On the job: A seasoned tour guide tells all

ANSWERS : The highlighted text shows you the answer to each question:

We interviewed Cherie Anderson, owner and president of Professional Tour Management Training in Lake Forest, California, to get her insights on what it's like to be a tour director.

C. Tell us a little bit about your company. When did it get started?

(o) Well, I was an international tour director and cruise host for ten years. I did tours all over the world. In 1993, because I realized there was so little information out there, and yet such a need for guides, I started approaching the colleges. I told them that here's a career that needs people. And so I started running some community education classes.About three years ago, local companies started calling, looking for guides. It's continued to expand (since then)

G. Would you say that the work for land tours is pretty much year round, or is it more of a seasonal job?
(1) It depends. I'm working with what are called destination management companies and meeting planners. They're dealing with professional committee meetings and incentive trips. They're really busy during the fall. International tours are busy all the time.

H. Does it help if a guide is willing to travel?
(2) Yes. Well, there's the local industry. I have local people who have children, and it is wonderful because it's so flexible. if the person is in school or has another job, they can do touring part time, and it's a great way to get experience. A lot of people just work locally, and they can be home at night. It's more flexible compared to most jobs.

A. Can you draw any parallels between tour guiding and other types of employment?
(3) Teachers usually make real good guides. Mothers--they're used to being caretakers--make real good guides. Actors/Actresses: they have an audience, a captive audience. Health care workers do real well. We're somewhat like health care workers ourselves in the job. We're caretakers, we're lecturers, we're teachers, we're doctors, nurses, we're managers, we're working almost as travel agents. We wear a lot of hats.

F. Is there any other kind of work experience that is particularly helpful?
(4) Travel agenting, because if you're doing tours you do a lot of things that a travel agent does. They're used to airlines, and they've done a lot of travel themselves. Business people are good because there is paperwork, accounting. The people skills are real important. You need to be able to think and make decisions.

I. Why do people typically pursue the tour industry?
(5) Some because they're retired, and they want something to do. Others, they're tired of being interior decorators, they're tired of working in an office, they're tired of day-to-day routine, they love to travel. That's usually the main thing--they love to travel. And that's why oftentimes they look in this direction. Or they've been raising children, and now the children are out of the house, and it's time for mother to have some fun.

E. Do people often start as guides before going into an office?
(6) Not necessarily. Some work as a guide. There're some that go and become a product manager. Or they do both together. There are a lot of presidents and vice presidents that started as tour directors. But some people want to start making reservations. They like putting things together. Others don't like that. Most companies will let the tour directors move into the office if they want to. A lot of these companies will hire tour directors to do their staffing of tours.

B. If you could give people your best advice before pursuing land tour as a career, what would it be?
(7) Know the job, first. Know the procedures. Know your narration. Be prepared. You've got to be a leader. You have to let them know right ahead. Do a debriefing at the beginning. That's always extremely important because that's what sets up what people should expect-of themselves, of each other, and of you. And that really sort of sets it off to a good tone.