’s hiring, but also you’ll be able to speak intelligently about the industry in an interview or when connecting with industry professionals.
Figure Out Your Transferable Skills: Most job seekers start with and focus on what they don’t have. Instead, think about what skill set you do have that could translate into a role that could support the travel industry. For example, the industry needs skilled workers in information technology (IT), accounting and finance, research, sales and marketing, human resources and administration.
Sell Yourself Proactively: The key to an effective job search is maximizing the productivity of your time, yet most people are unaware of how to do this. Most will sit at their computer each day for hours on end, scouring online job postings for something that catches their interest. The problem with this is that everyone else is doing the exact same thing, so it’s impossible to stand out. Furthermore, this is a passive approach that’s ineffective and a waste of time. Instead of waiting around for a job that may never show up, be proactive and go out and find it! Know what sets you apart.

The key to self-promotion is that in order to find your dream job in travel, you need to proactively expose yourself to the industry in a valuable way so that potential mentors, sponsors, thought leaders and professionals at all levels in the industry, can connect with you and serve as referrals or influencers on your behalf.

Using The 80/20 Model to Sell Yourself

As someone who wants to work in the travel industry, the goal is to find out what percentage of your time you spend promoting yourself. That could be connecting, taking people out to coffee or lunch, email outreach or sending “check-in” updates to your network.

Organize your time into an 80/20 model: 80 percent outreach, 20 percent consumption. Consumption includes finding detailed information on the industry, learning about industry leaders, positions and companies you’re interested in. Outreach means reaching out to those target companies and key individuals that you’ve honed in on during your research to establish a relationship and create an awareness of your presence in their professional circle.

Don’t Give Up

As you start to take these steps to live a life of travel by working in the travel industry, give it time. It can get frustrating but remember you’re focusing on building an exciting and successful and long-term career. Start slow, right where you are, but be sure to clearly define what your long-term career objectives are.

See if there’s a way to hone skills in your current position that would directly apply to your new career path. Even one small step in the right direction can make a big impact. Stay motivated and focused on the end goal. And most importantly, don’t give up.

Remember that experience isn’t the only thing prospective employers are looking for in this industry. They also want to find the right person for their organization. Many companies are far more concerned with personality and cultural fit. Use that to your advantage.

The following are my top three must read online sources that provide excellent up to the minute news related to the travel industry that will let you start speaking as an authority on what’s happening in the industry TODAY.

Although visiting these websites is useful, sign up for their email newsletters. Each day you’ll receive brief industry updates that will help you to stay on top of news and situations around the world that impact the industry overall.

Skift: Skift is the largest industry intelligence and marketing platform in travel, providing news, information, data and services to all sectors of the world’s largest industry.
eHotelier: eHotelier is a comprehensive website that provides the latest news about the hospitality sector specifically and related jobs, education and events.
Travel and Tour World: Travel and Tour World gives a global outlook through in-depth coverage of the entire travel, tourism and hospitality industry including hotels, airlines, destinations, cruises, meeting and conventions and lots more. The online magazine keeps you abreast with the latest technological trends of the industry and provides insight into the highlights and reviews of all trade shows and events from around the world.

TRAVEL JOB MAGNET: HOW TO BE A PROACTIVE JOB SEEKER AND STAND OUT

We all know someone who seems to be very lucky. They’re always either finding interesting new jobs, getting promotions or hanging out with people in positions of power. It seems as if they’re always at the right place at the right time.

How do they do that?

It might be easy to dismiss them as being lucky.

But maybe it’s something else.

If you were to look closely at these people, you would see that actually great career opportunities don’t just come to them. They’ve just developed a strategy to help those opportunities appear more frequently.

But wait. Before I reveal what that strategy is, I want you to know that what you’re about to read relates to networking.

However, I hate the word “networking.”

Why?

Because when people think about networking or that you have to “network” to meet people, people immediately put up a mental block, roll their eyes and get frustrated. They think networking is something that’s unpleasant but a necessary evil, like going to the dentist. Words like “brown nosing,” “kissing up,” and “schmoozing” all come to mind.

But networking is the most important thing you can do if you want to break into the travel industry.

