How do you go about becoming a Holiday Representative when you live in Tenerife?

brenda · 15th August 2008, 17:01

My daughter who is 17, would love to become a Holiday Rep here, working for the tour operators. She has applied to Thomsons, Airtours etc.. but has heard nothing, can anybody enlighten me how she can achieve her ambition? It seems it would be easier if we lived in the U.K. to apply, than to actually be here !
Thanks guys

special_k · 15th August 2008, 18:03

Hi there
I contacted Thomascook 2 years ago .for those living abroad there is a fee paying on line course with them .good luck.

brenda · 15th August 2008, 18:14

Thanks Helen,
I told her to go along to the Welcome Meetings at the Hotels and try to catch a rep and ask their advice.

tendedburrito · 15th August 2008, 19:04

Quote:

Originally Posted by brenda

Thanks Helen,
I told her to go along to the Welcome Meetings at the Hotels and try to catch a rep and ask their advice.

I know one of the managers at TUI through her brother and sister in law, I have her email address if you want it you can contact her direct?

PM me if you want it.

jewels · 15th August 2008, 21:33

Quote:

Originally Posted by brenda

Thanks Helen,
I told her to go along to the Welcome Meetings at the Hotels and try to catch a rep and ask their advice.

That sounds like a good starting point but i am sure that they dont recruit people under the age of 19.Good Luck anyway.

Mike in Chayofa · 15th August 2008, 23:37

Quote:

Originally Posted by brenda

.... It seems it would be easier if we lived in the U.K. to apply, than to actually be here ! Thanks guys

You are perfectly correct. Recruitment and training takes place in the UK and people are generally sent to wherever a vacancy exists. So, someone may be sent to Ibiza for the season and then laid off over the winter season or sent to Switzerland for the ski season.

Generally, they don't want people who are based here ... and have the knowledge etc.

I applied to 'can't remember' years ago and was accepted. I would have had to go to the UK for training and be prepared to be sent 'anywhere' and live in shared accommodation - daft, but that's the way they do things

The pay is dreadful and you rely on commissions on excursions and car hire etc, so you have to sign people up at the welcome meetings, otherwise you sow the seed of the idea and the hotel staff benefit from the bookings.

Recruitment here on the island is generally only for office staff - you have to be bi-lingual spoken and written - and airport transfer reps ... long days, and not many of them.

A better bet is to approach one of the smaller, specialized companies that deal with meet and greet and personal service - and you don't get as much krapp

melawyer2 · 22nd August 2008, 22:20

Hi my wife applied for health and safety post with 2 tour operators and was told she had to fly back to uk for interview however there was no travel expenses surprise surprise. She visited Tomsons HQ to ask if there was a vacancy here and if it was worthwhile spending 700Euros going back for the interview and was told that the job had been filled.

Very unfair but ey thats life.

kev and mary · 23rd August 2008, 00:03

Hi there,
We are now back in the UK having had one year living on Tenerife.
Our daughter has worked as a children's rep for My Travel/Thomas Cook for the last 3 years; we also worked for My Travel and Kosmar as Customer Service reps prior to moving to Tenerife.
Regarding the issue of applying on Tenerife; we tried this and also ran into the same problems, e.g. we only recruit and interview in UK, and even if successful could not be guaranteed Tenerife. This was despite comprehensive c.vs detailing previous experience.
With regards to your daughter, most companies will not recruit customer service reps until they are 19/20 years old; some will recruit children's reps and transfer reps at a younger age although most now require a formal childcare certificate for kids reps.
This is however an excellent way of making the transition into customer service rep and above.
If she ever does reply from the UK, the quickest and most effective way of having your application in front of the right person is to fill in an on line application. If successful you will be contacted within 48 hours and invited to a UK assessment day.
If you get through this, you will be sent to a med resort in April for an intensive one week training course prior to being given your placement for the summer.
A minimum of 3 years successful summer placements are required before you are considered for a winter season; she will therefore be job hunting in UK every October.
This is not intended to put you off we have all had a fantastic time in the business, we simply hope to point you in the right direction if your daughter is serious in pursuing this as a career.
One last glimmer of hope; Cosmos Holidays based at Jumbo Canarias in Torviscas Alto do recruit Transfer Reps locally and indeed were last Nov.
As the summer reps are now about to go home this could be a good time to approach them for a winter place?
While they may not be the ultimate company for a career in the travel business, it will certainly look good on her c.v.and kick start her career.
Hope all of this helps and wish her the very best of luck.
Regards,

brenda · 23rd August 2008, 05:25

Thank you so much for your advice. This is what she wants to do, but it is like knocking your head on a brick wall here ! I will tell her to go up to Torviscas Alto and try Cosmos. Once again, thank you.