Working for one of the biggest companies in the travel industry is a great boost for your CV, not to mention your career, so don’t be afraid to aim high. Sometimes it can be daunting to apply for work at huge companies, but they need employees just as much as you need a job, so pluck up your courage and go for it!
Fiona Groutage, the overseas resourcing manager at TUI, gave Working Abroad Magazine some helpful tips on how to get in with the big boys. TUI UK is a collection of brands that provide holidays for literally thousands of people every year, whether they are looking for summer sun or winter sports, exotic shores or somewhere closer to home. Employing more than 3000 people worldwide, they also have a lot of opportunities for promotion for those thinking about building a career in the business.
Thomson TUI Holiday Travel Jobs
While you imagine yourself drinking cocktails on a Mediterranean beach, or jet-skiing across a turquoise sea, or even admiring some gorgeous European scenery (on your days off, naturally), just make sure that you are the sort of person who gets on well with other people. One of TUI’s proudest claims is its customer service: all staff need to be friendly, personable and prepared to work hard to make sure their customers get the best possible service. If your idea of a good time is lying alone in your room watching the TV, you might want to think twice about applying for this type of job!
TUI employs about 1500 staff members during the summer season in their European beach resorts, which range from beach, lakes and mountains, Active and Al Fresco, so there’s plenty to choose from! The Mediterranean islands are where most staff are based, but if you work for the Lakes and Mountains programme you could be working in France, Austria or Italy.
There are lots of roles available, as TUI has so many different programmes running throughout the year. For example, are you confident, organised and well supplied with energy and enthusiasm? Perhaps a job as a holiday rep or entertainer on their beach programme would be the ideal one for you.
Fancy the outdoor life? Maybe you’d enjoy working on one of their campsites rather than a big hotel. Want to teach a sport that you love? Water sports and yoga instructors are always in demand!
Of course, with any kind of holiday company there are vacancies for childcare staff and hospitality roles, so there really is something for everyone.
Winter jobs are available too!
More than 1200 people are employed by TUI in the winter season, and for more information read our article on Crystal, one of TUI’s ski holiday brands.
One of the bonuses of working for such a large and diverse company is that your social life will certainly benefit! There are always likeminded people to socialise with and plenty of opportunities to try new things, from a new sport to different cuisines and of course an entirely new party scene! If you already enjoy water sports or skiing you get to enjoy your hobby for an entire season! Find out what a ski season job is like from our experts.
If you think working for a big name brand in a beautiful new country is more your thing than clocking up hours at the McDonalds down the road, you’ll probably want to know how to boost your chances.
TUI gets upwards of 8000 applications from season to season so one of the key things to remember is to be precise and keep it relevant. They don’t want to know about the paper-round you had when you were twelve (unless you had an all-singing, all-dancing routine you used to wake your customers up, and you want a job as an entertainer!)
WHERE CAN YOU GO?
France
Austria
Italy
Greek Islands
Balearic Islands
Croatia
You’ll be asked to complete an application form with specific questions about your past work experience because all applicants are judged on the same criteria, so if you DO have something special to tell them about, write it down! It’s important to be honest though, because if you lie then you’ll only be caught out later on and it will be embarrassing for everyone. There are certain qualifications needed for specific jobs (childcare and sports instruction jobs especially) so it’s beneficial to check out the website www.jobsinwinter.co.uk/ for more details.
WHAT’S INCLUDED
Transport to your resort.
Accommodation.
Meals on a half board basis.
If you can speak another language this is very helpful and make sure you write it down, but it’s not essential so don’t be put off if you can only speak English.
TUI conducts most of its recruitment via group assessment days, which is much more informal than the traditional interview format. If you are looking for summer work, interviews are held from November to March and contracts will probably start from April/May.
Winter staff, which are predominately working in ski resorts, are recruited from May to November and travel to their resorts at the end of November or beginning of December.
Employees are given free accommodation and food on a half board basis, so that’s free breakfast and dinner included. Your travel to the resort will also be covered by TUI, but in some cases this may be by coach rather than by plane – so it might be a good idea to check how you are getting there before turning up at the airport! There aren’t any restrictions for applicants other than the fact you need to be at least eighteen to be employed as bar staff, but then that’s the case in the UK too, so no change there. Most employees do tend to be over eighteen simply because it’s easier for them to move and work abroad.
Homesickness can sometimes be an issue, and in fact along with the long hours is pretty much the only negative about jobs like these.
Still, with plenty of new friends and colleagues around you it’s only a matter of time before you get settled in!
RECOMMENDED WEBSITES
www.jobsinwinter.co.uk/
www.thomson.co.uk/jobs/travel-jobs.html
https://www.gapwork.com/
www.basecampgroup.com/
Crown Recruitment Jobs (Royal Caribbean) =>