Components of a Travel Resume
Travel is a unique industry where employees have the opportunity to see a lot of this great, wide world. The type of people who enjoy this kind of activity must exude great enthusiasm and love for the job. Therefore, if you're applying for a position in travel, you will want to make sure your resume exudes this enthusiasm to help your potential employer to better visualize you as a member of their team. The resume must still be written carefully and be professional in appearance. It is always important to put in the time and effort to show your potential employer you're serious about getting the job.

	When crafting a resume for a travel position, let your enthusiasm for the job show through.

Writing a professional resume for a travel position is just like any other resume except your love of travelling and the world must show through. The main objective of writing a resume for a travel position is to advertise your qualifications, skill sets, and professional experience that are relevant to the traveling industry in a persuasive and exciting way.

Your resume is what will advertise and market your skills as well as your qualifications to the different employers in the travel industry; therefore your resume should be as professional as possible for it to attract potential employers. A typical resume for a position in the travel industry should be as follows:

Contact Information

As with most other resumes, your full name should be listed clearly and prominently at the top of your resume. In order to help it to stand out more, you may use a larger font than the rest of the text and use boldface letters or all caps. Then, using an attractive and professional format, list your current permanent address, phone number, and email address. It is very important that this information is current and that the phone number you provide is easily reachable in the event that the potential employer will want to call you for an interview. If he can’t reach you right away, he will likely change his mind and go on to the next candidate.

Profile

Your profile statement is your opportunity to describe in a few lines what you would bring to the travel agency and to highlight your strongest skills and experiences to show how you can benefit the company. This is where you should also exude your enthusiasm for the position. Your profile statement could very well set the tone for the rest of your resume, so choose your words carefully. The impression your potential employer gets from these few lines can make or break your chances of getting the job.

Career Highlights and Qualifications

A career in the traveling industry may not have as many academic requirements as a lot of other jobs. For the position of a travel agent, a college degree is usually optional. However, having taken courses in accounting, business, and computer skills will definitely work to your advantage, so be sure to highlight those if applicable. There are several colleges that do offer training in the travel and tourism industry, so if you have this sort of training under your belt, do not hesitate to mention it. Although not required, it will definitely help to boost your chances of securing a position.

Professional Experience

Under this subsection of your resume, mention how much you have traveled and your experience organizing trips and handling bookings. This can be even more effective if you have done any travelling to great exotic locations on your own, as it will reflect your enthusiasm for travel. Explaining gaps in your employment with travel experiences is acceptable in a travel resume. For example, ''I engaged in independent travelling from 2002 to 2003.''

Other Qualifications

In the travel industry, you will find that additional skill sets come in handy when looking for employment. Knowledge of several foreign languages is a definite advantage if you’re looking for a global position. Internet and computer skills are also very relevant. Highlighting specialized skills such as these will help you to stand out from the other applicants and give you a better chance at securing a job.

Basically, any information and experiences relevant to travelling will work towards your advantage, so organize and prepare your resume accordingly. This is an exciting industry where you can broaden your view of the world, so do your best to show off your skills and enthusiasm while sharing relevant travel experiences, and you can take flight in the career choice of your dreams.