Individuals wishing to work in the travel industry can find trainee travel jobs with tour companies, commercial airlines, cruise operators and resorts. Many trainee positions are designed for people who want to fill entry-level positions but some firms also offer trainee jobs to experienced employees who want to transition into management roles. Generally, people working in trainee travel jobs must work under the direct supervision of an experienced member of staff or a manager.
Tour companies employ sales agents who are responsible for marketing travel packages to individuals and organizations. These sales roles are often entry-level positions although some firms prefer job applicants to have some prior sales or industry relevant experience. In many instances, tour companies hire trainees who are taught sales techniques. While established sales people normally receive commission based pay, trainees are normally paid a flat hourly rate until they complete their training. The training may last for weeks or months and at the end of it, successful trainees are offered permanent positions while poorly performing trainees are relieved of their duties.
Trainee travel jobs offered by airlines include in-flight stewards and pilots. Typically, the trainee stewards must attend classes in which they are shown how to serve refreshments mid-flight and how to cater to the needs of customers. Steward jobs are often entry-level positions but trainees are sometimes people who have prior experience in the customer service or hospitality fields. Trainee pilots are individuals who have college degrees in aviation or a related topic and who already possess pilot licenses. The trainee pilot program may last months or even years; while trainees are able to fly planes, they must do so under the supervision of experienced pilots.
Many cruise operators offer trainee travel jobs to both entry-level workers and individuals with experience in the hospitality field. These individuals perform some of the same duties as permanent crewmembers but they also attend training classes where they are taught are taught about company policies, how to administer first aid and the technical aspects of their jobs. Additionally, cruise lines often employ engineering graduates as trainee ship engineers while experienced crewmembers are sometimes given the opportunity to enroll in trainee officer programs.
Major tourist resorts employ trainee lifeguards, bartenders, servers, travel representatives and sales people to cater to the needs of resort guests. As with many trainees, these individuals carry out the same duties as their permanent counterparts but they work under the direction of seasoned workers. The training phase often lasts for several weeks after which trainees are sometimes offered full-time jobs.