Posted 22 July 2016
What is the Travel Academy?
Our Travel Academy is designed for people who want to take their first step in the world of travel, becoming a business owner and taking their earning potential into their own hands.
As the travel industry is one which evolves and adapts so quickly, the Academy is aimed at those who have been out of travel for over five years. The information, guidance and training within the Academy is so informative and thorough that anyone can join – even if you have no previous travel experience at all!
The course acts as a refresher and update for those who have been in travel before, and a solid foundation for those taking on this new venture.
The Travel Academy is a program which continues over a period of 18 months to two years. Those embarking upon this journey will first spend a total of three weeks at our Head Office. Here you will receive classroom-based training which is split into easy-to-digest segments and works with the interactive elements of the course. You will spend a week at home, learning the systems, experimenting and learning as you go – encountering problems and gathering questions ready to come back to Head Office to share and problem solve.
Following this initial training period, members of the Academy return to Head Office after three, six and nine months to check on progress, using the support of the Head Office staff and sharing experiences and learnings with other new Travel Counsellors. Along the way, you’ll also have the chance to take part in a number of Superseller days, Product days and other celebrations, as you become part of our Travel Counsellors family.
During the first 18 months of your time with us you will have one dedicated member of the Business Development team, who’s there to answer your questions and offer any advice, support or help you might need while on your new journey in travel. We know that this is one of the biggest decisions in your life and we know the prospect may seem daunting but the support and guidance from our head office team will be there for you every step of the way.
Sarah Heath, Recruitment Manager, believes that “if you have a passion for travel and you are confident that working at home is for you then this is the program you need to succeed.”
With our ground-breaking technology, professional guidance and a friendly and personal touch, we provide you with all the tools you need to grow a fantastic business.
Here’s a snapshot of the experiences of some of our most recent Academy graduates:
Amanda Rudham
“The most valuable part of the academy for me was the two week initial induction, it was great. We were able to meet all of the key people at Head Office, learn all of the basics and best of all learn as part of team. There are really comprehensive training guides and e-learning and always someone to call if I'm not sure what I'm doing! People are very patient and always happy to help. There is no such thing as a stupid question. All of the follow up training has been great too – the product training is really useful as you get to meet suppliers and learn much more about their products.
I love being my own boss and working flexible hours. Although I work hard I can work my hours around my family and I enjoy being able to pick my children up from school. I also have more time to see friends and generally organise my life! I enjoy working from home – especially on cold, wet days! The biggest change was something I didn't expect. I've met so many new people and made loads of new friends. These are people I'd never have met if I hadn't become a Travel Counsellor. I'm doing something I really enjoy and I like that I'm learning something new every day.
My advice to new Travel Counsellors would be to join some networking groups. It doesn't have to be a formal group (although these have worked well for me) but make sure you get out and about and talk about what you do. Your enthusiasm will rub off on other people. Be a bit patient – people don't book holidays every week so don't worry if you don't get lots of enquiries straight away, they will come. Get to know other Travel Counsellors – it's great to have people to call if you have a question or just want to bounce an idea off someone. Every Travel Counsellor I've spoken to has been so friendly and helpful. You can't know everything so make sure you ask questions – speak to Business Development, use the Message Boards or speak to other Travel Counsellors if you need help. Get a mentor – ideally someone who's been through the Academy. Go to as many supplier events as you can – they are great fun, you get to meet other travel agents and you learn lots about destinations and resorts. Plus there are always great prizes to be won! Keep on top of your admin and get organised with your paperwork! This may be the first time you're running your own business so make sure you know what you're doing with your accounts etc. Make sure you have some private work space and somewhere to store everything. Above all – enjoy it and have fun!”
Rebecca Beecham
“The Travel Counsellors Academy is a fantastic opportunity for those wanting to work in the travel industry but have no previous experience. The training that I received at head office during my induction was invaluable and in particular the training on the in-house quote and book system.
Since becoming a Travel Counsellor my work/life balance has changed for the better. I am now able to book appointments during the week instead of having to wait weeks for those Saturday and evening appointments that everybody wants. I have complete flexibility as to when I work, which for me is being able to work on a Saturday or Sunday when my husband is out all day at the football. It also means that evenings are much more relaxed instead of rushing in from work at 6.00 and then having to spend time cooking tea, washing up and not sitting down until late, I can now have tea prepared for when my husband gets home so that we can spend more time together in the evening. It sounds silly but being at home means I am there to take delivery of any parcels. It used to be so annoying getting a card through the door to say a parcel was unable to be delivered and then I’d have to try and arrange to get it collected. And for us, if a family comes along at a later date it will give me the flexibility to work and be at home with a baby, something which I know a lot of my friends have had to decide between but I will get to do both.
My advice to anyone thinking of joining the academy is to go along to one of the Discovery Days to find out more about Travel Counsellors, who they are, what they do and how they do it. You will not be disappointed. I knew from my first contact with Sarah that it was what I wanted to do and the support and encouragement from her was just what I needed. It is daunting making that decision to give up a regular salary but it was the best decision I could have made, I’m so much happier now in my work than I was before.”
If you’re interested in finding out more about our Academy and the different routes available in becoming a Travel Counsellor, feel free to get in touch with our friendly Careers team on 0800 987 0308.
