Crafting a CV that effectively showcases your diverse experience and customer service skills can be a daunting challenge for a travel consultant. Our guide provides tailored tips and industry-specific examples to help you create a standout CV, ensuring your expertise in creating bespoke travel experiences shines through.
- Applying best practices from real-world examples to ensure your profile always meets recruiters' expectations;
- What to include in your work experience section, apart from your past roles and responsibilities?
- Why are both hard and soft skills important for your application?
- How do you need to format your CV to pass the Applicant Tracker Software (ATS) assessment?
If you're writing your CV for a niche travel consultant role, make sure to get some inspiration from professionals:
How to ensure your profile stands out with your travel consultant CV format
It's sort of a Catch 22. You want your travel consultant CV to stand out amongst a pile of candidate profiles, yet you don't want it to be too over the top that it's unreadable. Where is the perfect balance between your CV format simple, while using it to shift the focus to what matters most. That is - your expertise. When creating your travel consultant CV:- list your experience in the reverse chronological order - starting with your latest roles;
- include a header with your professional contact information and - optionally - your photograph;
- organise vital and relevant CV sections - e.g. your experience, skills, summary/ objective, education - closer to the top;
- use no more than two pages to illustrate your professional expertise;
- format your information using plenty of white space and standard (2.54 cm) margins, with colours to accent key information.
Once you've completed your information, export your travel consultant CV in PDF, as this format is more likely to stay intact when read by the Applicant Tracker System or the ATS. A few words of advice about the ATS - or the software used to assess your profile:
- Generic fonts, e.g. Arial and Times New Roman, are ATS-compliant, yet many candidates stick with these safe choices. Ensure your CV stands out by using a more modern, and simple, fonts like Lato, Exo 2, Volkhov;
- All serif and sans-serif fonts are ATS-friendly. Avoid the likes of fancy decorative or script typography, as this may render your information to be illegible;
- Both single- and double-column formatted CVs could be assessed by the ATS;
- Integrating simple infographics, icons, and charts across your CV won't hurt your chances during the ATS assessment.
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Be mindful of white space; too much can make the CV look sparse, too little can make it look cluttered. Strive for a balance that makes the document easy on the eyes.
The top sections on a travel consultant CV
- Professional Experience showcases a detailed work history in travel.
- Key Skills section highlights relevant abilities in travel consulting.
- Industry Certifications displays any specialised training acquired.
- Languages Spoken is vital in a multicultural travel environment.
- Relevant Education indicates formal qualifications in tourism or related fields.
What recruiters value on your CV:
- Highlight your travel-related experience by mentioning specific destinations you're familiar with and types of travel you have planned, such as leisure, corporate, or group travels, to demonstrate your comprehensive knowledge of various travel scenarios.
- Detail your customer service skills, showcasing your ability to provide tailored travel advice and maintain high satisfaction levels, as exceptional client relations are crucial for a travel consultant.
- Emphasise your proficiency in travel booking systems and IT platforms, since expertise in GDS systems like Amadeus or Sabre can set you apart in handling complex travel arrangements efficiently.
- Outline your sales abilities by including your experience in up-selling travel products and packages, along with any targets you have met or exceeded, to underline your commercial acumen.
- Include any language skills you possess, as being multilingual can be a significant asset in communicating with a diverse client base and negotiating with international suppliers.
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Making a good first impression with your travel consultant CV header
Your typical CV header consists of Your typical CV header consists of contact details and a headline. Make sure to list your professional phone number, email address, and a link to your professional portfolio (or, alternatively, your LinkedIn profile). When writing your CV headline , ensure it's:
- tailored to the job you're applying for;
- highlights your unique value as a professional;
- concise, yet matches relevant job ad keywords.
You can, for examples, list your current job title or a particular skill as part of your headline. Now, if you decide on including your photo in your CV header, ensure it's a professional one, rather than one from your graduation or night out. You may happen to have plenty more questions on how to make best the use of your CV headline. We'll help you with some real-world examples, below.