You don’t need more luck to find your dream job in the industry. You just need the right approach.

For example, most companies in the industry are turning to employee referrals more and more when the time comes for them to hire. So, what this means for you is that networking with other professionals who work where you want to work can turn out to be very beneficial.

So let’s change the concept of networking and redefine it as something we need and love to do to connect with successful people, just for the purpose of doing so and making new friends and expanding our community.

It’s moving away from viewing successful people as just a collection of business cards that you put in a drawer and pull out only when you need it or viewing people as products (what they can do for me), to being cognizant of the fact that successful people are people just like we are.

If you think of this and not just view them as a stepping-stone in your ladder to career success, I guarantee you’ll actually become more successful in reaching your goals quicker. I know this goes against everything you were taught about networking but I promise you it works.

The First Step to Connecting: The Tree Trunk Effect

The biggest reason why connecting not networking with people is easy and beneficial to you is simple; talking and building a relationship with people will determine how fast you break into the industry.

The only difference between where you are right now and where you’ll be next year at the same time are the people you meet. According to Jim Rohn, the influential entrepreneur, author and motivational speaker…

The more successful and accomplished people you’re connected to in the travel industry, the more likely you are to be successful and accomplished in the travel industry yourself. It’s just a general rule of thumb to surround yourself with and get close to as many successful people as possible in the industry.

But this is where most of us throw up our hands and scratch our heads and say: “Ok, connect with successful and accomplished people in the industry. I get it. But how? How do I find and reach out to them?”

We were told since the beginning of time by career experts to “talk to anyone.” We all hear phrases like “the majority of jobs are found through personal contacts.” But who are these people we’re supposed to meet? Where do we find them? What do we say? How in the world do we even begin with all of this?

Instead of giving your business cards out to random people at networking events, I recommend finding the top people in your target career niche, job function or job title that you admire. The goal here is to focus on those key people who have done what you want to do and work or have worked at the company or type of companies you specifically want to work for.

Study them intensely by researching them online and using LinkedIn to see how you’re connected and get their email addresses as your first point of contact. Or you can talk to your friends, peers, and your school’s alumni community for example to see if you can get introduced to them.

From there, take baby steps to build a relationship and become friends. Think of yourself as a tree trunk in which the root of the tree is you going out and strategically connecting with key people. The branches of the tree are the relationships you build. Like the branches of a tree, building one relationship can lead to another, which in turn can lead to another, and on and on.

This is what I like to call the Tree Trunk Effect. As you connect and develop relationships, in time you will be a root of the tree in which multiple top people will get to know you and your name in various circles.

Important Point to Remember: There’s a Time and Place for Everything

Once you have your list of top people you want to connect with, you have to make sure you choose the right and appropriate time to reach out to them. Just because you get your hands on the email address of the Vice President of Marketing for the company you are dying to get into, doesn’t mean you immediately send off your email. It may not be the right time to connect with them.

First ask yourself, do you have anything of value to offer them? Can you find any common ground, mutual interests or connections with this person? Would this person think you are interesting and relevant to them? Are they in the middle of a busy season and most likely very busy?

Do your research. Make sure when you do reach out to them you have something meaningful to say.

Remember we’re not just collecting business cards and adding contacts to our LinkedIn accounts. Contacting is not the same as connecting. Think quality not quantity. We’re making friends and building relationships.

If you want to learn and take advantage of opportunities you need to reach out and connect with the right people and start conversations. If you’re able to get noticed, be known and add value (which I’ll talk about next) opportunities will come to you instead of you having to search them out.

The Second Step to Connecting: The Give, Give, Give, Ask Model

You should constantly be thinking of ways to provide value to the people you connect with. Figure out what you can do to become more valuable to people who you want to get in front of.

I come from a Caribbean family where my immigrant parents always taught me that when I go to someone’s house for the first time as a guest, I’m to always bring something as a gift. As a custom, it’s considered impolite to show up at someone’s door with “two hands swinging” (Caribbean slang for saying “don’t be empty-handed”). Whether it’s flowers, a cake or a bottle of wine, it should be something that the person opening up their home will value and appreciate.

