Being a tour guide can
be a great career option for people who love to travel, enjoy being in front of
a crowd, and are masters of multitasking. If that’s you, then start looking for
job opportunities online and in your area. You can improve your chances of
getting hired by becoming professionally certified or getting a degree. Once
you’ve found a job, be ready to meet the challenges of this fun and unique but
sometimes hectic position.
There are three ways to become a tour guide :
1.
Method
one: Looking for Opportunities
a. Look
online for a variety of job postings. Tour guides work at parks, historic
homes, sightseeing companies, cruise ships, and many other locations. Consider
where you’d most enjoy working. Narrow your search to those types of positions.
·
To get started, enter something like “Be
a tour guide on a cruise ship to the Caribbean” into your favorite search
engine. You can then browse through tour guiding jobs with different companies,
job requirements, and salaries.
b. Take
tours to see which ones you like. In order to decide where you want to work,
attend a variety of tours. Go to museums and historic homes in your area and
book a tour on a sightseeing bus. Make note of the pros and cons of different
kinds of tour guide jobs.
·
You may need to space these tours out,
as some could get expensive. Budget in one tour every two weeks or so. While
you’re looking for jobs, go on tours instead of going out to eat or doing other
fun activities.
·
Invite friends and family to take tours with
you. They’ll be able to share their likes and dislikes with you, which will
help you be a better guide once you find a job.
c. Take
notes to record your thoughts about different tours. When you go on tours, be
sure to bring a notebook with you to keep track of your thoughts about the
experiences. You can refer back to these notes later if you’re weighing
different job offers. The notes may also help you develop your own tour guiding
style.
d. Check
out tour guide associations’ websites. Many cities, countries, and regions have
professional organizations of tour guides. These organizations help guides
advance their careers and promote tour guiding as a positive aspect of
international tourism. They can help you find educational opportunities, and
they may point you in the direction of job openings.
·
For more information and to find a list
of associations located around the world, visit: http://www.beabetterguide.com/tour-guide-associations/.
e. Visit
your local travel agency to pick up brochures. Travel agencies may partner up
with local sightseeing companies for advertising. Take the brochures they keep
in their office, and ask which companies they recommend to their clients most
often. Contact the best companies using the information you find in the
brochure and ask about openings.
·
Be aware that travel agents may tell you
they love a certain company if the two are in a partnership together, even if
they know the company has some issues. Be sure to do your own research by going
online or visiting the company’s offices.
f. Contact
major sightseeing companies in your area. Especially if you live in a big city
or even a larger town, there are probably sightseeing companies right down the
road from you. Get in touch with these companies via email or phone and ask
whether they’ve got openings. These local opportunities could be a great place
for you to start your career as a guide.
·
You can also look online to see if the
companies have open jobs, as many will list these positions on their websites.
·
If you’re hoping to become a tour guide
to travel, this might not be your favorite option. Remember that doing work
locally can help you build your resume and gain experience while staying in
your comfort zone. You can always keep looking for travel-oriented jobs while
you’re working.
2.
Method
two: Getting Hired
a. Pass
any necessary exams for your area. Many cities and countries require tour
guides to pass exams before they can lead groups. Some sightseeing companies may
require you to pass this exam before you even apply for positions. Search
online to see if your area requires you to take a licensing examination, and
then pay necessary fees to register for the test.
·
You can also look online to find details
about the test, study guides, and registration information. Enter something
like “Professional licensing examination for sightseeing guides in New York
City” to find everything you need to prepare for and take the test.
·
Take the exam seriously. If you fail,
you’ll need to pay the fee again.
b. Get
training to gain experience and contacts. Professional tour guide associations
and groups like the International Guide Academy in Denver, Colorado offer
classes to professionalize guides. These classes teach public speaking, tourism
and travel industry terminology, leadership and teamwork, and other skills
valuable to tour guides. They’ll give you a certification when you complete
their programs.
·
Be sure to register for courses meant
for tour guides rather than tour directors. Tour directors are responsible for
logistics and management, while guides lead groups and provide narration about
places the group visits.
