Travel Into the Job of your Dreams

Travel Into the Job of your DreamsAuthor: Shaun ParkerSeveral years ago, I spent a gap year in Spain. I found work as a reception assistant for an estate agent that rented flats to mainly Spanish tourists, but also to the occasional French, German or British couple who had ventured away from the Alicante area. The town was Gandia, in Valencia, famous for stunning beaches and a favourite destination for holidaymakers from Madrid, and which boasted a university offering degree programmes in tourism and hospitality. My language skills were however limited, which meant I was destined to return to the UK for the time being. However, I had tasted something of the contrast between hard work and hedonism that is an essential part of the tourism industry.

A career in the tourist industry has obvious appeal if you're looking to work overseas, but there are other ways of entering the business. If you want to work abroad, a job as a tour operator, or as support staff in a restaurant or hotel could be sensible choices if your language skills are limited, but this also depends on your previous work experience and personal strengths (if you're very outgoing, this can make up for limited language skills). If not, or if you're looking to work in a country where English is the first language or you are bilingual, then your options increase significantly, from sales to executive level, but you'll need to find out about visa requirements.

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