Are you wondering how to become a travel agent in North Dakota? If so, this page can be of some help to you.

With the rise of Internet travel websites like Orbitz.com, Priceline.com and Travelocity.com you might think that there is no need for a travel agent. 30 Percent of the U.S. population goes online to look for travel information. There are however, many benefits to using a travel agent. Not only do travel agents have access to discounts and special offers that are not available to the general public, but they are often well traveled and able to speak from personal experience. They assist the customer before and during their trip and tries to provide them with exclusive information that they cannot find elsewhere.

Some travel agents specialize in certain areas such as cruises, honeymoons and business trips. Travel agents nowadays are experts when it comes to travel. On this page you will find information on travel agent duties, training, employment, salary and much more. Hopefully some of your questions will be answered. http://careerplanning.about.com/od/occupations/p/travel_agent.htm

FINISH HIGH SCHOOL: A North Dakota travel agent needs to at least have a high school diploma or the equivalent. Employers prefer hiring people with travel agent training; therefore after high school it is recommended to get some additional training. Look towards the Internet, community colleges and adult education programs for training. Online schools include Penn Foster Career School, Strayer University Online, Stratford Career Institute, and Central Pennsylvania College. Other beneficial classes can include world history, foreign languages, and geography. As a travel agent you need to have good communication and computer skills. Most of your time will be spend behind the computer, searching for rates and deals. You also have to be accurate, professional, well organized and detail oriented. Travel agent training never really ends. You have to be up to date of the various changing trends in many different travel destinations. You have to be able to tell your customer about the new hotels and attractions that are coming available. http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos124.htm

GET A JOB: Don't expect your first job to be the desired travel agent position you want. Most people start working at travel agencies at entry level positions such as receptionist or reservations clerk. You will be able to gain experience by watching other travel agents go about their daily business. Over time, you can request more duties and responsibilities which might lead to becoming a travel agent. If you cannot get your foot in the door of a travel agency, offer to work there for free as an intern. The experience will look good on your resume and help with future employment. http://careerplanning.about.com/od/occupations/p/travel_agent.htm

COMPENSATION: A travel agent working at a travel agency will make a salary and commission. The 2010 base annual salary for a North Dakota travel agent is estimated at $26,467.00. The commission you get depends on the company's commission structure. Each company is different. The standard commission on travel sales ranges anywhere from 10 - 20 percent. There is usually no commission on air fares. If you wish to make more money, you can start your own company from home. You will make commission and fees. Your earnings can be anywhere up to 100K annually. When starting out as a travel agent, don't expect to make a lot of money right away because you will first need to focus on building your client base. http://www.homebasedtravelagent.com/FAQ.htm http://swz.salary.com/salarywizard/layoutscripts/swzl_salaryresults.asp?op=salswz_psr&jobfamilycode=23&txtKeyword=travel+agent&hdOmniNarrowDesc=Materials+Management&hdZipCode=58505&hdOmniTotalJobsFound=20&pagefrom=selectjob&hdJobCategory=AR02&hdGeoLocation=Bismarck%2C+ND+58505&countertype=1&totaljoblistnum=2&joblevelcode=&hdCurrentPage=1&hdNarrowDesc=Hotel%2C+Gaming%2C+Leisure%2C+and+Travel&hdLocationOption=1&hdViewAllRecords=0&hdJobTitle=Travel+Clerk&hdSearchByOption=0&hdKeyword=travel+agent&rdbSearchByOption=0&hdStateMetro=215&jobcounter=8&hdSortBy=0&hdJobCode=OF13000058&hdJSBoolDisplayAdvertisement=&hdAjaxKeyword=travel+agent&hdAjaxKeywordWithOR=%23travel%23+OR+%23agent%23&hdAjaxDisplaySection1=0&hdAjaxDisplaySection2=1

BENEFITS: Travel agents get to travel to various different locations all over the world. These trips are called 'familiarization trips' and are part of the travel agent's job. The employer will send the travel agent on a trip so they can experience the destination as a tourist would. They will be more confident and exited to sell the destination to the customer. After about 6 months of working as a travel agent your employer will add you to the list of employees that can travel at discounts if not for free. You will get a travel agent ID card issued by IATAN that will get you discounts on hotels, air fares, rental cars and more. Upon termination of employment, you will have to turn in your ID card. http://www.travelagenttrainingcenter.com/Travel%20Industry%20Benefits.htm

DUTIES: Travel agents have many duties. Following is a list of duties so you can see if you need more training in certain area and know what is expected from you.

• ■ Travel agents have to research various rates, promotions and deals. Your clients expect you to be able to provide what they want. They can tell you where they want to go and have you provide the flight information, accommodations, rental car and such. Of course you want to make sure to provide favorable prices. Some negotiating might also be required here.
• ■ If you are starting your own business, keep in mind that travel agents only make commission and service fees. http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos124.htm
• ■ Providing brochures and publications to the customer about their chosen destination is another task for a travel agent. Additional information regarding local customs, points of interest, necessary travel documents, vaccinations or foreign country regulations should also be provided.
• ■ If you work for a tour operator you might also have to promote, develop, arrange and sell the company's own travel services and package tours. Usually this is done through direct mail, presentations and the Internet.
• ■ As a travel agent you are responsible for booking hotel reservations and transportation either by using their telephone or terminal.
• ■ Another task at hand is calculating costs of the fares, hotel stay, transportation and quoting various travel package prices. http://www.careerplanner.com/Job-Descriptions/Travel-Agents.cfm

SCAMS: When searching for a travel agent job, you might come across one of the many scams that are operating on the Internet. They advertise by glamorizing the benefits of the travel agent profession and don't mention any of the work involved. They claim that you can work from home, whenever you want, and make lots of money. All you have to do is pay an upfront fee and sometimes you will be asked to recruit new affiliates. If this is the case you are dealing with a multi level marketing company. Before getting involved with any company, make sure to do your homework and research them. Make sure they are legitimate. http://www.homebasedtravelagent.com/scams.htm