The Job Search Begins

I arrived home last night anxiously anticipating the application process; I was ready to hit the computer and start submitting my cover letter and resume to tour companies. After graduation from ITMI, each of us had a half hour to talk to Ted about our performance and to review our cover letter and resume as well as a half hour to talk to Randy about which tour companies might best suit our needs. My priorities -- student travel, Disney,Tauck, Globus: I want to work for the best. However, imagine my surprise when listed under incentive travel was Don Jagoda Associates. A few days prior, I had dinner with a high school friend -- Jeryl Jagoda. She was Gretel in The Sound of Music; I was Frau Schmidt (I never could sing); she was Helen Keller; I was student director, although I never really fulfilled the role. It turns out that her family business is merchandise and incentive travel. I surely will make an application!

I was also surprised when, after only two e-mail cover letters and resumes, I received my first response. Smithsonian Student Travel e-mailed me only a few hours after receiving my resume; they said I looked like I might be a good match, but they were fully staffed for this season and encouraged me to complete their own application late this summer or early fall for Spring 2o11. I was heartened. At least they are encouraging.

In the late 70's and early 80's I was a group leader for student tours, traveling primarily with ACIS. I wrote to the president who originally started the company, and with whom we had traveled -- my good friend Carolyn and me. I played up my connection and just hope his memory runs longer than 25 years! I sent him a picture from 1978 as a reminder. Me -- just a few more wrinkles, but still ready to tour with the students. In fact, I think teenagers can be so forgiving and fun and curious, that I would almost prefer student tours.

My ultimate goal is still Tauck Tours. They are the creme de la creme as Mrs. Brody would say. I have not yet sent Tauck my resume and cover letter. Actually, that is not true. I applied before I even took the ITMI course, probably not a worthwhile attempt. But tomorrow I will give Tauck the time it deserves. One of the many things I like about Tauck is that they require their tour directors to shadow a tour before directing a specific itinerary. Imagine being paid to shadow a tour, learning the in's and out's of the destinations, and then repeating the trip as the director!

Five resumes and cover letters in the mail. Two e-mails. Lots more to go.



As a gift to myself, on a visit to high school friend Randy Warren and his wife, SueEllen, I bought my first really good bottle of wine! This is a wine with a one-year wait list. SueEllen, Randy, and I took a well-planned wine-tasting (thank you, Randy, for the planning, and thank you, SueEllen, for being the designated driver) tour of Napa. Our last visit was to a small family-owned vineyard -- Lewelling. Their Cabernet Sauvignon Wight Vineyard is 98 points. Their mailing list is full; there is a wait list to get on their mailing list. We had a fabulous tasting, and Randy was kind enough to sell me one of his bottles. My goal: I will share the bottle when I get my first tour directing job!

Graduation

ITMI Class #257 graduated on Sunday, February 14th and celebrated with a surprisingly good buffet dinner provided by the Beverly Garland Hotel and free-flowing wine provided by ITMI. It's quite nice that Ted likes to share his love of wine with his students!

Each of us signed up for an hour of career counseling with Ted and Randy for either Monday or Tuesday. While reviewing different national, international, and incentive tour companies with Randy, I was particularly excited to see one company for which I have a connection; it is quite a coincidence. Earlier in the course I had met one of my high school friends, Jeryl Jagoda, for dinner; although we were three years apart, we were both "drama-ramas" and performed in The Sound of Music together -- she as Gretel and me as Frau Schmidt. We also worked on The Miracle Worker -- she as Helen Keller and me assisting the director. She told me that her family business, of which is not a part, is incentive travel (along with related marketing). She would put in a good word, but there on the list of suggested companies was her family business on Long Island! So perhaps I will take incentive travel a little more seriously.

Ted worked with me on my resume and cover letter, in itself almost worth the cost of tuition. They also asked us to create a sheet of immediate and future goals -- our action plan. So many of my friends and family have been asking me, now what? So here it is -- send out at least 20 - 30 resumes with cover letters specific to the company. Follow up. Pursue the DC license and perhaps even the New York license. STUDY. Take tours. Take the DC test. Set up informational interviews. Goal -- at least one spring job. Easy? no. Doable? yes. I will let you know.

