Philippa Baker runs her own travel & cruise recruitment business and is heartbroken by what she’s witnessing in the industry right now. Here she shares some useful information with agents who have been affected by job losses.
As I read people’s resumes every day, I hope I can help those of you temporarily transitioning to other industries to recognise the transferable skills you have and rework your resume to your advantage.
Here’s a few of Philipa’s simple suggestions to fine-tune your resume, stand out from the crowd and help you get your next gig.
Ready? Let’s do this.
Write a cover letter – Include a brief cover letter that addresses the role, why you would be good at it and the transferable skills you have. It shows you have read the ad carefully and considered your application.
Be concise – try and limit your resume to 2-3 pages only.
Proofread everything – spell check, check punctuation and also ask a colleague/friend/partner to review
Introduction – Keep the intro paragraph brief and to the point. i.e:
For a sales role – I am results-driven with a wealth of sales, customer service, communication, admin and systems skills that are transferable to any industry. I have a demonstrated history of exceeding sales targets and achieving KPI’s.
Or, for a contact centre role – I have five years’ experience delivering exceptional customer service through both inbound and outbound calls and across email and online chat. I quickly pick up processes, product knowledge, systems and procedures and have outstanding attention to detail.
Don’t repeat yourself – Do include all roles as companies may run background checks, but if four positions have all been Travel Consultant don’t list the same job description 4 times. List the job description and achievements for the most current one and just your accomplishments for the previous three.
Personal experience – Use your own experience. If you are applying for a wine sales role tell them which vineyards you have visited. If it’s a travel role tell them where you have travelled and if it’s a contact centre role tell them you regularly use your bank/ATO/Energy Australia contact centre and know you have the skills needed to be successful in their role.
Achievements – These are more important than your job description. For each role, I would list 3 to 6 duties and 2 to 4 achievements.
Be positive – I know this is hard right now, but you need to be upbeat and positive during phone screens and interviews.
The hardest question is “Why are you applying for this job?”
The wrong answer is “Because the world is a hot mess, and I’ve been made redundant!” The right answer is “Because I’ve been made redundant, but I’ve always wanted to try a new industry, so I see this as a great opportunity!”
Example Travel Consultant Resume
SENIOR TRAVEL CONSULTANT | JO BLOGS TRAVEL | JAN 2016 – MAR 2020
- Customer Service – Acting as the first point of contact for clients and providing expert travel advice resulting in a positive customer experience
- Communication – Regular phone, email and in-person communication with clients from a broad demographic including retirees, families and luxury travellers
- Sales – Maximising revenue opportunities by upselling hotel rooms/cruise cabin grades/airline classes and offering add-on travel insurance, day tours and transfers
- Product knowledge – Maintaining expert knowledge across multiple products by attending training seminars and resourcefully accessing online content
- Systems – Proficiently using numerous systems including CRM, GDS, in-house reservation systems and Microsoft Word/Excel/Office
- Attention to detail – Verifying information, invoicing, recording payments and issuing accurate travel documentation
- Events/Public Speaking – Delivering client events in conjunction with travel industry suppliers
- Crisis Communications – Handling cancellations, delays and itinerary changes while managing client expectations
- Follow up & feedback – Following up with returned clients to obtain their feedback and secure their future business
YOUR ACHIEVEMENTS
- Consistently exceeded monthly sales targets and achieved KPIs
- Awarded employee of the year 2018
- In 2019 I Increased our Europe sales by over 30%
- Consistently received positive client reviews and new client referrals
- Promoted to Senior Consultant after only ten months
- Acted as 2IC in 2019 to cover a long service leave position
I hope they help and if you need more support, want someone to bounce off or want me to proofread your resume, please don’t hesitate to email me on philippa@alexander-associates.com.au
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