Tour guide, how to become one?

Yes, you have decided, you want to become a tour guide. This is what you would like to do for the next years. This article is just for you. In it, I will try to present how to get started as a tour guide. It will describe what it takes to become a tour guide!

There are many advantages to working as a tour guide. One of them seems to be that you are on vacation all the time. Being a tour guide is a constant battle for tourists. Stress and creative search for new ideas for attractive tours and ideas to attract new tourists. It is a field of tough competition, and you will have to work hard to be able to guide tours.

You will need to be dedicated to your profession, but you will also need to know how to rest well and get enjoyment and satisfaction from your work. You will be living out of suitcases, answering dozens and sometimes hundreds of questions each day, and working with many people. People who represent different cultures and value systems from around the world. A tour guide is at the heart of a tour and can do anything to make sure that tourists experience more on their vacation. So that they can experience new sensations and experiences. He is responsible for the successful vacation of the whole group of people.

In the work of a tour guide: there is no such thing as a "bad day". Your tourists have saved up for a long and hard trip, and you have to do your best, every day, to make sure they have the trip of a lifetime. No matter how difficult, it may be to provide them with a positive experience. You must be patient, fierce, persistent, and most importantly, have a true passion for your tourists and your profession.

  • Still up for the challenge?
  • Here's what you need to do next!

Tour guide, how to become one? In a few points

As a tour guide, learn about sightseeing tour operators

Check out, find out who can benefit from the services you offer. Do your homework. It is important that you find a tour operator that suits your interests.

  • Are you a history buff who enjoys a leisurely pace of travel with a more mature audience?
  • Or do you prefer non-stop adventure and fast-paced city hopping with young people?

No matter what style of tour you choose, you just need to do your homework to find it. Of course, different operators will require different levels of experience and certifications. It all depends on where they are traveling and what experiences you would facilitate for them as a guide.

You should also find out how much and what experience you need for a tour operator. You will definitely find tour operators who will not require you to have any prior experience. Instead of expecting you to have experience, they will conduct an in-depth interview with you, a job interview. These jobs are highly sought after by many young, enthusiastic adventurers, so the stakes are high.

You may spend a lot of time and effort to become a tour guide. You may have no income for several months. You may travel around European cities with no guarantee of a job until you reach your goal. After testing and verification, you will find out if you are up to the challenge. You will find out if you have the necessary skills, personality and experience to work as a tour guide.

Other tour operators may have much shorter training periods. They will need you to have knowledge of the city and region where you want to work: perhaps you have lived there for an extended period of time, speak the local language, or have a background related to the culture or history of the region.

Your ability to speak different languages will be tested in a pre-training interview. Finally, some operators will look for people who have been tour guides or tour leaders for at least a few years before they even consider you. If you are starting out, wait until you have solid experience before the company you choose hires you.

It is important to select an operator that fits your personality and arranges trips to places that you find interesting and interesting. To countries whose language you know and culture you admire. Working in your dream country can be a pleasure.

A tour guide is not just a job, it is a lifestyle

Living on the road is both a lifestyle and a job. You must have a passion for learning, an unwavering optimistic outlook and commitment. If you are one of the lucky few who have obtained a job, you must be prepared to give up everything about your old life. You will be on call 24/7, your own needs will always, always be the last priority. You may be a guest at home, you won't want to open your mouth to friends and family because you just talked all day.

If you can come to terms with all of this, focus on creating the perfect job application, preferably one that showcases your passion for learning, optimistic outlook, and commitment to hard work. Spend plenty of time tailoring your cover letter and resume to the role and company you are applying for. Travel experience, opportunities to talk about history, culture, the arts and more are helpful. Think about who the audience of your application is! What can you offer this company that thousands of other tour guides can't, to convince them that they are putting their valued clients in the right hands?

Be confident in selling your skills, especially those necessary to successfully guide tours. Highlight any work experience, such as your ability to perform under pressure, work in a team, and speak foreign languages or have knowledgeable, graduate degrees that will help you stand out. Give examples of past experiences and anything else that will make your application stand out among many others.

As a tour guide, you are responsible for the safety of your group. Remember, tourists have hired you to experience more on their vacation. To experience the trip of a lifetime, to experience a successful vacation.

A tour guide can work in a larger office

The interview process depends on the company's recruitment plan. It can be one meeting or a series of meetings. The tour operator wants to see if you are right for them and if you are reliable. Now is the time to convince them that they can trust you. Put their clients in your hands. Prepare examples in your head and be prepared for tough, unusual questions. Questions that will test your character, your committed initiative, and even your general knowledge.

Tour operators invest a lot of money in their tour guides. They are aware that their services are perceived through the quality of service provided by tour guides, somewhere far away in the world. There are few other jobs in the world where people work so independently. Away from their managers and supervisors. Their brand and customer experience is their top priority. They need to have confidence that you are a superstar who can do the job of a tour guide professionally and support their goals.

The job of a tour guide is one of constant learning and acquiring new knowledge

You have been accepted. You have received your tour guide contract. Now get ready to do the work of a tour guide. While organizational and personal skills will likely come naturally to you, no one no matter how much they've learned is prepared for the questions you'll face on your first tour or training trip. And if you hate learning, change professions. Prepare answers to the simple and most unexpected questions:

  • Where is the nearest ATM?
  • What is this tree?
  • When does it bloom?
  • What kind of fruit does it have?
  • When was this building built?
  • What is the main industry in this small town we just passed?

As a guide, you need to know and have all the answers.

The more you know about the history, culture, food, language, geography, politics, economics, and flora and fauna of the city, region, and country before you leave on your tour, the better. You'll never know all the answers, but you'll learn fluently as you go along, or you'll soon know and give the right answer (Google it), or direct the tourist where to find out.

The company that hired you will train you. Before you leave before you start your first adventure with real, paying customers. The company will do its best to replicate every possible difficult scenario you might encounter on the trip. Given that you're applying for one of the most popular jobs in the world, the training will be intense, but that doesn't mean you won't get maximum satisfaction from it. Getting the training to the end is a huge accomplishment in itself. So prepare well, work hard.

First time tour guide trips

You did it! You may have shed blood, sweat and tears to get here so you can finally call yourself a tour guide! It doesn't matter if you're new to this business, because everyone has to start at some point. Celebrate the fact that you are here because experienced travel professionals believe that you have what it takes to take passengers on the trip of a lifetime. Arrange a successful vacation for them. So have some confidence in yourself. Your colleagues and associates can help you when you need it, but focus on what matters most, your tourists! If you earn their respect and they see that you know what you are doing, you are well on your way to success.

Now that you are a tour guide, there are a few other things you should keep in mind. Your life will change. The job of a tour guide, is not a 9 to 5 job. Tourists are paying you to make sure you don't sleep, eat, rest, and are available to them all the time. When you lead a group of tourists towards the pyramids of Giza, you already know what I mean. If you love what you're doing, nothing will come of it. Feeling like a victim, in fact, you might even say fatigue is the best feeling! Not many people can call the world their work office or say that their day job includes visiting amazing attractions and enjoying sights that the rest of the people only dream about. Live the dreams you can live.