For now I am continuing north up the coast visiting dear friends -- the Makoffs and the Warrens -- and then home. My March 5th tour of Costa Rica will certainly be approached from a new perspective. The best news I have received during the two-week course is that my sister got a job after an extended period of unemployment. Here is hoping that I soon follow in her footsteps.

On the Road

As part of the two-week training course, we all participate in a two-day overnight "on the road." The principal purpose is to provide the experiential experience of tour directing: "Count the people; count the bags. Count the bags; count the people." However, the motor coach trip to San Simeon also provided two days of sightseeing and fun.

I have the advantage of having traveled on over-the-road tours; actually, I am a bit surprised by how many of the student in the ITMI course have never taken an organized tour. This trip would give us a brief glimpse into the experience, but after taking tours with Globus, Collette, CIE, and Olympia, I had a relatively good idea of what to expect. Count the bags; count the people. Rotate the seats. It's amazing how challenging it is for a group of intelligent people to rotate two seats back on the right and two seats forward on the left. We couldn't do it; of course, it was complicated by the fact that Joemy, one of our teachers who was evaluating our commentary, wasn’t moving and a few of the ITMI graduates who joined our tour weren’t rotating either. I think I will try a seating chart each morning; it seems to me that 5 minutes of my time might save 10 minutes of frustration on the bus.

A few days before our departure each of us chose a commentary subject: either a site we were going to pass on the road, visit, or a related topic such as earthquakes or people. I chose Mark Twain; okay, that might have been a little “unfair” on my part. I have been teaching Twain for over 30 years. But that was Twain the writer and Twain of Hannibal, Missouri, not Twain of San Francisco or Twain, the tour director. It turns out that Twain was one of the first tour directors, sailing the Quaker City to Europe and the Holy Land. Book to read as soon as I get home: Innocents Abroad. “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one’s lifetime.” -- Mark Tawin. I did well.

Our sightseeing trip included the magnificent castle on the hill – San Simeon. We had learned that the motorcoach should stop about every hour to hour and a half, so our trip included a few “rest stops,” some combined with sightseeing or pictures. We had our technical – the detailed itinerary from which tour directors work – and we noted how close we followed (exactly). After a brief rest/picture stop in Santa Barbara, we continued to San Simeon where we enjoyed a typical tour lunch, although it was a la carte – off the menu, not typical of the trips I have taken (obviously, they were not deluxe), and our table took advantage, ordering appetizers and the salmon. The Hearst Castle was breath-taking, and we had nothing to do but enjoy the visit. The prospect of tour directing with a deluxe company such as Tauck is intriguing!

Our arrival at the hotel included the essential welcome reception. This hotel, however, wasn’t terribly welcoming: it was an old-fashioned motel with bedspreads and less than first-class lodging. When it was clear that most of us, the clients, were not very satisfied, Ted explained that the owners of the hotel have always been good to him. Unfortunately, once the California government prohibited coaches over 45 feet on the coastal highway, the motel had lost a great deal of business, and he wanted to give back. We dealt. I thought at least it was clean, but not everyone in the group agreed. The almost unlimited wine pouring at the reception and a relatively good dinner followed by a cappella singing made up for everything in my book.

The following day was more of the same: we practiced our commentary, made rest stops and picture stops, did some sightseeing, and had a smorgasbord lunch in the Danish town of Solvang. Amazingly, as I walked around the quaint in Solvang was one of my IB colleagues from Minnesota! Okay, it’s a cliché, but it is a small world.

What did I learn? Clients complain, even if they are aspiring or working tour guides. I overheard one of the graduates complain that she couldn’t sleep on the bus because everyone was talking. I couldn’t figure out why she came along! The importance of counting the people was reinforced when we almost took off without Rachid, who was talking on his cell and lost track of time. I learned that rotating seats is more complicated than I realized. Tour directing is very much like teaching, just on the road, and the teacher better have done all of her homework!