In the same way, there’s always something you can contribute. Really think hard about how you can be of service. But the key is to think of the connection or the relationship you’re trying to build as a long-term process.

I want you to completely forget about what the other person can do for you. For the time being it’s all about them. Many people think that as soon as you’ve made a connection with someone and offered a miniscule of value you can immediately get value from them by asking for a favor, connection, etc.

Huge mistake!

Don’t ask the important people you just met to immediately do something for you that’s equal or lesser value to what you just done for them. Think about the quality of the connections you make and the relationships you build as depositing money in a bank account.

All of the things you do for the other person serve as the principal. You start making withdrawals from the account in the form of you getting value back from the relationship only after you have made enough deposits and let the principal grow enough to generate substantial interest.

So what does constitute giving enough value?

You may consider yourself too young or too old or think of yourself as someone who doesn’t have any experience. After all, you are trying to break into an industry that is new to you. So what possible value do you have to give?

There are three things that you can give that are deemed valuable to people you’re trying to connect with and bring into your community.

1. Advice: Even though you’re looking to connect to people to get advice, it’s important for you to be prepared to give advice. There are a lot of different areas in which you can provide advice. To figure out what type of advice you can give goes back to doing your research. Are they looking for the solution to a particular problem that you can help them with? What are some of their hobbies or interests where you can send them related news just for their information?

Don’t think that just because you’re outside of the travel industry that people who are experienced and established professionals in the industry have nothing to learn from you. The more you believe that, the less useful you are to those people. While, the more you believe that you have something valuable to give, the more you’re going to become a valuable resource to people around you. And it’s precisely this fact that’s going to attract people in positions of power to you.

2. Connections: Providing business as well as social connections can be very beneficial to the people you want to connect with. For example, your uncle may be the dean of a university where the person you would like to connect with wants to perhaps teach. Or you may know of an event that’s going on that may interest them, or of the latest cool app that you think can help them be more productive.

Remember the tree trunk effect. The more people you have in your community, the more you can plug more people into it and offer them connections. These new people are now in your community and they connect you to people and it becomes this growing entity.

3. Drive: Your drive, willingness and effort to work your butt off to act on the advice you receive and make things happen is one of the most valuable things you can give to people you want to connect and build a relationship with. Successful people want to help those who are willing to learn from them and soak up their wisdom and act on their teachings.

The biggest compliment people in positions of power can receive is to know that they played a part in helping someone else be successful who not only listened to their advice but also actually did something with it.

Overall, the main thing we’re taught about networking is that to meet people we have to attend events such as general business card exchanges or networking mixers. Once we meet someone who we think we can get something out of, we ask if we can “pick their brains” (a term I absolutely hate), at which point we let the person talk about themselves while we stay mute and listen or reciprocate by talking about them as well. After all, the best way to network with successful people is to let them talk about themselves.

The problem with this approach of focusing on the person by talking about them and letting the person talk about themselves, is that the person may meet with you and they may even get to like you, but unfortunately they won’t respect you enough to truly put their reputation on the line and vouch for you by referring or recommending you for career opportunities. These people know when you are sucking up just to get something in return.

My model for connecting, not networking, is to focus on the person but by giving, giving, giving and then asking. You’re looking for these people to give to you, but the way you bring these people into your corner is to give to them, using the three areas of adding value — advice, connections and drive.

Student Becomes the Teacher

Back in 2002, my goal was to move to New York City from Philadelphia and figure out a way to start my career in tourism. As a result, I took an exploratory career course at NYU to learn more about the travel, tourism and hospitality industry.

During the course I asked tons of questions and stayed behind at the end, where I offered to take the instructor out to coffee nearby as a gesture of thanks for all of the new information I learned.

When I returned home to Philly, I emailed the NYU instructor and told her that I noticed during the course that she had a tremendous amount of loose papers, highlighted books and dog-eared industry journals on her desk. By asking her how she updates the material for her course, she told me that she does everything herself during her free time, given that she works full-time as a travel consultant.

Given that I’m good at organizing, I offered to do the administrative work of systematizing all of her course materials, researching new content for her future course sessions and creating a bookmarking and filing system for her, so it was easier for her to refer to.

