Online Travel Agent Career - 10 Reasons Why the Time is Now

Here are 10 solid reasons to look at travel agent careers as a means of taking control during this record-breaking recession:

1. Financial Independence- Stop depending on a boss to get you through the day. The title of this post may be travel agent careers, but let's face it-a career is more and more starting to mean self-employed to those of us with long-range goals. Many people still start out careers in the traditional context, but few don't see going off on their own as the future. As you will see, travel agents have many options for going out on their own.

2. Live with Passion: Any career advisor will tell you people are happier and more likely to succeed when they do something they love. Who doesn't love to travel? Sure, you are not going to be on the road everyday when you go to work, but discussing the world's top destinations and how best to experience them is your life. Not to mention the satisfaction of sending people off to experience their fantasies with a smiles on their faces.

3. Fringe benefits- Travel agents often receive discounts and other benefits from the companies they work with or for, and as a professional you will learn the ins and outs of the business. That means when it is your turn to travel, you will know where to go and how to go about getting the most out of your money. Spend a lifetime advising others how to have a good time and you will surely know how to party.

4. Work from Home- New technologies allow agents to work from home or at least have complete control of where they work from. As a travel agent you can choose to work primarily from your computer, and that means freedom of location, Baby. Now, how to choose the best location to exercise that freedom...hmmmm...

5. Free More Time- The advantage of more people going to the web is the ability to automate tedious business practices so you have more time to do what you want to do. While internet business still requires work, much of that work is done in the beginning while establishing low-maintenance systems to get you through the days. If you choose to take advantage of the possibilities on the web for travel agent careers, you can use internet marketing secrets to make money while you sleep.

6. Travel Sells Itself- As long as people know where to find you, they will come. Just focus on getting them the best deal possible and point them in the right direction. More often than not, when someone walks through the door of a travel agency or searches for hotel bookings online, they have come to buy.

7. Shelter from the Recession- I bet you didn't expect that one, did you? Many people like to talk about how travel agent careers are some of the first to take a hit during economic turmoil, but the truth is a lot of experts are convinced the travel industry is not as subject to the whims of a recession as often claimed. It seems travel is one of those priorities even the downtrodden do their best to hang onto, and in these stressful times people seem to need a vacation more than ever. Rather than cut the vacation out completely, most simply look at cheaper destinations and methods of travel easier on the pocketbook.

8. Opportunity- An evolving industry opens up opportunities for those willing to embrace change. Experts predict serious declines of employment with agencies because of the growing trends of those who book travel ONLINE. While to some that may sound like a dooming contradiction, it simply reveals that the travel industry needs more people who are willing to change with it. Another growing trend is that travelers are opting more and more to choose eco-conscious or active vacations over traditional ones. In my opinion, widespread change always equals opportunity.

9. Baby Boomers- As we see the baby boomer crowd wedge their way into retirement, travel will grow even more in popularity. Baby boomers have the extra money to spend and they have professed an active passion for travel.

10. 7 trillion dollar a year business- What else is there to say? Travel is big business and is not going away anytime soon.

With all these changes upon us, now may be a better time than ever to get started down the right path. Seize your future and work towards a career path that ends in working for yourself. Take advantage of the low overhead, flexibility, and vast opportunities presented by travel agent careers.