Whether you are a recent graduate, a disengaged employee seeking a more exciting job, or a person simply looking to make some extra cash, finding a job is stressful and challenging. Landing a job in a satisfying field is a difficult task, as it involves a load of trial and error, as well as an understanding of a personal balance of needs and priorities. Therefore, it is crucial to research and comprehend the true demands and environment of working in desired job field and compare them to other career areas. You may ask yourself, for example, why should I become a travel agent and not a nurse? The following is a set of job-securing criteria that can be used to analyze any job, but, in this case, the role of a travel agent.
Does the industry promise long-term growth?
The travel industry is, in fact, blooming. Americans’ passion for travel has been growing and will continue to in the upcoming years, as they plan vacations to both domestic and international destinations. The modern generation of Americans is highly interested in saving money for travel experiences, rather than for mortgages and exquisite wedding ceremonies, thus increasing the travel industry’s cash inflow. Therefore, whether you stay in the industry for a few months or several decades, you are almost guaranteed profits.
Who are my customers?
As an independent travel agent, you enjoy full autonomy in choosing who your clients are. You can sell to everyone or to a quite select group of consumers, depending on what you choose as your service specialty. Selling transportation bookings, for example, would allow you to target every consumer, as everyone has to, at least at one point, consider a flight, bus, or car rental reservation. On the other hand, you could target young college students (or any other specific group of customers) by centering your business on affordable backpacking trips around Europe; in this case, your target customers would, evidently, be young college students. If you are passionate about a destination even more specific than, let us say, Europe, you could create a target market that is even more focused. For example, you could solely organize trips using your host travel agency contracts to Argentina for people seeking to learn the tango, variating the trips based on age groups or budget.
Is my work benefiting society?
Encouraging people to travel the world is, perhaps, one of the most beneficial ways of educating them. Traveling increases individuals’ awareness of global problems, allows them to interact with new cultures, as well as broadens their perspective and beliefs to become more open-minded and accepting. Selling travel is equivalent to selling a package filled with knowledge and self-growth. So, yes, as an independent travel agent, your work would benefit the society.
Does Travel Agent job fit my working style?
Different employees have different working styles. Some like to work at home, some like to work in a coffee shop, some function better at night, while others do so during the day. Regardless of your preferences, completing travel agent tasks requires no set working style. As an independent travel agent, you could work wherever you like and whenever you like. You could make the job an office-space-based, nine-to-five routine if you like to have structure in your work, or you could work at random times of the day at home if you find yourself to be more productive without a schedule. Be your own boss!