Essentially I became sort of a virtual teacher’s assistant to this NYU instructor. And I really took this seriously. I genuinely wanted to help her out. And I never asked for anything in return from her. Not one single thing. I was her teacher’s assistant over a two-year period. During this same two-year period, I referred her class to anyone who I thought would find it beneficial, which gave her students from another state.

Now here’s the interesting part. I was so busy providing value to this NYU instructor, that when she decided to retire, she not only recommended that I take over and teach her class, but also she led me to a job opening as Director of Tourism for a non-profit in Times Square. I was able to move from Philly to New York City with two jobs already lined up; one at a prestigious school and the other in the middle of one of the major tourist attractions in the world.

I identified my NYU instructor as the right person I needed to get to know. I found out what she needed help with that was relevant to her. And I did it for free without expecting anything in return. 99% of the general public never think to take this much care in building their relationships. They lack the patience to appreciate the long-term process.

Through adding value, I clearly showed my NYU instructor why I was worth her helping me out in her own time when she was ready. We not only developed a great relationship, but also she provided me with surprise opportunities that led to exponential payoffs for my career in the end.

Who would’ve thought that my organizational skills would lead me to my travel dream job?!

Final Thoughts On This

The basic lesson of how to find important and successful people in the travel industry, and how to get them in your corner and on your team, is to give to them.

Does this take a lot of energy? Yes.

But the rewards are literally priceless. From just me reaching out to an instructor, it set into motion a cycle that has helped me to develop a career in a city that was new to me. I’d say it was worth the effort.

Always keep in mind that big breaks come from small breaks first. Keep an open mind to opportunities that come your way small and big. Who would’ve thought that I would’ve ended up teaching the class I was once a student in? Now here’s the secret: connecting with people is not just about connecting with specific people. It’s about the strategy of identifying people you want to meet, becoming great friends with them and seeing where things go.

Now imagine doing this over a period of months or years.

You could go anywhere you want, have access to anything you want and know that in an instant you have the resources to solve your toughest problems in developing your career in the travel industry. In essence, your connections (notice I didn’t say “network”) have become your biggest asset. Not your resume or your cover letter.

Charlie Hoehn, author of the Recession Proof Graduate said it best about the truth about networking:

“The best networkers don’t call it “networking.” They don’t “build relationships.” They call it “being friends.” And they “help people.”

Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there and make your own luck. I know it’s hard and can be intimidating but it’s what’s necessary to break into this industry and be successful.

THE 4 BEST TYPES OF PLACES TO MEET PEOPLE THAT WORK IN TRAVEL

Oftentimes, newly open positions in the travel industry will be communicated among a hiring manager’s professional network before it’s even listed publicly. And the best jobs usually never get the chance to be advertised publicly to begin with via online job postings.

So making strong professional connections should be your top priority. Knowing where travel professionals are likely to be is the first step in getting to meet them. But it’s important to identify appropriate opportunities.

You might have fun at a cocktail party, but you may not necessarily meet the right people who will help you find a job in the industry or make the transition from one type of position to another.

You want your connecting to be efficient and productive given that you only have so many hours in the day, so many days in the week. So where do you go that’s going to make the most of your investment of time, energy and attention?

The answer starts with understanding that your major goal and what you’re trying to accomplish, which is to break into the industry and land your dream job, is not equivalent to the act of connecting. Connecting is a critical step towards accomplishing your goal, but it isn’t the same activity as the goal itself.

You connect to help people. So you lead conversations with your ear tuned into how you can help people, and they get to know you as someone who wants to help them. Who doesn’t want to be friends with someone who authentically wants to help them, with no strings attached?

This authenticity absolutely has to be present at all times. And the strings can’t be. You can’t just act like you want to help somebody so that they’ll help you back. Be in the conversation to help authentically, and they’ll sense it. As a result, they’ll want to help you right back.

This is when you can talk to them about what you’re after. And because you now have a relationship with them, they’ll listen, they’ll want to help, and, if possible, they’ll connect you to the things you want or to additional people who can help you get the things you want.

So now that we are clear on connecting (versus networking) is about building friendships, and this is best done by helping people, the question about where to go to connect becomes…

Who do you want to help?

