Well, the secret is just about out. But I kind of want to lead into this.
The last month or so has been wild, tumultuous and featuring many plot (and emotional) twists, which probably explains why I've not been writing as much as I'd like. But the good news is that it appears as though it all worked out.
Allow me to give a brief summary of the recent happenings.
As most of you know, I was teaching English in South Korea from July 2017 until August 2018, at which point I headed off on a three-month solo adventure around Southeast Asia, which was, well, quite the exhilarating experience.
I got back home, to Montreal, in December. After spending some quality time with family over the holidays, it was time to start looking for work. What kind of work should I seek out? Well, it wasn't clear, so I just started sending out my CV across the board to a variety of different companies. I was applying to jobs at travel agencies, at English language academies, media companies and even just at bigger companies for simple receptionist jobs. Some called back, but most did not. Nothing was doing, and additionally I was feeling overwhelmingly underqualified for a majority of the jobs on offer, as most required some sort of sales or business experience, which I do not possess.
I got optimistic, for just a second, about a potential career as a flight attendant, as I was invited to a job interview with Air Transat, but even that did not pan out. I was debating whether to go back to school, and maybe seek out an MBA (even though business does not really interest me at all) or an education degree, which would be a four-year commitment. Finally, in March, I started getting some calls, and I even got some part-time jobs as a ESL teacher at various language academies here in Montreal, places I'm still working at today, though not for much longer.
I must say, while teaching ESL will not be for me in my immediate future, my experience in Korea provided me with a strong foundation to turn this into a long-term job, if I so wish. Additionally, the more I spend time teaching ESL, whether it be to children, teenagers or adults, the more I enjoy it and the more I realize working with people and being a leader is something I can excel at.
Even though I've made great connections within the ESL field here in Montreal over the last month or so, my new job is definitely something I am getting excited about.
Back in January, I sent out an online application to a company called Backroads. This was one of the companies I stumbled upon during my initial job search when I had googled "travel jobs." It was a huge company, and even though I sent out my CV, there are actually several articles online outlining how ridiculously difficult it is to actually get a job with this international active travel company. Nevertheless, no harm in getting your name out there.
Backroads actually responded to my application. Within a few days, I was able to access their online platform and respond to some video questions (a video recording is asking you questions and you have 30 seconds to answer the questions while on camera in front of your computer). That must have gone well, because a week later I was offered a face-to-face Skype interview with a current trip leader at the company. That also must have gone quite well, because two days after that I was invited to one of the company's various hiring events, held across North America and Europe.
Keep in mind, this whole process, including being invited to the hiring event, concluded in February. The hiring event was scheduled for April 5th in Toronto, so it would have been foolish of me to uniquely bank on receiving this job at Backroads during these two months before the hiring event. Additionally, only about 25% of people invited to the hiring event were hired, so better cover my bases just in case.
The hiring event came, and I did my best, as we all did, and four days later, on Tuesday, April 9th, I was offered the position of Trip Leader at Backroads, a position that I immediately accepted.
Essentially, I'll be working as a tour guide. Where I'll be in the world, I do not yet know, though it's safe to assume I'll be somewhere in Spain, Italy or France, because this is where I have travel experience and where I speak the local language. This company offers trips around the world; in every single continent including Antartica, so needless to say I'll surely be exploring new horizons.
Backraods is an active travel company. This means that they take guests around a region in a certain country for trips that last 5-6 days. Instead of exploring the big cities, guests are taken around the countryside, usually on a bike, hiking or walking tour, and are invited to partake in enriching local experiences, such as wine-tasting, fine dining, camping, etc...
This is exciting. As someone who has always dreamed of working in the travel industry, this seems like the ideal job for me. I particularly love working with people and leading, and I especially enjoy teaching people about cultures that I am passionate about; teaching new things and allowing others to enjoy places and experiences just as much as me. It's not yet clear what type of career prospects exist within the company, but this is one of the biggest active travel companies in the world, so who knows what possibilities exist.
I've been invited to Banff, Alberta, for a two-week training on May 13th, which is when I'll learn my schedule for the upcoming summer, and then I'll be off. I expect to be popping in and out of Montreal, especially in the winter, and I'll likely be in Europe throughout the summer, so if you're reading this and you'll be in Europe this summer, hit me up and maybe we can hang out!
So that's that. After a few months of uncertainty, another month of teaching English (and enjoying it), I am headed off on another adventure as a Trip Leader for Backroads, and I cannot be more excited about it!
Also, I remain dedicated to updating this blog and sharing my new and exciting experiences, so stay tuned!
