Sarah Daley
SARAH Daley has changed the course of her career not once, not twice, but three times.
She started as a travel co-ordinator for a commodities trading firm, left to join a travel agency as key account manager, and later became a freelance travel consultant to a construction company.
Daley is now working as personal assistant to Viscount Waverley, a member of the House of Lords, where sorting out complex travel arrangements is just one of her many roles.
“I left the travel agency because I was bored,” she said. “I like to keep moving forward and I enjoy ever-changing environments. I am also quite a free-spirited person and I ideally like to work under my own steam.”
Daley admitted to being nervous each time her life has changed direction, but she said each of the shifts she has made turned out for the better.
Her new role lets her combine her family commitments with her career. She works from home where she also looks after her three-year-old daughter.
“I wanted to spend more time with her and this job allows me to do that, as well as providing me with fresh challenges,” said Daley.
Jeanette Brown
SIX years ago, Jeanette Brown was managing a BP petrol station – today she is the manager of one of Intatravel’s biggest shops.
She decided to make the career change after taking a short break from work to have a baby.
“At first I wanted only weekend and part-time work and I started in Intatravel’s Lakeside branch at Thurrock, Essex, working Friday evenings, Saturdays and Sundays,” explained Brown.
Although she said she had no specific ambitions when she joined Intatravel, Brown rapidly rose from counter clerk to manager.
“I went full time after about 15 months, the following year I became assistant manager and in May last year I was made manager,” she said.
She added that her life experience – she was 28 years’ old when she joined Intatravel – compensated for the fact that her only knowledge of the travel industry was the annual family holiday.
“I remember the first day someone asked for the Kuoni brochure and I had no idea what Kuoni was,” she said.
“I had to do a lot of homework to acquire the product knowledge I needed, but it has been well worth it.”
Her advice to anyone wanting to switch careers is ‘give it a go’, even if they don’t have a background in travel.
“You just have to persevere and be very willing to learn all about the travel industry,” she added.
Brown and her assistant manager, Angela Mitchell, who also came from outside the travel industry, were both recruited at the same time by Victor Sams at Travel Recruitment Direct.
“There is a general shortage of staff in travel, and sometimes companies have to be a little imaginative if they are going to find the right staff,” said Sams.