Tour Guide (?)

MontyPL

Does anybody know how to become a travel guide? I mean that kind of person, who is showing tourist around famous places in Ireland like Cliffs of Moher, Marble Arch Caves etc. What are the requirements? Should I check these places out one after another and ask for vacancies or is there any kind of Ireland's tourist department or something which offers jobs for guides?

Sleepy

Generally you need a second language. My mother's currently studying Spanish in an attempt to get into it.

MontyPL

Sleepy wrote: »

Generally you need a second language. My mother's currently studying Spanish in an attempt to get into it.

A second language is not a problem. So what is she going to do if she finish study?

els27

Well first you need knowledge about the area you want to work in and it should be in depth knowledge.
Second language is an advantage. If you are irish you have an advantage of irish history in school, if your not, like myself, then you will have to read eat and sleep irish history fo the next few years.

Failte Ireland usually run a course which will give a chance to apply for the badge, but not this year as there are enough guides working already(to many acutally for the current situation in irish tourism), however there are a few other companies who also run a training course but the quality is very bad, you pay them a course fee and they give you a certificate worth nothing but you commit to take on guiding work for them but the jobs aren't the best ones and they take half your payment as a commission.
These people usually don't last to long as it it like your leading a lamb to the butcher. It is not just about smiling and singing molly malone on the bus! You are responsible for up tp 50 people, with their needs, expectations, sometimes terrible manners, you have to know about time management, about procedures for groups in the various sites ect but it can be very rewarding too, you meet great people from all over the world, you will see more of the country than most other people..

I am doing that job now a few years and I do love it but let's face it, it's a though job and especially here in Ireland you won't have a comfortable life as work is only for the summer season, you will most likely be a freelancer.

There are a lot of bogus guides out there, people who probably read the general information about ireland on wikipedia and decide they know enough now. They work for peanuts basicly screwing other guides who are in the job for years.

I don't want to put you off, but just let you know how it is out there at the moment. As I said, I love my job but I would be thinking twice of starting up now.

Sorry for the long post but hope it was of some help.

truvogirl

My friend works for EF Tours giving European tours to Americans. It's hard work but if you like travel then it could be the dream job. They're a great company to work for according to her. She didn't have tour guide experience per se but had done a lot of travelling herself, was interested in history, culture, art etc and showed willing, organisational skills and leadership. She has to be able to show people around big cities like Paris, Rome, London, Florence etc and have lots of knowledge about the important places, museums, history so a huge amount of preparation and a lot of genuine interest stood her in good stead. She also had to literally get groups of 50 teenagers around the city so not easy!

If you wanted to start off small you could contact the English language schools and speak to them - they probably offer guided tours to the students who come over in the summer to learn English. There's tons of English Language schools all over Dublin, just look them up in Golden Pages and give them a shout. I think you really have to know what you're talking about, most tour companies ask the guests to do reviews of the guides at the end of them so if you get a bad review you may not get given another tour, so doing your homework and lots of preparation is essential I would imagine, as is the ability to capture and keep the attention of a large group of people.

Good luck!

MontyPL

Thanks both of you. This is a great job you're talking about, I even have some experience from Poland where I came from, but I think about something else. It's not about showing the cities, countries etc. It's all about full time job in small places.

I was in Marble Arch Caves (N.Ireland) last year and there were people guiding the caves. I have seen there also two apprentices who were learning how to do this during the trip. Then I though it would be nice to have a job like that, because it's not that complicated if they learn you about the place and show how to do this.

There are lot of places like that in Ireland, like caves, castles, cliffs, lighthouses etc. So all I'm asking is should I visit that kind of places one after another (or send them e-mails, whatever) to ask for vacancies and requirements, or is there any other way?

els27

Well there are a lot of heritage sites operated by the OPW and they usually recruit guides this time a year, I didn't check but I could imagine it's past the closing time for applications. But again you need to have the knowledge before you apply and able to show it during the interview.

However is's a bad time for tourism and the OPW had a recruitment stop last year and a lot of sites cut down on their guides too. And another important thing to remember is that guides who worked on a site for a year get a call back for the next season and usually they also have a priority.

There are some voluneer groups, places like monasterboice are run by the community and they always need someone to help out, it's not payed but will give you an idea how it could be.
I know there are some companies that offers free walking tours in Dublin so don't know what the story is with contracts there but don't think they are very good, for example I heard one of their guides telling the tourists that Bewleys Cafe was originally a hospital during the famine opened by the Bewley famile who provided tea for the starving in the hospital.....

MontyPL

So is it only work for summertime, when the season ends they cut contracts, you have to wait for another spring and do something else in the meantime?

els27

Yes, that's how it usually works. In my case and I suppose like most guides case it works like that: After you built up a good reputatio your detail are with some of the incoming tour operators, they will send you list of dates and very short info about the tours early in the year, you confim these dates and the tour is yours. However there is no guarantee that these tours go ahead, they might cancel for whatever reason so there is absolutely no guarantee for work...that migh be a reason why the bankers usually laugh at our mortgage applications :P

It is though for newbies and first year is make or break. But I still love my job, it is rewarding, challenging and never ever boring.

sassalstar

Hi there,

I did the Dublinia FAS heritage course last year. It's a FAS run course but you get a FETAC level 5 certificate at the end of it. It consists of classes such as local history and archaeology and you also work doing tours in Dublinia and Christchurch Cathedral. Its great experience, and you also do two months experience in another heritage centre at the end. Have a look at the Dublinia website, its an option, although you are on FAS wages for a year. It is tough but I'm glad I did it. I'm currently working at the Tutankhamun exhibition.

Hope this helps,

Sassal

rcamp

Does anyone know if the Failte Ireland course in tour guiding is worhwhile doing- would you recommend it - its very expensive. I want to get into guiding but Ive no experience in the area. I have a postgraduate in cultural tourism.
Is it so important to get the Failte ireland badge when you do their course

Ross