Meet Millie, a 2023 OMBS graduate who has a passion for travel. Shortly after graduating, she landed a role with Timbuktu, They have a mission to make far-flung corners of the world more accessible by empowering travellers to explore! We caught up with Millie to find out what it’s like working in travel…
What is your current job role, and where are you working in terms of location?
I work as a Sales Operations Consultant at Timbuktu Travel, which is an international tour operator specialising in multi- destination travel. I am based out of the Cape Town head office.
Describe a typical day in your position for us.
Each day is different, but that is one of the parts I love about my job. I could be answering guest questions, dealing with urgent issues with travelling guests, putting together itineraries, or organising tasks and bookings with our partners.
To give an idea of what a typical day is like, I start at 9 am and alternate with a colleague on what we call lead distribution. This means every other day, I sort through enquiries that have come in overnight. I filter through them and see what needs qualifying to see if it’s a good fit for us. If it is, I will assign it to the correct travel specialist to follow up.
This is super interesting as it gives me an amazing insight into the first stages of the booking cycle, and no two customer enquiries are the same. Once I have finished clearing the company inbox with enquiries, I will turn to my emails and task list for the day.
I work alongside two specialists to help put together client trips. The country specialists will create the itineraries and talk to guests about what would be best for their preferences, and give advice on where they should go.
Once the guest decides to book, they must pay the deposit, and that is where I step in. I make sure everything that has been promised is booked and organised with our suppliers. From this moment until the guests leave for their trip, I am there to answer any questions they may have and make sure they have provided us with all the necessary details for their trip.
Sometimes they may decide to add experiences to their trip, so I will also quote for and make the booking if they wish to go ahead.
What do you love most about your role?
I love how much the role is teaching me! I am learning more about the world, the travel industry, and more about general client relations. I am so passionate about the travel industry. I feel very excited to know that one day I will become a specialist, and my long-term dream is to have a travel company of my own!
The role is setting me up for this perfectly, as I get to see how travel specialists work day to day, and just generally how the system works within the industry, as it can be quite complex. I feel excited for the future – not only in my career but for future travel plans!
I also LOVE my team. I work with the best people who are so interesting, as they have and are living such incredible lives exploring the world!
What skills learned at OMBS have you found most beneficial to you in your position?
I have to be extremely organised. At any one point in time, I can be juggling up to 40 trips per specialist that have been booked or are in the works.
Each client booking is completely unique, and certain information is critical in achieving a smooth and successful trip. I need to be very strict with my organisation systems, and I really think this would have overwhelmed me if not for studying for the Professional Business Diploma.
I also felt able to confidently and calmly enter the role, by applying all the skills I learnt. My knowledge of spreadsheets and Excel is a lifesaver when trying to map out all my trips and what stage they are at.
How did studying with OMBS help you feel confident about your early career and getting your first role?
It helped me enter an office environment with useful practical skills under my belt, rather than the theoretical learning that a university offers you. It also enabled me to fast-track into a career that I was really eager to get into.
Being taught practical skills just reassures you that you can do something as soon as you are asked to do it, rather than feeling awkward and uncomfortable and having to ask for help. This does still happen when starting a new job, but studying at OMBS definitely helps reduce the amount of questions you have to ask!
If you’d like to find out more about studying for the Professional Business Diploma, please contact our Director of Admissions. Or, find out more about the careers our graduates go into here.