When I graduated from High School in 1995 I had no idea what I wanted to be when I grew up. After a year of Early Childhood Education classes I knew that wasn't for me. A family friend mentioned that TWA was hiring in the reservations department
and thus began my career in the Travel Industry. What that friend should've also mentioned was that once travel gets in your blood, it never leaves!
I loved my time at TWA and within 5 years had worked my way up to a position in the Inside Sales department where I worked with some wonderful travel agents on the West Coast. I hated to see my career at TWA end in late summer of 2001. Sadly, not long after I left TWA that awful day of 9/11 happened and I decided that I needed to find a different career path because I was convinced that the travel industry would never recover. Thankfully I was wrong!
For 2 years I worked as a Customer Service Rep at a small local bank. It was a good job with great benefits, but it wasn't travel. I found myself eager to get back into travel and was able to find a job with a large travel management company. This job is where I became a Travel Agent. This was the job where I learned the in's & outs of booking Corporate Travel and helping organize off-site meetings for large companies. I was also able to travel to Orlando & Las Vegas all expenses paid by the way to run the hospitality desk for meeting attendees. What?! I got to work from a fun location AND get paid for it?! This Travel Agent stuff was pretty neat!
Fast forward about 11 years. I was out of a job, due to company restructuring, for the 2nd time in my career. That curve ball led me to Altair Travel the summer of 2014. I was hired as a Corporate Travel Agent. While at Altair I have been able to increase my knowledge in so many parts of the travel industry. Not only have I been able to work with our Corporate clients, I also get to dabble in the Leisure side of things too. I get to help clients plan dream trips to wonderful destinations! I also have been blessed multiple times and have gotten to escort several groups to beautiful destinations such as Cancun/Riviera Maya, St. Thomas, and Jamaica!
My role has recently evolved into much more than just travel. I am the in-house IT tech support, and my current job description is expanding to include managing our data base system, social media, website and marketing. Instead of having a desk full of just client folders & travel brochures, it's now filled with spare keyboards, mice, power cables, images, newspapers, spreadsheets, and more! I feel that now I have it all!