Written by Adam Whitehouse
Posted, 17th October 2021
After recently advertising for Group Leaders to join us out in Asia, we thought it would be a great idea to highlight a few of the important traits that you’ll need to make it as a Group Leader here at Feel Free Travel…
A passion for travel
I thought we could start on the most obvious one… a PASSION for the T word… YES – TRAVEL! To become a Group Leader you’ll need to leave those slippers at home, don your best board shorts or 1 piece swimsuit and head to the beach! Sounds pretty terrible right?! As a Group Leader, you’ll be living and breathing travel for as long as you can bloody handle it. This really is a non-negotiable, if you don’t fancy leaving your hometown – this job isn’t for you!
You don’t have to be a travel expert, you just need to have a passion to share awesome experiences with other like minded people… #SHARETHEADVENTURE
Tonnes of energy
As a Group Leader, you’ll be the heart and soul of every group you’ll ever meet. Whether you like it or not, the group will be looking at you for inspo, guidance and life wisdom for the full length of a tour. This is your time to shine and show these wonderful people how much of an amazing person you are. As a Group Leader you’ll be the face of the business and your energy needs to reflect that. It really isn’t a job for the faint-hearted!
Zero life commitments
Being a Group Leader is a 24/7 lifestyle and a world apart from your typical 9-5. There really is no set working hours, you’ll find yourself being the first person awake and the last person to bed each day. This isn’t because you’ll be out boozing all night, it might be because you’ve been DMC’ing with a few legends on the tour and before you know it the time is 4am! As a Group Leader it’s very hard to have pets, partners, excess luggage and any kind of life outside of work. Don’t worry too much, what you’ll lose in love you’ll make up for in friendships… more on the this on the next point 👇🏻
Group Leaders usually stick around for at least a year. Some leaders do less but most fall in love with the lifestyle and stay for us for a while 🏝
A burning desire to make friends
I don’t know if this is statistically correct but I’m gonna say it anyway… this is the most SOCIAL & outgoing job in the world! Making friends is at the core of this position due to the volume of new people you’ll be meeting on a fortnightly/monthly basis. You’ll meet people from all corners of the world, older, younger, wiser and probably funnier than you… but hey… that’s ok! It’s actually one of the most incredible things about this job. Back when I started Group Leading I had about 400 friends on Facebook and most of them were from my home town or from my first few weeks on the road. Now I think I’m knocking on the door of 2,000 and that’s after a good 2 or 3 clearouts! Some of the friendships you’ll make while doing this job are extremely special and you’ll treasure them forever 💕
Heaps of patience
If you’re anything like me and you hate being asked the same question 25 times in 1 day, this job might not be for you 😂. Honestly, in all seriousness, this is an occupational hazard you really need to get your head around. Get ready for the most peculiar, interesting and outrageous questions you’ve ever heard of. My favourite that I get all the time… ‘When is the Full Moon Party?’, ummm… ‘When there’s a Full Moon’, ‘Ahh yeh, that makes sense!’ 🤯🤪🤣
Organisation skills
Being 2 steps ahead of the group at all times is probably one of the most important things I could share with you on this blog! Knowing what’s going on from 1 day to the next is absolutely crucial, you’ll be expected to communicate with all our operators to ensure that all elements of the trip run smoothly and on time. As a Group Leader you’ll be required to manage an expense sheet and file simple paperwork, being well organised and methodical will definitely help you out here!
The group will look to you as the guiding star. Being confident enough to stand up and talk in front of the group is crucial!
An approachable nature
Throwing out a fake smile and offering someone a bite of your cheese and ham toastie when you really have no interest in sharing doesn’t work here. You’ll need to have the mindset of ‘doing anything for anyone at any given time’… this will give you immense JOB SATISFACTION! We all know how amazing it feels to do something for another person. Well, group leading involves doing things for other people 24/7, and it’s important that you are always happy while doing so!
Confidence, without arogance
There really is a fine line between confidence and arrogance. As a Group Leader it’s important that you make it your sole purpose to get involved with every person on the trip, whether they are ‘your kind of people’ or not. Having favourites and making enemies really doesn’t go down well and can leave you in very deep water with the rest of the group. Focus on being everyone’s best friend with a good heart and you honestly cannot go wrong 😊
Our groups arrive as complete strangers, and leave as best friends. This is testament to our amazing Group Leaders 😁
Epic dance moves
This one isn’t actually a deal-breaker, in truth – my dance moves are absolutely shocking! But the most important thing to take away from this point is – always be the first person to get on your feet and throw some shapes… because after all… whatever you do… they do!
Be able to resist temptation
It doesn’t matter if you rate yourself a 5/10, 6/10 or you’re Mr/Mrs Arrogant and rate yourself a solid 9/10… being a Group Leader you automatically become a 10/10 and everyone wants to spend time with you! This might sound like the most amazing thing in the world, but the truth is, it’s a 1-way ticket to lose your job and find yourself on a 1-way ticket home. It’s super important that you respect each and every person on the tour, we are not saying that you cannot find meaningful connections with potential loved ones. We just ask that you resist temptation and wait until the tour has finished before you decide to make your move, TIA 💪🏼
Customer experience is at the forefront of what we do, we are passionate about making sure our customers have nothing less an INCREDIBLE time ✨
To be responsible & 100% trustworthy
As a Group Leader you are responsible for the health & safety of your entire group. As we know, things in life don’t always go to plan – that same rule applies here on the road as a Group Leader. You’ll be expected to think on your feet, make instinctive decisions for the benefit and welfare of the group. Furthermore, you’ll be expected to answer for and justify your actions if things go wrong. There is a boatload of responsibility that comes with this job and the buzz you’ll get from that is pretty incredible. Finally, it’s important that you class yourself as being 100% unquestionably trustworthy, throughout the trip you’ll be responsible for company cash flow, individuals personal information and at times some of the most sensitive secrets.
Ready to Apply? 👇🏼
If you are reading this blog you’re probably considering joining us out here in paradise doing what is arguably the BEST job in the world! If that’s the case and you’re interested in joining the team and feel you have what it takes to become an awesome group leader. Drop us a DM via Instagram. **Applications via Email, Whatsapp or Facebook Messenger will be unsuccessful**
