Anyone been a holiday rep?
Discussion
Myself and Matt got chatting after the Midlands meet on Sunday about jobs and what'll happen given the current crunch! We speculated that perhaps a job abroad, not necessarily linked to a long-term career might not hurt given the current climate and we are both young and lacking in responsibilities hence the subject we got onto:
Holiday Reps!
Semi-seriously for a moment then, has anyone done it in their younger days and what is it really like? I imagine it'd involve abysmal wages, lots of crazy tourists in a package resort somewhere where the idea of foreign food is pie and chips with a different brand of sauce, but plenty of laughs, sun, sand and some other things beginning with S
So over to the PH massive, convince or scare me and share your experiences. Remember I may or may not be even vaguely serious about this, but it'll be a chance to hear some funny stories!
Holiday Reps!
Semi-seriously for a moment then, has anyone done it in their younger days and what is it really like? I imagine it'd involve abysmal wages, lots of crazy tourists in a package resort somewhere where the idea of foreign food is pie and chips with a different brand of sauce, but plenty of laughs, sun, sand and some other things beginning with S
So over to the PH massive, convince or scare me and share your experiences. Remember I may or may not be even vaguely serious about this, but it'll be a chance to hear some funny stories!
tomTVR said:
Looks like my perfect job, only thing is they make you force people to sign up to excursions and things which is pressure and less fun.
Getting people on the f
k ferries in Shagaluf shouldn't take much encouraging! Maybe a sambuka or 2 and some over-exposure to the sun!Edited by ytrebil on Monday 29th December 20:33
At college I had a mate, Carl, who was full of unbelievable stories about his life as a rep.
Never believed one of them, until the next season's 18-30 (or whichever company it was) broucher came out, and there was Carl, on a jet ski, with some ample topless young lady pressed into his back. We hated him even more after that!
Never believed one of them, until the next season's 18-30 (or whichever company it was) broucher came out, and there was Carl, on a jet ski, with some ample topless young lady pressed into his back. We hated him even more after that!
Did it for four years after uni. I did winter ski for 4 winters and summer sun for two, travelled for the other two summers.
Would highly recommend it if you are are happy with the following:
Long hours/little sleep
Low pay
Having to sell (you have to be pushy as you will have targets)
Having to deal with drunk and ignorant tourists
There is a career path there but it is still poorly paid
The plus sides are:
You will make friends for life
You will have an amazing time (if you like that sort of thing....)
If you work in Greece you will struggle to pay for a drink if the bar owners like you
The ladies will love you........
You will get a great tan
Its not for everyone but I had an amazing time before entering the "real world". You need to be a hard worker, be outgoing, enjoy a drink and be able to take abuse from people while staying calm.....
Would highly recommend it if you are are happy with the following:
Long hours/little sleep
Low pay
Having to sell (you have to be pushy as you will have targets)
Having to deal with drunk and ignorant tourists
There is a career path there but it is still poorly paid
The plus sides are:
You will make friends for life
You will have an amazing time (if you like that sort of thing....)
If you work in Greece you will struggle to pay for a drink if the bar owners like you
The ladies will love you........
You will get a great tan
Its not for everyone but I had an amazing time before entering the "real world". You need to be a hard worker, be outgoing, enjoy a drink and be able to take abuse from people while staying calm.....
I didnt rep but worked in a bar in Kavos for the summer of 97. Was fantastic fun and can recommend working abroad! I don't think I stopped drinking the whole 4 months out there !! The "workers" used to get together and party a lot. The days were spent on the beach in the sun, or on the crazy speedboat then nights were shaking cocktails and generally getting drunk for free. Free entry into the clubs as well. Go for it!!
ben this sounds like a go'er!!I worked as a camping courier for a summer a few years back and loved it! Very similar to 18-30 reps but hours not as long, no selling excursions etc.
As the holidays are family orientated, there's less drunk british tarts to shag, but then, there's always the other couriers!
As said, you'll meet loads of new people and make friends for life!
