If you don’t have Tourism workplace experience just yet, don’t worry. The skills required by Tourism employers can be developed through many channels and the most desirable traits are often transferrable from other professions or life experiences. 

The key skills tourism employers look for when hiring includes this variety (in order of most essential to businesses):

1. Adaptability
2. A strong work ethic
3. Customer service and sales skills
4. Team working skills
5. Attention to detail
6. Public speaking
7. Planning, organization and time management
8. Being able to relate to people from different cultures and backgrounds
9. Professionalism

In order to perform effectively in the post-covid work environment, Tourism employers now also recognise the importance for job seekers, additionally, to demonstrate:

1. Resilience
2. Ability to work remotely

The great news is that all of the skills listed above are ‘transferrable skills’. Transferable skills or abilities are ones which people can develop throughout their lives, and which can be taken from one experience or job to another and built on each time. Transferrable skills aren’t just learned in the workplace; they can also be developed at home, at school or at many other places you are likely to have spent time. They can also be learned in a variety of roles, not just in paid employment.

Most of the transferrable skills listed above can be learned in roles you may have either done yourself, or come into contact with, including:

• Supermarket Checkout Assistant: in this role you will learn customer service skills, communication and how to represent a brand. If you haven’t worked in a Supermarket, don’t worry – just pay attention the next time you visit as a customer and see if you can notice the skills demonstrated by your server.
• Sports Team Captain: here you can learn teamwork, leadership and time management. You’ll also have the chance to learn from others on the team.
• Babysitter: in this role you will develop responsibility and maturity and how to communicate with people of different ages and abilities.
• Delivery Person: whether driving, biking or walking, this position requires planning, organisation and great time management.
• Administration/Data Entry: in this role you will practice paying attention to detail and written communication.
• Call Centre: this position will enable you to develop the ability to relate to people from different backgrounds and adapt your responses to different situations. If you have never worked in a call centre, that’s fine, you will likely have come across a wide range of people in your social network who you will subconsciously have learned how to interact and empathise with.
• School Ambassador/Youth Mentor: here you will learn how to speak in public and build a strong work ethic. Being a role model is often something employers look for in new recruits.

When you apply for a job, don’t worry if you don’t have all the skills listed in the advert. Often, employers will list all of the ‘nice to have’ skills they desire in an employee but should also be realistic and aware that not every candidate will have had the chance to develop every single skill. In this case, if you are honest about the skills you can offer and what areas you need to improve on, as well as showing that you are proactively trying to increase your skillset, they should still be keen to take you on. Tourism industry employers often hire for personality and can train for skills and are happy to invest in training a less-experienced candidate, if they perceive them to possess the right personality and basic skills for the job and company.

So now you know what skills people want, how can you build your own and demonstrate them on a CV?

1. Adaptability: you’ve probably built this skill without even realizing it. Changing your plans when a friend pulls out at the last minute or having to find a new route when there are roadworks or traffic jams are all examples of being adaptable and thinking on your feet.
2. A strong work ethic: doing your best, turning up on time, trying hard and being responsible and reliable are all part of having a strong work ethic. If you’re at school or in tertiary study, making sure you always get to class, handing all your assignments in on time and trying hard to get the best grades are all great ways to demonstrate strong work ethic.
3. Team working skills: The easiest way to build this skill is to join a team! It doesn’t have to be a sports team, it may just be a hobby group, or even spending time with your extended family doing an activity; any chance you get to work with a group of 3+ people will help you develop team working skills.
4. Attention to detail: when completing your coursework, practice checking your work without using spell or grammar check, to see if you can spot and correct mistakes. You can also do the same with existing articles or books, to see if you can notice any errors.
5. Public speaking: it’s normal to be nervous speaking in front of others, so start small in front of friends or family. There is lots of advice online about how to build this skill, but you may like to consider joining a ToastMasters group or seeing if your school or local area has a debate club, where you can practice.
6. Planning, organization and time management: for careers in Hospitality and Tourism, you need to be prepared to multi-task and be able to remain cool and collected. This also involves being able to deal with stress and problem solve. The ability to think on your feet and suggest solutions to problems is one of the most valued soft skills for careers in the industry and something you can easily practice at home by setting alarms, writing a to-do list or schedule and reviewing how your plans went, after they’ve happened, to see if you would do anything differently in future, to ensure things go smoother.
7. Being able to relate to people from different cultures and backgrounds: emotional intelligence, cultural awareness and empathy are all important skills to be able to connect with others and they’re all probably things you do with your friends and family without even thinking about it. Test your current skills and find out more about cultural competence here. You may also like to take this Te Reo Greeting Quiz to find out about different greetings you can use to impress international visitors to New Zealand.
8. Professionalism: wearing your uniform, using your manners, smiling and being polite are all great ways to practice professionalism. Think about the type of characteristics you would like to be met with by a business employee and see if you can mirror them in your own actions and words.
9. Resilience: is the ability to adapt well to any challenges and stressors you may face in life. The more resilient you are, the more you will feel able to “bounce back” from difficult experiences. There are many methods online for building your resilience, check some out and next time you are faced with a challenge, try one and see if it helps. The more you practice, the more resilient you’ll become. You may also like to watch this TedTalk video by Dr Lucy Hone about the 3 secrets of resilient people.
10. Ability to work remotely: you may have already practiced this during time away from school or study, where you’ve had to take things online. If you are competent at using technology, either to connect with friends or family, you should be able to transfer this into to the workplace.
11. Customer service and sales skills: Despite the fact that digital transformation is changing the shape of Tourism and Hospitlaity, this doesn’t mean the industry will become depersonalized. Being able to connect with others and offer great customer service will always be important. To build your ability in this area, try starting conversations with people you meet (like your bus driver, cashier or neighbour) and asking 3 open ended questions. You may like to take this Hospitality/Customer Service Quiz to learn more about the service industry or watch these videos to learn more about how to provide great customer service

• Conflict/Complaint Resolution
• Phone Skills Training
• Dealing with a Disappointed Customer
• Using a Customer's Name 
• The Importance of Body Language 

If those suggestions weren’t enough, you may like to take a look at these other ways you can develop your skills:

1. Set SMART goals for yourself
2. Find a mentor
3. Seek feedback about strengths and weaknesses
4. Enroll in an education or training programme
5. Participate in job shadowing
6. Say yes to every opportunity you are offered
7. Volunteer at an event

* All of the above options are covered in more detail in our 'What Should Students Be Doing Right Now To Help With Future Job Opportunities? article.

For more information on what skills Tourism employers look for, please check out our 'Do You Have The Skills Tourism Employers Are Looking For?' article.