End of Week One

The ITMI course is divided into two weeks: the first week concentrates on tour guiding, the second week on tour directing. Week one ended with both a written and oral "tests." After driving the LA city tour route four times, it wasn't difficult passing a 50-question fill-in-the-blank test or actually guiding the tour twice; the first time we talked about landmarks, the second we concentrated on "fillers." What do you talk about when there is nothing to see or you are stuck in freeway traffic? That's easy: food! What else would a foodie like me talk about? I love to tell people where to eat, yet, ironically, with perhaps one exception, I haven't had a great meal in LA yet. What is interesting to me is as much as you think about what you would like to say, when you are actually on the mike, somehow it comes out differently.

On my second night in LA my son's college roommate took me on a shopping tour of Melrose Avenue. We passed a little hot dog stand called Pink's with perhaps an hour wait outside. Who waits an hour (I heard people wait even longer than that)? Nothing is worth that wait, especially a hot dog. Besides, could it really be better than Ben's Chili Bowl.

This weekend we also worked on our resumes. ITMI uses a very specific format; one of the advantages of using their format is that your resume is immediately identifiable as an ITMI graduate. It looks so different than what I would present, but I trust their expertise, and what is important is getting into that first door. We keep getting told that the best way to get a job is through networking and referrals. A tour director gets a call for a job she cannot do; she says, "although I am not available for that tour, I know someone who would be great..." My greatest chance of getting hired is having an experience tour director to recommend me.

The other way is to get that first job and knock it out of the ballfield. Now, where did that cliche come from? As soon as I get home I am going to start knocking on doors (the old way of saying I will e-mail my resume), concentrating on student tours since that is where I can bring the most expertise. My goal is to get one student tour this spring.

Airports, Cruise Ships, and Incentives

After a day of details on Thursday, we were back on the coach Friday morning and heading to LAX in the rain. The freeways in LA are crowded, and the rain slows them down even more, so our teachers used the hour and a half to get to the airport to instruct us about airport procedures. When we finally arrived, I was a little disappointed: I thought that we were going to go "behind the scenes," but they really just used the airport as a setting. Most of us in the course are well traveled and had a good understanding of what airline travel today requires.

Our next stop was the Queen Mary; of course, the famous ship has been dry-docked as a hotel for many years, so there isn't much cruising going on. We had a tour of the ship, which was absolutely magnificent, especially the wood and the art deco decor. I regretted not taking my camera and would have loved to have had a drink in the most magnificent bar, home to many film settings. We were tourists. I questioned how much we would learn about cruising on a ship turned hotel, and we didn't. We did get the details of the responsibility of a tour director on a cruise, but, like the airport, the trip was interesting, but not essential for our purpose.

I never considered cruising. When I cruised the Greek islands I couldn't wait to get off at each stop, and I always wanted more time on the islands themselves. On our family cruise to Canada, every time I was on land, I felt like I was on the boat. But after our discussion and understanding that a lot of tours are now intermodal: people want to travel by bus, train, and ship, I think that perhaps some cruising along with other means might be fun. The job of a tour director on the cruise portion seems a little more relaxing than on the bus.

Finally, when we returned to our classroom at the hotel, we were tested on our knowledge of LA; we had all of the questions ahead of time and quizzed each other on the bus, so that was easy. The point was really not to "TEST" us, no SOL (not shit of out luck, but standards of learning), but to demonstrate how much we can learn in developing city tours that may not be our city. Now if I can just learn how to route for tomorrow's city bus test (Yes, we have to give directions to the bus driver -- me, with no sense of direction), I will be fine.

The other surprise for me was the amount of work available in events and incentives. Like cruising, I wasn't even considering applying for positions in these areas. The more that Randy talked about the type of work available, the more I realized I am already well experienced in event planning. After all the retreats at Capital Camps and the AP Summer Institute, I could certainly help with conferences and conventions in the DC area. The pay is not great, but if I could pick up $150 for picking up people at the airport (meet and greet), taking them on dine-arounds, giving out welcome packages, why not? I quickly added both of these experiences to my resume.