As the holidays are family orientated, there's less drunk british tarts to shag, but then, there's always the other couriers!
As said, you'll meet loads of new people and make friends for life!
Try to work for a company whose customer demographic resembles you. You'll be happier that way.
ie. don't work for Club 18-30 or similar unless you feel that you are rather like the kind of person who would go on their holidays. Similar would apply to Mark Warner and the posher end of things. It'll mean that the customers will annoy you less, you'll be able to help them out better and generally have a nicer time.
As the OP said, it's basically a sales job. Basic salary will be nix, so you'll need to blag as many free drinks and meals as you can. You'll need to be ruthless in selling what you secretly know are rather st excursions, and you'll only collect your commission at the end of the season.
Don't think of it as a real job - more like a more interesting alternative to working in Tescos, with some free casual sex thrown in. Career wise it's probably a waste of time, and there are better things you could do to further your prospects. Travel and tourism is badly paid and incredibly unpleasant to work in - watch any of the reality TV holiday rep shows to see how you'll be treated by management.
I'd think about doing something else more linked with the career I might follow, if I were you. If you fancy 6 months holiday with some free casual sex thrown in, then saving a little money and going backpacking is probably a better option. Holiday resorts get very boring after a couple of weeks: you're not really meant to live there.
HTH
ie. don't work for Club 18-30 or similar unless you feel that you are rather like the kind of person who would go on their holidays. Similar would apply to Mark Warner and the posher end of things. It'll mean that the customers will annoy you less, you'll be able to help them out better and generally have a nicer time.
As the OP said, it's basically a sales job. Basic salary will be nix, so you'll need to blag as many free drinks and meals as you can. You'll need to be ruthless in selling what you secretly know are rather s
t excursions, and you'll only collect your commission at the end of the season.Don't think of it as a real job - more like a more interesting alternative to working in Tescos, with some free casual sex thrown in. Career wise it's probably a waste of time, and there are better things you could do to further your prospects. Travel and tourism is badly paid and incredibly unpleasant to work in - watch any of the reality TV holiday rep shows to see how you'll be treated by management.
I'd think about doing something else more linked with the career I might follow, if I were you. If you fancy 6 months holiday with some free casual sex thrown in, then saving a little money and going backpacking is probably a better option. Holiday resorts get very boring after a couple of weeks: you're not really meant to live there.
HTH
The Tea Boy said:
im currently very low paid get shouted at alot by the boss and clients due to other peoples fk up's
This is more or less your job description as a rep. You're paid very little to carry the can for a company and management who couldn't care less whether people enjoy their holidays, because they've already got their money.k up'sOh, and you have to sell the extra stuff too.
Camping courier sounds better, although it really depends on the sort of person you are. Choose a company who sell the kind of holidays you'd go on yourself and you'll be happier.
You could always do 6 months flogging nasty excursions to horrid people and picking up some interesting STIs, then use your commission to go travelling for 6 months...
My brother was a children's courier on a campsite. Pay is low as the accomodation (a tent) is provided). He enjoyed it, but you have to be prepared to live basically in the middle of nowhere, often with no transport to get off the site (some companies encourage staff to not take their own cars etc).
On the upside, as he is now following a career as a teacher, the experience looked good on his CV, he made friends that he is still in touch with years later, and he had a stunning sun tan (I didn't ask about the sex life ;-) )
On the upside, as he is now following a career as a teacher, the experience looked good on his CV, he made friends that he is still in touch with years later, and he had a stunning sun tan (I didn't ask about the sex life ;-) )
worked as a holiday rep for an adventure holiday company when i was 20
worked for 5 months in Spain, worked every day without a break usually from about 8am til midnight, got paid £80/week iirc but only had to pay for lunch as had transport and accomodation provided.
One of the best jobs i have EVER had. Lots of women ot for just a week (with subsequent consequences for me), went diving, waterskiing, mountain biking and
horse riding every week. was young, free and single and it was amazing.
worked for 5 months in Spain, worked every day without a break usually from about 8am til midnight, got paid £80/week iirc but only had to pay for lunch as had transport and accomodation provided.