Examples of good CV headlines for travel consultant:
- Senior Travel Consultant | Tailor-Made Itineraries Specialist | 10+ Years Experience | ATOL Certified
- Luxury Travel Planner | Honeymoon & Bespoke Travel Expert | 8 Years Industry Experience | BA Hons Tourism Management
- Adventure Travel Advisor | Group Tours & Solo Expeditions | 5 Years Experience | IATA Accreditation
- Corporate Travel Manager | Business Travel Solutions | 12+ Years Expert | CTC Certification
- Cultural Travel Specialist | Heritage & Educational Journeys | 4 Years Professional Experience | Travel & Tourism Diploma
- Cruise Consultant | Ocean & River Cruises | 6 Years of Navigating Travel Dreams | CLIA Certified
Your travel consultant CV introduction: selecting between a summary and an objective
travel consultant candidates often wonder how to start writing their resumes. More specifically, how exactly can they use their opening statements to build a connection with recruiters, showcase their relevant skills, and spotlight job alignment. A tricky situation, we know. When crafting you travel consultant CV select between:
- A summary - to show an overview of your career so far, including your most significant achievements.
- An objective - to show a conscise overview of your career dreams and aspirations.
Find out more examples and ultimately, decide which type of opening statement will fit your profile in the next section of our guide:
CV summaries for a travel consultant job:
More detailed look into your work history: best advice on writing your travel consultant CV experience section
The CV experience is a space not just to merely list your past roles and responsibilities. It is the CV real estate within which you could detail your greatest accomplishments and skills, while matching the job requirements. Here's what to have in your experience section:
- Prove you have what the job wants with your unique skill set and past successes;
- Start each bullet with a strong, action verb, and continue with the outcome of your responsibility;
- Use any awards, nominations, and recognitions you've received as solid proof of your skill set and expertise;
- align your experience with the role responsibilities and duties.
For more help on how to write your CV experience section, check out the next section of our guide:
Best practices for your CV's work experience section
- Expertly assessed client needs and preferences to deliver tailored travel solutions, consistently exceeding customer satisfaction benchmarks.
- Devised and implemented efficient itinerary management protocols that ensured seamless travel experiences for a diverse client base.
- Successfully negotiated with suppliers to secure advantageous deals, contributing to a 20% increase in overall client savings annually.
- Maintained up-to-date knowledge of the latest travel industry trends, including eco-tourism and sustainable travel options, to provide informed recommendations.
- Applied decisive problem-solving skills to swiftly address and resolve any travel-related issues, minimising disruptions to client itineraries.
- Leveraged expert knowledge of visa and passport regulations to ensure clients were fully prepared for international travel, avoiding last-minute complications.
- Cultivated strong relationships with hospitality providers to access exclusive amenities and upgrades, enhancing the overall client experience.
- Utilised advanced CRM systems to track client preferences, enabling personalised service and repeat business through high client retention rates.
- Orchestrated complex group travel arrangements for corporate clients, coordinating across time zones and managing intricate scheduling requirements.
- Managed complex itineraries for blue-chip corporate clients, achieving a 95% customer satisfaction rating for bespoke travel solutions.
- Pioneered the adoption of a new travel management software that increased efficiency by 30% through automating booking and reporting processes.
- Negotiated exclusive travel discounts with airlines and hotels, leading to a yearly saving of over £250,000 for the company’s clients.
- Designed and marketed tailored adventure travel packages, resulting in a 40% increase in year-over-year sales for niche destinations.
- Led on-ground exploration teams to curate unique experiences, directly contributing to a 20% boost in repeat customer bookings.
- Collaborated with local communities to develop sustainable tourism practices, which greatly enhanced client satisfaction and company reputation.
- Streamlined operational processes for business travel planning that resulted in a 50% reduction in processing time for travel documents.
- Conducted in-depth travel analytics, providing actionable insights that helped cut down clients' travel expenses by 15%.
- Developed a bespoke client reporting system that significantly improved transparency and strengthened client relationships.
- Crafted high-end, customized travel experiences for affluent clients, leading to a 25% increase in luxury package bookings.
- Initiated strategic partnerships with luxury resorts, obtaining exclusive services for clients such as private transfers and dining experiences.
- Orchestrated private events and experiences for VIP clients, enhancing the brand's prestige in the luxury travel market.
- Leveraged digital platforms to increase online booking conversion rates by 20% through targeted content marketing and SEO strategies.
- Implemented virtual reality previews of holiday destinations, which significantly uplifted engagement and contributed to a 15% sales increase.
- Routinely provided exceptional virtual consultations, maintaining a consistent 5-star customer feedback rating on the company’s online platforms.
- Coordinated with multiple vendors to arrange seamless group travel experiences for groups of up to 500 participants, with a focus on educational tours.
