Carol Hill, PA to the director of the Passenger Shipping Association and marketing executive of Passenger Shipping Association Retail Agents’ Scheme
Education: 10 GCSEs, A’ Levels in French, Law and Business Studies; Diploma in European Tourism Management from St Etienne College in France; BA Hons in European Business from Thames Valley University
Training: she completed Psara courses levels one, two and three. This summer she is planning to attend a one-day public relations course at the Chartered Institute of Marketing.
First travel Job: spent university holidays working as a co-ordinator for specialist tour operator Club Europe Holidays, organising holidays for school music groups.
Career path: on leaving university she worked as freelancer for The Times putting together the listings section for six months. She then joined the Passenger Shipping Association as a training co-ordinator with responsibility for travel agent training. In December 1997 she was promoted to the position of PA to the director of the association. She deals with the day-to-day running of the PSA. Her job also involves co-ordinating public relations activities in conjunction with the association’s public relations agency.
Advice for people wishing to develop a career in travel: “Travel is a fun industry but you have to work at it. It is all very well having qualifications but work experience is vital.”