Before committing to join our team, we want to give you a real look at what it’s like to work as a travel agent at Never Look Back Vacations. This guide isn’t here to scare you off; it’s here to help you understand the role, the rewards, and the realities so you can decide if it’s truly the right fit for you. The more you know now, the better prepared you’ll be to hit the ground running if you join us!
The Reality Check
Let’s get this out of the way: this is a real job. And like any real job, it takes work, consistency, and commitment to be successful.
Things you should know upfront:
- Being a travel agent is commission-based. You’ll only get paid when you have clients traveling, or sometimes awhile after travel, as different vendors payout at different rates.
- You’re building a business from the ground up. Although our agency offers tons of support, it takes time and work to build up your business.
- Most new agents don’t make money right away. Expect slow and steady growth in the beginning.
- You are your own boss. That comes with both freedom and responsibility.
Common Misconceptions and Surprises
We asked our current agents what they wish they knew when becoming an agent or a misconception they had when starting out. Here’s what they said!
“Take it slow. At the beginning, I thought if I could just learn everything right away, I’d be a great travel agent. But I’ve realized there’s no way to know it all, and that’s okay. Asking questions and getting help is part of the journey, and that mindset has made me a better agent.”
“One thing I wish I had known sooner is how long it can take to build your reputation. It’s a process that requires patience, persistence, and trust in your growth.”
“I didn’t realize how much time I would be investing. I love that I can make my own schedule and have the flexibility to work different hours on different days, but I’m still getting used to just how much there is to do!”
“Your ‘success’ as a travel advisor is not measured by how you compare to others in sales, social media engagement, trips booked, etc. Especially in the beginning of your time as an agent, your goals might be very different than the goals you’ll have later on. Completing a certain number of trainings or booking one client a month or gaining new followers on your social media accounts…these goals are attainable as you begin your journey and will grow as your business grows.”
“Getting leads and gaining traction can be harder than planning the actual vacation. Most vendors have clear instructions on how to book and manage travel, but growing a client base is different for everyone.”
“Be prepared that the phone might not be ringing off the hook in the beginning, but that doesn’t mean you’re not building your business in the meantime!”
“People will ghost you, even when you’ve done a ton of work for them. You have to be able to shake it off and keep moving forward.”
“Your ‘return of investment’ is determined by your plan of action and work ethic.”
Time, Tools, and Tenacity
This is a “learn-as-you-go” environment, but you need to be ready to go. You should be prepared to do the following:
- Learn multiple platforms (booking engines, training portals, CRMs).
- Attend regular trainings and engage with other agents to stay on top of current trends.
- Dedicate 10–15 hours per week minimum when getting started.
- Although there aren’t set working hours, you should be able to dedicate at least this much time per week for agency tasks.