Marta Ceron, an international travel agent for more than 25 years tells how her accent was initially a stumbling block to her career. She has taken every opportunity presented to her to take classes and go to additional training, and she will advise her children to do the same.
What is your job title and what industry do you work in? How many years of experience do you have in that field?
I am an International Travel Consultant with 25 years of experience
I work for a corporation (onsite) and I arrange their travel all over the world.
What is your ethnicity? How has it hurt or helped you?
I am Hispanic and mostly it had helped me over the years because it is very important to be bilingual in my field and in many others.
Sometimes my ethnicity is harmful because people tend not to believe a person with an accent, but after you show
them that you know what you are doing you gain credibility and respect.
What languages do you speak?
I speak both English and Spanish.
What did you learn the hard way in this job and how did that happen?
I did not understand that people would not trust me right away, but I have learned that once they know me, they want to work with me. I wasn’t prepared for that initial rejection and the work it would take to build trusting relationships.
How did you get started in this line of work? If you could go back and do it differently, what would you change?
When I came from Colombia, my experience was doing everything by hand, but here everything was done on computers. Nobody wanted to hire me at first because I had never worked on a computer, but I started training and showed them that I was a fast learner. You just have to put your heart in what you do.
On a good day, when things are going well, can you give an example of something that really makes you feel good?
It makes me feel wonderful when I have tons of call-backs from repeat customers because people want to talk to me only. That is very rewarding, and lets me know I am doing a good job.
When nothing seems to go right, what kind of snafus do you handle and what do you dislike the most?
I most dislike when I have to deal with clients who have never traveled, and yet they think they know it all. I have to keep a positive attitude and remain patient, and that is difficult when someone who knows nothing about the industry acts as if I do not know what I am doing.
What advice do you have for other Hispanic professionals?
I think in any situation, if you do your best you will be fine. I think people who come to the US from other countries, seeking the dream tend to work very hard to achieve their goals, and that is why most of us succeed. I am very happy that I could raise my children, and could show them that they have to work their way up, and not to take things for granted. Study as much as you can, and every time you have a chance to take classes at work or get training take them.
How stressful is your job? Are you able to maintain a comfortable or healthy work-life balance?
It is very stressful because our staff was cut in half due to the recession. Now that travel is picking back up and we are very busy, they have not begun to rehire, so we are overworked trying to keep up with all the business coming in.
What’s a rough salary range for the position you hold? Are you paid enough considering your responsibilities?
Most agents in my position make between $40,000 and $50,000 a year. We always think we don’t make enough.
What’s the most rewarding moment you’ve experienced in this position? Of all the things you’ve done at work, what are you most proud of?
I was honored to be named to the Pacesetters group, which is a group of the highest-performing travel agents. As a reward, they took us to Los Angeles, and we went down the red carpet with photographers taking pictures of us like real stars at the Kodak Theater. I will never forget that!
What’s the most challenging moment you’ve experienced? What would you prefer to forget?
My most challenging moment was when I was on a conference call with three people, and none of them could understand me because of my accent. They had to keep asking me to repeat myself multiple times. I would prefer to forget that.
What education and skills do you need to get hired and succeed in this field?
The travel business has changed greatly over the years, and is now largely based on technology and automation. In the state it is in now, just about anyone with any education could perform this job with some on-site training. It is essential to be detail-oriented and have strong communication skills. It is also an asset to have a passion for travel, and concern for others.
What would you tell a friend considering your line of work?
Many people are booking their own travel now, and I don’t see this field growing much in the future. I would suggest to a friend that they look into other industries and fields. I think the medical field will continue to grow, so I would urge them to pursue a career in a field like that.
How much vacation do you take? Is it enough?
I have 3 weeks a year and I can buy one and next year I will earn another one. I will have enough vacation time then.
If you could write your own ticket, what would you like to be doing in five years?
I would like to have lots of vacation time, some discounts, and take advantage of them to travel all around the world before I retire because I have worked very hard . My passion is to travel.
