SANDEMANs first opened in Berlin back in 2003, and we have built our business around our love of travel, and other people’s love of travel. In fact, in 2018 we had over two million people on tours – a new record for us.
There are also about two million things to love about working in travel, and if you’re looking for your next adventure and considering a career in the industry, we thought we would help inspire you by putting together some of our top reasons to jump in and do it. Enjoy!
1. Work in different locations
SANDEMANs operates in 20 different cities across Europe, the US and Israel. Our global network, like a lot of hostels, hotels and other tour companies, gives our staff and the guides we work with the opportunity to move to different cities easily.
2. Save on your travel costs
Working in travel means that you will almost always know somebody in the city you are going to visit. SANDEMANs staff can go on over 100 tours with a friend for free, and get discounts on many attractions we partner with. This isn’t something only we do – our friends at St. Christopher’s Inns offer their staff a bed at any of their hostels for half price, and give discounts at the bar for friends and family!
3. Pay it forward and give back
We may have a lot of fun working in travel, but we also love the opportunity to give back to cities we live in and visit. SANDEMANs organizes events like collecting litter for an hour, giving all the participants a free ticket to one of our tours, and often a free beer at the end courtesy of our pals at Belushi’s bars. There are a lot of travel companies doing really cool things to be good corporate citizens, and it feels awesome to be a part of that.
4. All skills are transferable…
If you’re moving to a new city, finding a job can be tough. Fortunately, many employers in the travel industry value experience over academic qualifications. As the industry employs about one in 10 people worldwide, there is such a wide variety of jobs available that require different talents (some of which you cannot learn in any school), it’s easy to find something that suits your skill set!
5. …and it’s a great way to develop some new ones
The fast pace of the industry also means it’s a great way to pick up some new skills. A lot of it you will learn on the job, but many companies have pretty great training programmes too. At SANDEMANs, we often send staff to different cities to train. At Beds and Bars (who manage St. Christopher’s Inns and Belushi’s bars), they have an annual sailing trip where staff from around the UK and Europe are nominated to spend a week on a boat learning how to sail, and the importance of teamwork. For those who don’t make it on the sailing trip, there’s the option to choose from a bespoke e-learning training programme, recognized throughout Europe to pick up new skills!
6. Meet people from all over the world
One of the things we love the most about the travel industry is getting to meet so many people from different backgrounds and countries who are travelers themselves. SANDEMANs has staff from 40 different countries, and with every new hire we have another city to add to our ever growing list of places to visit.
7. Meet locals
Contrary to popular belief, not all hostel receptionists and tour guides are travelers who have fallen in love with a city. Many locals work in tourism within their hometowns, and they almost always know the best places and things to do; the team of guides we work with in Dublin is almost 100% born-and-bred there, and listening to the history of the city being recounted in an Irish accent really brings their folklore to life!
Working side-by-side with a local gives you first-hand insights into the city and will also help you assimilate better into your new home. We speak from experience when we say that this connection is crucial, especially when many of us have moved away from our families and comfort zones.
8. Be the master of your own time
A lot of the travel industry involves shift work. This can involve working on holidays and weekends sometimes, but it also means that you have more control over your schedule. This is why so many parents also work in the industry – it’s great for working around their children’s schedules.
If you are lucky enough to manage your work schedule well, you could also spend the winter far away, relaxing on a beach of your choosing!
9. Be inspired by talented people
Since so many of us are travelers at heart and have seen and learnt so much from the world, the industry is filled with some of the most talented, inspiring and creative people. We can assure you that you will meet incredibly interesting and life-experienced people, and that you’ll learn a lot from working with them.
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