Education · 1 of 4

The path

There is no qualification to get. You get hired on personality, then you learn the script.

1. 1

   High school diploma

   Grade 12

   Speak up in class, take drama or public speaking, and learn your own town's history. That is the actual preparation.

2. 2

   Get a first tourism job

   A season

   Front desk, ticket booth, attraction host, camp counselor. Operators hire guides out of these roles constantly.

3. 3

   Audition and train

   1 to 3 weeks

   Most operators run a paid or unpaid training block: ride the route, learn the script, then do a test tour for a manager.

4. 4

   Build a niche

   1 to 3 years

   Food, architecture, ghosts, Civil War, wildlife, a second language. A niche is what turns a seasonal gig into a career.

5. 5

   Salaried or self-employed

   Ongoing

   Either move into a museum or park education job, or register your own tour business and sell direct.