Another advantage of the course is the individual help in getting a job, both with resume writing and job counseling. Today is our one-on-one help with our resumes. All ITMI graduates' resumes look the same, and this is a good thing. As soon as the tour company gets the resume, they know that we are an ITMI graduate. Over 80% of Globus tour directors are ITMI grads, so even though most of the professional tour directors who have joined us over the week are not working steadily, I am hopeful. I assume the majority of the directors who are working steadily, don't have the time or need for joining us. I am remaining positive that work will come, especially by opening up all of the options available to us.

At the Microphone

Day two of class introduced us to a wide variety of terms, working relationships, and tour and travel companies. Finally, in the afternoon, we started to examine the specifics of guiding. Our first assignment wasn't really routing a tour, as it seemed to suggest on the itinerary, but merely mapping it on illegible maps. It seemed an out-of-date assignment with the technology we have at our finger tips, so I just pulled out my iPhone, clicked on my Google maps app, and attempted, with magnifying glass in hand, to map out the route we were given. I would imagine any good tour guide will have the tools she needs at hand.

It seems that one of the benefits of investing in a course like ITMI, in addition to the knowledge we gain and the contacts we make, are the resources that it offers. Graduates can log on to the website and download city sightseeing. DC is excluded, since like New Orleans, New York, and Charleston, one needs a license to guide; therefore, any ITMI graduate who is a tour director will either be turning the tour over to a licensed city guide or will be one herself. What I can and will do when I get home is to contact a licensed DC guide from ITMI and get some help preparing for the license. In order to get a license in DC, you pay a $150 fee, submit six character references and a physical conducted by a DC doctor, and score at least a 75% on a multiple-choice test. At least for now, I had the Los Angeles route and description in hand.

Each of us were given a particular site on the tour with a few minutes to prepare. After a brief practice, where we all talked at the same time, we gave a solo one-minute introduction. I was surprised that a few people dreaded this; I understand some anxiety and hesitancy, but why would you take such a course if you were afraid of public speaking? In the end, everyone had a good sense of humor. In the begining of the course I didn't believe that there might be some people who might be asked to seek some other means of improvement before continuing to week two, but after this exercise, I can see why ITMI "invites" you to continue to week two.

Day three was our first day on the motor coach. I learned that we don't call them buses: they are coaches or motor coaches. I learned how and when to count everyone. I learned how to hold the mike to my face and how to balance myself in the chair. We also were warned that, despite what we might think about the safety of the bus at 10 miles an hour, that it is the most dangerous speed for the tour guide; if that coach has to stop short the guide can go out the glass window. That is something I will remember. I learned that it is the responsibility of the director to be sure the driver has the route and to let him know when we are ready to go. And, we were off.

The morning was a great deal of fun. All we had to do was play tourist. After a freeway ride with typical LA traffic, we finally made it to downtown. Our first stop was the Disney Concert Hall, designed by Frank Gehry -- truly magnificent. It's always important to plan for a rest stop, so at the next stop -- Olvera Street, the site where the original 11 families settled LA -- the first thing that was pointed out were the bathrooms. On any coach trip I have been on, we have always been told that the bathroom on the bus is for emergencies only. A quick tour of the oldest exisiting house was followed by a delicious churro from Mr. Churro (I followed the tour guide into the place, a good lesson for knowing where to go) before hitting the primary purpose of the stop -- bathrooms.

Our next stop was the famous Grumann and Kodak Theaters before our drive down Sunset Boulevard, Santa Monica, Rodeo Drive, and Wilshire. It strikes me that these streets are all familiar to me even though the last (and only) time I was in LA was on my honeymoon almost 35 years ago. The film and TV industry have made these streets household names. Lunch was at the Farmer's Market, and now people were starting to think about what came next. It was going to be our turn at the mike after lunch. Each of us would have to go to the front of the coach to demonstrate proper mike control and safety, while talking about we had just only learned that morning. Now I was anxious as well.

