What Goes Down Will Come Up

Prepare Now for Work in the Travel Industry. Now is the time to get training in the international travel industry. Match your skills, values & interests to a niche in the vacation and travel career fields so that when the industry reignites, job seekers will be prepared. While summer of 2008 showed an increase in American travelers with overseas destinations, according to the American Automobile Association, the trend is temporarily reversing as American's tighten their collective economic belts. The good news is that times of economic downturn are known to be the best time for job searchers to retrain in a new career field. According to Career Coach Kathi Calahan, those seeking new works in the travel industry are encouraged to first evaluate the following: •Decide whether your travel career interests are local or international. •If international travel is your choice, select a country or area of the world based upon your personal interests and passions. •Further narrow your niche by industry. For example, do you have transferable skills in: (a) Import/Export products (b) Transportation - airlines, trains, car rentals, cruise ships (c) Marketing - Tourism Boards, Hotels, Destination Resorts (d) Methodology - Writing, photography, website development As with any career cyclic change, travel jobs will recover. By training now, career adjusters will find themselves available and qualified when the market resets itself. And, by agreeing to become more self aware of transferable skills, job seekers will find successful encounters in fields they might not have otherwise considered. As an additional side note, Calahan discloses that she believes the one career trend which will return with power after the recession subsides is the sustainable or Eco-friendly part of the travel industry. Those with an interest or background in sustainability or Eco friendly commerce are encouraged to think outside the box and consider adding the travel niche to their job