career advice

For Any Question Relating to Those Wanting to Write and Travel:
So many of us love to travel, meet great people, and discover the best places around the world. While I would absolutely love to sit down with each and every person who wants to work in this industry (either to write or to become a travel advisor), I just don't have the time. So I’ve written out below a little more about my story.
I was a journalism major and always wanted to associate myself with and write for nationally recognized brands that I love. I had been tearing out pages of magazines for over 15 years and knew the editors and writers on the masthead. I made it my business to be in the know even before I had relationships in the industry.

In 2009, I started a blog called “Hotel Belle” which focused on hotel reviews. This was just as blogging was becoming a “thing” and I was able to take a niche expertise. I just so happened to get a meeting with the editor in chief at Travel + Leisure when I moved to NYC (my cousin met her at an event and basically harassed her into getting her card! Five months later, I had a meeting with her) and she gave me a shot to write for them. After that, I found more gigs writing for Forbes, USA Today, and eventually, National Geographic as Urban Insider–this is a whole other story. I didn’t want to be a total freelancer - I wanted to be at one brand.

What I do now took many years of struggle, challenge, wrong turns, and missteps. It wasn't a straight path. I read Gary Vaynerchuk's "Crush It" in one sitting on a flight from NYC to Dublin and it gave me focus and inspiration that I didn’t have before. I always knew what I wanted but never knew how I'd get there. I absolutely love my job now, at AFAR Media (after nine years at National Geographic and three at Virtuoso).

If you want to travel for work, you have to look at the options. Are you a good writer? Then you have to A. Write and B. Travel. I saved so much money working at things I hated at the beginning to do what I do now. You have to absolutely love and thrive on writing to make a living writing in any way. And you have to be nice to people, follow up, and be persistent to assigning editors without being a pest.

You also have to understand many aspects of the business to make money in travel media - what do sponsorships mean? How does SEO play a role, and newsletter statistics? What about social media? Can you see which content is performing best and why? All of these things mean much more than they did ten years ago.

There are other ways to travel without being a writer. You can be a tour guide or tour director (I did it in Europe for a couple of years), work in public relations for a travel/lifestyle based company, or work at a hotel company that allows you freedom to grow in your career and travel throughout the properties. You can also become a travel advisor, where you plan every aspect of trips for people. I wrote this article in 2012 and still get emails about it today. Most of it still applies today. Just know that, like everything, it is a job too - you have to be detail-oriented and learn the industry. Here’s a recent piece for AFAR: The Best Advice for New Travel Advisors.

The more corporate jobs are great for most people because of the steady paycheck and ability to live a more balanced life.  It is tough for me to recommend to someone "go be a travel writer" if they don't have savings or a good support system, because it just doesn't work easily for most people, especially in the changing media landscape. Create a portfolio. Start writing locally in your own city. Start right out of college if possible, something that I didn't do. Don't just knock on doors - be a human wrecking ball and smash through them. Write for very little money if you have to get clips, BUT don't do it forever. Give it a time limit and then know your worth and demand it. Twitter matters. Facebook matters. Instagram matters. Be on there. Network but not in an obvious way. Relationships matter. By constantly trying to get in front of people, even if it took a year or more, I have made relationships in the industry that are priceless. I've worked really, really hard for the relationships I have.

I wish there was some easy way of telling people - do this, then this and you'll get this. Unlike medical school or law school or many other jobs, there isn't a direct path to traveling for a living. I want both more than ever (especially since having a baby) - travel and a great home life. That is what I'm trying to build with every decision that I make.

I wish you all the luck in the world finding your way! Enjoy the journey, I wish I had more at the beginning!

Some great articles I've read on the subject of travel writing and careers in general:
Pick up a copy of Don George's book on travel writing! Lonely Planet's Guide To Travel Writing
For general career advice, whatever your passion and focus might be - Joanna Goddard (A Cup of Jo) is spot-on, as she usually is!
Joanna Goddard: Ten Lessons I've Learned In My Career
So You Wanna Be A Travel Writer: Spot-on advice and tips from one of my favorites, the widely published Kristin Luna
The Best Advice for New Travel Advisors