We went up and down the coach starting on the driver's side. I learned "driver's side" and "door side" was less confusing than "left" or "right"; using the clock is even better: for example, "you will see the Hollywood sign coming up at 2:00." Since I was on the door side in the front, this meant that I wouldn't be speaking until the end. This was good. Some people were naturals. Nancy is engaging. Derek has a voice I can listen to all day. Gary is funny. Others weren't quite as natural. If we were passing sites, we had to talk about them; if there was nothing to see, we had to do "fillers." By this time I had to go to the bathroom so badly that I thought I wouldn't be able to say anything because all I could think about was that I needed to pee. Then I lucked out. We had missed the Cathedral of the Lady of Angels in the morning because we ran out of time; just as the person before me was about to go up to the mike, our tour guide announced we were at the cathedral, and we would continue after our visit.

Not only did this give me the opportunity to go to the bathroom, but it also gave me time to think about what I could possibly say. It was obvious by now that we were going to be on the freeway for my turn. God bless Kevin. He told me to look for the Alverada Street exit; that is where MacArthur Park was -- the song by Donna Sumner. I decided to talk about watching out for motorcycles (they are allowed to drive on the line) and see where the coach took me. Motorcyles and MacArthur Park impressed our tour director who was giving us feedback on how we did, so much so that she pointed it out. The tour guide is the eyes for the people. Watch the signs. Read the signs. And don't say "um."

The First Day of Class

The long-awaited first day of class finally arrived. In anticipation, and not wanting to be late, I left the three-bedroom home in LA that I exchanged for my place with plenty of time for the LA traffic. After picking up a sandwich for lunch, I sat out on the patio in the 60 wonderful degree weather and continued to read The Geography of Bliss, by Eric Weiner. The author traveled the world looking for the happiest place; so far, he has been to the Netherlands, where people tend to be happy, but he wonders after smoking some marijuana in the cafe, if a drugged induced stupor can be interpreted as happy. In Switzerland he learns that happiness is directly related to expections, and in Bhutan, where they have the gross national happiness quotient, he learns that happiness is something to be attained, something for which we can all reach, even if we are not particularly happy at the time. In relating his travels, he comments on the fact that the word travel comes from travail, or to work; travel used to be hard work, although he does mention that it was still a difficult feat in Bhutan. The author had just left Bhutan and was traveling to Qatar to see if money really can buy happiness when it was time to go to class.

I first met Laurence, currently unemployed, although only participating in the first week of the course because he is heading to Hawaii for a job prospect. He would love to give tours there. Bob, a retired middle school principal joined us, followed by Cassandra, who had driven up Chino Hills, about a 40 mile commute. Soon people were joining the group more quickl than we could introduce each other. There were about 22 of us there; everyone seemed excited to be there, and most seemed like people with whom I would want to be friends. We ranged in age from 21 to 70-something, with most of the group in their twenties and fifties; I guess is makes sense that people attempt to do this at the beginning of their careers or at or nearing retirement. I was amazed at the background of some of the people -- a doctoral student in linguistics, a pharmacist, immigration worker, DJ and singer. Although there are a lot of Californians, there are also people from Seattle to Connecticut, from Canada to Vienna, Austria. One woman actually came in from Vienna to take this course (Austria, not Virginia).

We spent most of the first part of the class learning about the instructors and each other; they used a popular strategy having us introduce each other, and we could see that they were taking notes about our presentation to give us possible feedback later on. Finally, when we got to the nitty-gritty -- what is a tour director and all the other people associated with travel -- the class really picked up. I loved it. I also enjoyed the introductions of the tour directors leading the class, including the founder of ITMI; they made me a little green with envy but also infused a sense of remarkable possibilities.

At one point Ted asked us if we knew the derivation of the word, travel. Talk about serendipity: I had just learned that a few minutes before class started, so I was able to answer the question. He pointed out that it was the job of the tour director to take the work out of travel.

The formal part of the day ended with a get-to-know-each-other reception; the highlight of that was that Ted gave us a little lesson on wine-tasting with wines from around the world. By the end of the lesson and some good wine and cheese, a large group of us went out for dinner. With the singing waiters and loud conversations, I was in sensory overload and after rescuing our youngest classmate from the throes of a horrible hostel in the middle of Hollywood Blvd., we made our way back to the quiet of our home away from home.

Perhaps this really is a possibility.