The answer to this question should be consistent with your ultimate goal. If you want to get hired for a hotel management position for example, then you would want to help a department head that has a project that needs managing at their hotel. If you want to be known in the tourism-marketing field, then you would want to help organizations that need to promote their destinations or attractions.

Once you get a sense of who you want to help, or who you target audience is, it’s easier to find out where these people hang out. Do some research on them. The more you learn about them, the more places you’ll find them frequenting.

The more you connect with people, the more you’ll recognize that everyone knows someone who you’d love to talk to, and that you don’t need to limit your connecting to just the people who are directly in your target group. Engage people in conversation and find out how you can help them. You’ll be amazed at the synergies you discover and the connections you make.

How to Separate Yourself from Other Job Seekers

I hate business card exchangers. You know, I’ll give you my business card if you give me your business card events where people shove their business cards in each other’s faces only for them to end up in the back of a drawer never to be referred to again.

I remember going to Chamber of Commerce’s networking events when I was first trying to break into the travel industry. I went to these events because I always thought it’s what networking was all about.

I now realize that pretending to be interested in everyone’s company at these events was a waste of time and instead I needed to be researching my first or second top dream companies, figuring out how I could fix problems for them and showing up wherever current and or former employees of these companies were so that I can connect with them.

Don’t go to events just because they are called networking events. Go to events and places where either you know there are going to be specific people there who you want to help and get to know better, or it’s on a topic that you know is going to be centered on something that’s going to draw in people who are aligned with something you’re interested in.

This is how you separate yourself from every other travel job seeker out there.

If looking for or getting a job in this industry is the only thing that you have in common with everybody else at a networking event, then you’re wasting your time. The last thing you want to do in terms of your travel career development is to define yourself as a job seeker. It has no relevance or value to the people who you want to connect with and potentially hire you.

The 4 best places you need to be in order to meet and connect with successful people that work in the travel industry.

Professional Associations: Joining industry associations is not an option; it’s a requirement if you want to make powerful connections. This industry thrives on the sharing of best practices and discussion of trends, and associations are one of the major conduits for this type of engagement to happen. Joining an association (you can join as a student or individual) allows you to not only learn more about the industry, but also the sheer number of professionals that you can come into contact with in one place is tremendous. Most associations provide members will full access to their entire membership database, complete with full contact names, respective companies and contact information. In addition, most if not all of the associations in travel typically hold events such as conferences, seminars and job fairs. Examples of professional associations include Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International, and U.S. Travel Association.
Niche Organizations: Niche organizations enable you to reach a narrowly targeted audience. It’s an easy way for you to build your visibility within a specific area of the industry and connect on a more strategic level. A common interest, which is what niche organizations provide, makes interacting easier than at overall networking events, where connections made can be shallow. Do some research, then join one that’s highly relevant to your target audience to begin connecting. Examples of niche organizations include Millennials in Travel and Caribbean Tourism Organization.
Public Events: Attending industry events that are open to the public is a great way to meet various travel professionals in a more informal way. Usually public events such as expos, seminars and workshops have a panel of speakers that talk about a variety of topics that are timely and thought-provoking. If you can get the speaker list or list of attendees beforehand, you can identify at least one person who you would like to meet and make arrangements to connect there in person so you can tap into their expertise. Examples of public events include Women in Travel Summit and New York Times Travel Show.
Industry Trade Shows: Trade shows are exhibitions in which companies across the entire travel industry, ranging from hotels and tour operators to attractions and destination marketers, showcase their products and services. Whether you’re actively looking for a job at a new company or simply hoping to learn more about current industry trends, trade shows are great places to meet industry insiders from a number of companies. Examples of industry trade shows include World Travel Market and Hospitality Financial & Technology Professionals Tradeshow.

World Travel Market Trade Show, the world’s largest business-to-business tourism trade show.

Remember, you should always think about why you’re going to a specific event or joining a specific association or organization. Think about what it is that you have in common with those whom you want to connect with in these four places and what the outcome is that you want.

The easiest way to measure your success across all of these places is to measure your involvement. Here’s where the Tree Trunk Effect and the Give, Give, Give Ask Model come into play. The more you place yourself in places where travel professionals are, get involved and give to others, the more connections you’ll make, the more friendships you’ll garner, and ultimately the more job opportunities will present themselves to you.