- Implemented cost-effective travel solutions, reducing overall group expenses by an average of 20% without compromising quality.
- Curated special interest itineraries that enhanced learning outcomes for student groups, garnering praise from educational institutions.
- Provided comprehensive travel consultancy services, increasing international sales by 35% by expanding into emerging markets like Southeast Asia.
- Spearheaded a company-wide cultural competence initiative resulting in tailored travel recommendations that greatly improved client satisfaction.
- Conducted travel seminars and training for new consultants, ensuring high-quality service across the company's international branches.
- Drove the integration of cutting-edge booking systems, enhancing the agency's operational capacity and processing speed by over 40%.
- Facilitated the adoption of mobile travel applications, allowing for a 25% increase in mobile bookings and improved customer engagement.
- Provided technical training and support on new systems to over 100 staff members, ensuring a smooth transition to modern digital workflows.
Writing your CV without professional experience for your first job or when switching industries
There comes a day, when applying for a job, you happen to have no relevant experience, whatsoever. Yet, you're keen on putting your name in the hat. What should you do? Candidates who part-time experience , internships, and volunteer work.
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Talk about any positive changes you helped bring about in your previous jobs, like improving a process or helping increase efficiency.
Mix and match hard and soft skills across your travel consultant CV
Your skill set play an equally valid role as your experience to your application. That is because recruiters are looking for both:
- hard skills or your aptitude in applying particular technologies
- soft skills or your ability to work in a team using your personal skills, e.g. leadership, time management, etc.
Are you wondering how you should include both hard and soft skills across your travel consultant CV? Use the:
- skills section to list between ten and twelve technologies that are part of the job requirement (and that you're capable to use);
- strengths and achievements section to detail how you've used particular hard and soft skills that led to great results for you at work;
- summary or objective to spotlight up to three skills that are crucial for the role and how they've helped you optimise your work processes.
One final note - when writing about the skills you have, make sure to match them exactly as they are written in the job ad. Take this precautionary measure to ensure your CV passes the Applicant Tracker System (ATS) assessment.
Top skills for your travel consultant CV:
Travel Planning & Booking
Geographical Knowledge
GDS Systems Proficiency
Travel Insurance Knowledge
Tourism Marketing
Itinerary Creation
Travel Products Sales
Multilingual Communication
Travel Administration
Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Software
Customer Service
Detail-Oriented
Interpersonal Skills
Negotiation
Problem Solving
Time Management
Adaptability
Listening
Cultural Sensitivity
Salesmanship
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Focus on describing skills in the context of the outcomes they’ve helped you achieve, linking them directly to tangible results or successes in your career.
CV education and certificates: your academic background as proof of your skill set
A common misconception about your travel consultant CV education is that you only need it, if you have less professional experience. That is completely false. The CV education section serves to back up your technical (and sometimes personal) capabilities, fill in gaps in your work history, and show you have the initial industry background and know-how. When creating your education section:
- List your degrees in the reverse chronological order, starting with the most recent (and relevant) ones first;
- Include your degree and university names, start and graduation dates. It's optional to also denote you received a "First-Class Honours" for diplomas that are more relevant to the role;
- Curate your relevant university coursework, projects, or thesis work if you happen to have less professional expertise and need to integrate more job keywords and skills.
Your professional qualifications don't need to stop at your academic background. It's advisable to also select up to three of your most noteworthy (and relevant) industry certificates and feature them in a dedicated section. Once more, include the certificate name, the institution that issued it out, and the date you obtained it on. You could feature both hard skills and soft skills certificates, as in the examples below:
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If there's a noticeable gap in your skillset for the role you're applying for, mention any steps you're taking to acquire these skills, such as online courses or self-study.
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Key takeaways
Impressing recruiters with your experience, skill set, and values starts with your professional travel consultant CV. Write concisely and always aim to answer job requirements with what you've achieved; furthermore:
- Select a simple design that complements your experience and ensures your profile is presentable;
- Include an opening statement that either spotlights your key achievements (summary) or showcases your career ambitions (objective);
- Curate your experience bullets, so that each one commences with a strong, action verb and is followed up by your skill and accomplishment;
- List your hard and soft skills all across different sections of your CV to ensure your application meets the requirements;
- Dedicate space to your relevant higher education diplomas and your certificates to show recruiters you have the necessary industry background.
