What inspired you to work for Global Work & Travel?
We all put a lot of time and effort into our full-time jobs. You may as well spend that time and energy on a subject you love and are interested in. Working for a travel company that offers meaningful trips around the world means you're communicating with customers who are eager and excited to embark on a trip of a lifetime. For our team, it's a pleasure to share our knowledge of the industry, and support them along the way to make sure their adventure is a success.
Describe a typical day at work.
With customers from all different time zones, we get a lot of correspondence overnight, and we start the day with our coffee making sure we're caught up. We then touch base with our customers in Europe in order to catch them before it's too late in the day. In the late morning we run orientation sessions to welcome our customers on our working holiday program who just arrived in Canada. We make sure they have the documents, tools, advice, and knowledge to start their new jobs, and arrange for them to enjoy some activities in the city and surrounding area. The afternoon is all about connecting with customers from Asia Pacific, and helping them accomplish everything needed to arrive at their trip destination smoothly, and on time.
There's no better feeling than being up in the clouds and ready for the next adventure!
How do you use your education and international background in your current role?
My educational background is in International Relations so working for an international travel company has been a natural fit. It means a lot to me that our customers are breaking out of their hometown 'bubble' and expanding their professional and personal skills, while experiencing other countries and cultures and becoming more knowledgeable about the world in general.
What challenges do you often face and how do you overcome them?
To make each trip a success for our customers we have to be very knowledgeable about the ever-changing travel industry and trends, and visa regulations, so we can give the best up-to-date advice. The pandemic really threw a wrench in government processing and the travel industry and our team had to do daily research to navigate through any and all changes to still make travel dreams a reality in tough times.
What are some current projects you are working on?
We realize that our customers have different interests, dreams, goals, skills, and personalities. Our aim is to expand our trip offerings, and our host organization base so there's even more of a range available to excite a wider group of customers. I love that the opportunities are endless and that the business is continuing to grow.
What advice would you tell your pre-travel self?
I don't really have any advice for my pre-travel self. I think I did it right! I booked an international trip the moment I turned 18. While I did lots of research to make sure I would be safe and prepared and educated about the areas I was going to, I was open to adventure and every new opportunity which led to the best experiences. This is the same advice I give my friends, family, and our customers before they travel.
My happy place is at the beach with the clear blue water and the sandy shores.
What makes Global Work & Travel special?
There are lots of travel agencies out there that you can speak to about going on vacation that entails lying on a beach away from the crowds. Our trips are designed to have substance and meaning, so while you're enjoying your new surroundings, you can also work to sustain yourself to gain professional experience, au pair for a family with kids, teach english in a local classroom, intern for your career, work remotely so you're not using up your PTO, or volunteer for one of our 25+ worldwide initiatives. We love lying on beaches, too! Why not contribute to making a difference and grow personally while you're at it!
Why should someone choose Global Work & Travel over competitors?
All of us at Global Work & Travel have traveled overseas before, and many of us have lived overseas or done one or more of the trip styles we offer. Our staff believe wholeheartedly in what we do, and why we do it. We inspire our customers to take the leap of planning the trip that best suits their individual needs, skills, timelines, goals and interests. We then make sure they have the best advice, support, and knowledge to make the trip a success. Other gap-year travel brands simply don't offer the same level of customer support, and range of trip options and inclusions.
Are there any developments with Global Work & Travel that you would like to share with us?
We realize that not all customers come to us with the same budget, needs, and interests. That's why we've recently created different trip tiers. We now have different trip options for our working holiday programs so if we have a customer that just wants a bit of help here and there, they don't need to pay for the premium trip that offers a full set of trip inclusions and activities.
I love to travel, but Canada will always be home!
What makes Global Work & Travel easy to market to potential participants?
It's a big world out there, yet it's easy to get stuck in routine and to come up with excuses for not traveling overseas. Thinking about cost, or even about organizing a visa is daunting. Potential participants are drawn to our company because we can suggest options for making an income overseas, or living well within your means. We also have a team that is incredibly knowledgeable who give step by step directions for anything relating to visas, flights, insurance, and beyond. Additionally, we offer payment plans for every budget to make overseas travel accessible. You don't have to have savings, or be wealthy, to book a trip.
What is Global Work & Travel's mission and how do you continue to work toward it?
Our mission is travel made easy! Traveling overseas demands a lot of planning and organization, and there can be a lot of unanticipated road blocks. Our customers get assigned a coordinator to help them plan their trip and take care of every step necessary. On some trips they also have a coordinator in the destination country; a ground team. They also have a travel agent assigned to help with the flights and insurance part. With this well-rounded support team, the aim is to prepare customers as best as possible so they are ready for their trip departure and arrival. Our team is then on hand 24/7 to make sure they are supported while on their journey.
Had fun making friends with a sloth at the Sloth and Wildlife Rescue Sanctuary!
What do you hope participants take away from your programs?
It's always our hope that when a customer completes a trip with us that they feel like a different person; more grounded, independent, knowledgeable, and appreciative of the world we live in. We also hope they made amazing memories and life long friends which is almost always the case. When a trip is completed we always encourage our customers to keep in touch, share photos, reviews, blog, or video footage. This always helps those who are nervous to travel, really consider it! We also always encourage them to consider traveling with us in the future for a different trip to keep the adventure going.
If you could participate in one of Global Work & Travel's programs, where would you go and what would you do?
I would love to do the Global Work & Travel trip to South Africa to volunteer at the Wildlife Reserve and help with feeding and conservation efforts for the 'Big 5'; Lion, Leopard, Rhinoceros, Elephant, and Buffalo. This would be a very different trip than I've ever done, and we always get amazing feedback from customers who have been on this trip.
Why is it important for people to travel abroad and experience new cultures?
It's important to travel for so many reasons. It's essentially for broadening people's world view, and learning about different perspectives. It helps people develop empathy and learn about new issues that may not be present in their home country. It helps people become more independent, conscious, adaptable, organized, present, and inspired, which ends up helping people towards their goals in life whether in careers, education, relationships, and so on. I notice a huge difference in our customers once they've completed a trip of ours and are heading back home!
What does meaningful travel mean to you?
Meaningful travel is all about contributing to the greater good while you're experiencing a new country and culture. On our trips, this is achieved through humanitarian, environmental, or wildlife volunteering, teaching English, working in sectors in need, working as an au pair for busy families, and so on.