·
These programs are great for meeting
people in the field. Your teachers, in particular, could connect you with people
they know are looking for guides.
c. Take
classes in relevant fields to expand your knowledge. If you live near a local
university or community college, check out the course listings. If there are
offerings in linguistics, leadership, hospitality, and/or tourism, register.
These courses will improve your resume and up your chances of getting a job as
a guide.
·
Be sure you have the time and money to
dedicate to the classes. If you’re currently working a full-time job, look into
taking night classes.
d. Get
a hospitality or tourism degree if you can afford it. While a degree like this
won’t guarantee you a job as a guide, it’ll show your potential employers that
you’ve got some basic skills in the field. If you’re currently a college or
university student and you know you want to be a guide, this could be a great
degree option for you.
e. Apply
for positions online or in person. Once you’ve chosen a few different companies
that you’d like to work for, fill out their applications by going online or
picking up a paper application from the company. You’ll need to provide your
contact information, employment history, a few good references, and a resume.
·
Most reputable companies will run a
background check before hiring you.
·
If they like your application, most
companies will contact you for one to two follow-up interviews before hiring
you
f. Be
prepared to answer tailored application questions. Tour guiding companies will
want your application to show that you’re ready to be a tour guide. Their
questions may be designed to see how you’ll handle crises, to check if your
personality is right for guiding, and to make sure you’re excited to be a tour
guide.
·
These questions could be things like,
“What would you do if the bus broke down?” or “What makes you excited to be a
tour guide with us?”
g. Accept
the best offer you receive. If you’re lucky enough to receive multiple offers,
make a pros and cons list. Consider the locations, work hours, and salaries.
Decide which job provides the best balance of fun and financially practical,
and go for it.
3.
Method
three: Meeting the Challenges
a. Embrace
being around people when you’re working. Being a tour guide means you need to
be a people person. Be prepared to answer questions constantly, handle
difficult personalities, and herd groups of people around interesting sites and
locations. You’ll need to be cheerful and upbeat whenever you’re on the job.
·
You may want to schedule alone time
during your days off to balance out your work schedule.
b. Absorb
and memorize lots of information to be a good guide. Your primary job is to
give people interesting facts about the places you visit. Take time learning
about those places. Get information from your company, the local library, and
online to expand your knowledge.
·
Attendees will ask you questions that
may be slightly off-topic. Knowing these answers will impress your audience and
make you a better guide.
·
If you don’t know the answer to a
question, say so. Tell your audience you’re not sure, but that you’d love to
know the answer and will be looking for it as soon as you can.
c. Act
fast when something goes wrong. When you’re coordinating people, travel plans,
and site visits, there’s a lot of opportunity for crisis! Don’t panic if
someone gets sick, your tour bus breaks, or a park randomly closes for the day.
It’s your job to think on your feet and deal with situations as they arise.
·
You can always contact your company for
assistance in these situations, but you’ll need to keep a cool head. You’re the
leader of the group when you’re out on a tour, and they’ll look to you for
guidance.
d. Be
prepared to be a freelance worker. One of the hardest aspects of being a tour
guide is that you’re usually hired as a temporary worker. If you live in a
country that provides health insurance through employers, you may need to coordinate
getting private insurance on your own. You’ll also need to be responsible for
keeping employment and tax records.
e. Put
your needs last when guiding a group. Remember that your group is on vacation,
and you’re at work. Do whatever you need to do to keep the group happy and
safe. Stay focused on them whenever you’re on the clock.
·
This might be hard if you’re leading
groups in beautiful and relaxing locations, but stay strong! You’re getting
paid for this work.
f. Understand
the physical requirements. Being a tour guide requires you to be on your feet
and walking around most days. You’ll need to be physically healthy and fit to
keep up with the rhythm of this work life.
g. Be
a storyteller to make facts interesting to your audience. To keep your tours
moving and engaging, tell stories. Don’t just recite a list of names, dates,
and events. Give your audience something to grab onto by narrating short
stories at different spots along the tour with beginnings, middles, and
climatic endings.
·
You also need to make sure that you and
your group respects the environment you’re visiting. You’ll be responsible for
enforcing the rules.
·
Always face your audience when giving
tours.
Sources:
Image
taken from google.