One of the best jobs i have EVER had. Lots of women ot for just a week (with subsequent consequences for me), went diving, waterskiing, mountain biking and
horse riding every week. was young, free and single and it was amazing.
pugwash4x4 said:
worked as a holiday rep for an adventure holiday company when i was 20
worked for 5 months in Spain, worked every day without a break usually from about 8am til midnight, got paid £80/week iirc but only had to pay for lunch as had transport and accomodation provided.
One of the best jobs i have EVER had. Lots of women ot for just a week (with subsequent consequences for me), went diving, waterskiing, mountain biking and
horse riding every week. was young, free and single and it was amazing.
Where does one find these vacancies?worked for 5 months in Spain, worked every day without a break usually from about 8am til midnight, got paid £80/week iirc but only had to pay for lunch as had transport and accomodation provided.
One of the best jobs i have EVER had. Lots of women ot for just a week (with subsequent consequences for me), went diving, waterskiing, mountain biking and
horse riding every week. was young, free and single and it was amazing.
The camp site courier would be my recommendation too, for one of the rent-a-tent companies such as Eurocamp. The season starts with 'montage' where you and a team zip about all over France (or wherever) in hire vans collecting tents and equipment from depots and getting the camp sites all set up for the season, then you work the season as a courier, which involves sorting out rotas for tent cleaning duties in between clients, and arranging a tent rosta allocating clients to tents depending on length of stay etc. Other than that, it is a simple job of being available and giving out basic tourist advice for the area. Easy hours compared to a holiday rep for a package holiday company. Season ends with 'demontage'. I used to work for Eurocamp as an area maintenance manager for the mobile home fleet for about four years in France. Had some great times and the youngsters we trained up where a great bunch, you two will like it I reckon. Give me a call about it, pint soon eh? and what happened to Matt & Tom the other night? a no show?
Edited by Balmoral Green on Tuesday 30th December 11:04
Taita said:
pugwash4x4 said:
worked as a holiday rep for an adventure holiday company when i was 20
worked for 5 months in Spain, worked every day without a break usually from about 8am til midnight, got paid £80/week iirc but only had to pay for lunch as had transport and accomodation provided.
One of the best jobs i have EVER had. Lots of women ot for just a week (with subsequent consequences for me), went diving, waterskiing, mountain biking and
horse riding every week. was young, free and single and it was amazing.
Where does one find these vacancies?worked for 5 months in Spain, worked every day without a break usually from about 8am til midnight, got paid £80/week iirc but only had to pay for lunch as had transport and accomodation provided.
One of the best jobs i have EVER had. Lots of women ot for just a week (with subsequent consequences for me), went diving, waterskiing, mountain biking and
horse riding every week. was young, free and single and it was amazing.
The Tea Boy said:
Taita said:
pugwash4x4 said:
worked as a holiday rep for an adventure holiday company when i was 20
worked for 5 months in Spain, worked every day without a break usually from about 8am til midnight, got paid £80/week iirc but only had to pay for lunch as had transport and accomodation provided.
One of the best jobs i have EVER had. Lots of women ot for just a week (with subsequent consequences for me), went diving, waterskiing, mountain biking and
horse riding every week. was young, free and single and it was amazing.
Where does one find these vacancies?worked for 5 months in Spain, worked every day without a break usually from about 8am til midnight, got paid £80/week iirc but only had to pay for lunch as had transport and accomodation provided.
One of the best jobs i have EVER had. Lots of women ot for just a week (with subsequent consequences for me), went diving, waterskiing, mountain biking and
horse riding every week. was young, free and single and it was amazing.
Best bet is to phone the companies you're interested in directly asap, or check their websites.
This looks like a useful site: http://www.careerintravel.co.uk/holidayrep.htm
although I wouldn't pay them for anything!
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