While the 4 places we just covered offer the best opportunities to meet people in travel, you also have to be willing to view every place as a viable opportunity to be connected. Be open to serendipity and the magic of being in the right place at the right time.

Always be prepared for the best. Learn how to stand out and what to say to make a good impression, either in person or via email, so that you start a relationship with important people or influencers who can help you break into the travel industry and gain exposure.

I have met some great people who have influenced my career in some way at the grocery store, airport and even the hotel lobby. You just never know when an unexpected connection can be made. One connection can transform the entire trajectory of your career.

Free Bonus: Click this link to enter your email to get a complete list of what’s happening in the industry, including professional associations, niche organizations, public events and trade shows across the entire travel industry.

WHAT’S IT REALLY LIKE: STORIES OF SUCCESSFUL CAREER CHANGERS TO THE INDUSTRY

So how do successful travel professionals seize exciting, rewarding, lucrative careers, while others wind up chained to their desks, dreaming about traveling to exotic places in the pictures they have taped to their cubicle walls?

It’s not by accident.

There are two things among many that’s amazing about the travel industry:

It’s made up of a diverse network of professionals from all walks of life.
There are so many career paths or routes that exist where you can be successful using the strengths, skills, knowledge and experience you already have.

So what are some examples of travel career paths and how do people get into them in the first place?

I want to show you some of the many directions that you can take to get into the industry to prove to you how success can be achieved across multiple paths and how anyone can make the most of defining career choices and opportunities.

I was honored to be interviewed by Skift, as part of their new and ongoing series, Travel Alumni Spotlight.

The series highlights individual stories to offer lessons on how different people reached their current positions in the travel industry.

Check out the interviews of various industry professionals below:

FINDING YOUR OWN NICHE IN THE TRAVEL INDUSTRY

Congratulations! You’ve made it to the end of The 9 to 5 Globetrotter: How to Create a Travel Career That You Love. I hope you enjoyed this guide and found insights in each of the sections.

How do you become a professional globetrotter who gets paid to travel around the world?

People who have successfully combined their work with travel do have strategies and tactics they use, to narrow down their interests, skills and experience to a career and specific job choice so that it’s easier for them to break into the industry and do what they are really good at.

Succeeding isn’t easy. If it were, everyone would be successful. But just because something is hard doesn’t mean it also has to be confusing. At the end of the day, we all talk about wanting to have a job we love. But that’s easier said than done, right?

Even if you know you want a change, it’s easy to wonder, “What, exactly, should I do next? How do I find it? Where do I even start? How do I know what I’m good at? What if I never figure it out? Why am I so damn stuck??!!”

Now you can save countless hours trying to figure out where you should start and what you should do only to end up at a dead-end overwhelmed and drowning in analysis paralysis.

You can have a successful career, work and travel around the world — all at the same time.

A life of travel is not for special, rich or lucky people. It’s for those who choose to live it.

If you’re ready to create a travel career that you love, I’ve created special bonuses that you can use to get started on finding career ideas that allow you to travel.

Here’s what you’ll get instant access to (all for FREE):

Bonus #1: Discover Your Travel Career Toolkit

– This two-part toolkit will help you get specific and narrow down your existing interests, skills, knowledge and experience to a desired career path in the travel industry. Discover over 50 types of jobs in unexpected and often hidden sectors across the entire travel industry that you can explore.

Bonus #2: Travel Industry Happenings Guide

– Use this complete guide of professional associations, niche organizations, public events and trade shows across the entire travel industry to find and connect with industry executives, influencers and VIPs. With over 100 different options to choose from, you’re sure to find the right people in the industry who can help you learn more about and break into the industry.

Bonus #3: Industry News Toolbox: 43 Resources That Will Help You Become a Travel, Tourism and Hospitality Expert

– Comprehensive list of over 40 industry resources across all media types (online, social, audio and even print) that you can use to learn all about what’s going on in the industry; it’s challenges, opportunities and trends.

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Originally published at tourismexposed.com on September 1, 2015.