While there are no fixed educational degrees for those interested in pursuing a career of a travel agent, a degree in liberal arts or business can help and may come in handy.
Attend a certificate or associate program in business travel. These programs complement most of the liberal arts and business training equally well. Learning a second language as Spanish, Mandarin Chinese, etc, will also help in building networks and relationships with customers. This particular ability is invaluable to a travel agent, especially in organizations that focus on international travel.
Use online search engines to research agencies that are hiring and personalize your letter with words that are descriptive and display creativity. Ask your family, friends or colleagues for inputs.
Try to meet up and communicate with college students, business and organization for the dates of group travel and save them for the best rates available. If you've landed the job of a travel agent, it is also prudent to consider other employment opportunities since business travel can be volatile as the stock market.
If you still feel the need for additional training, you can choose to take a week-long travel agent course at a community college to learn the fundamentals. You can also consider working as a ticketing agent for a solid background in the travel industry. For this, you will also need a certain amount of computer knowledge. This is because travel agents conduct much of their business through the computer. Also, don't forget to read a variety of travel magazines to keep up with current trends in the industry.
Additionally, check with your State Department of Commerce to any registration or certification requirements for travel agents.
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