Ever wondered what it’s like to have a dream job? To be able to travel around the world and feel completely aligned with your company’s values. Jordan Zeme,GCO – Team Leader aka Inside Sales Leader, gives us an inside look into what it’s like to work at G Adventures, recognised by Outside Magazine and Best Companies Group as one of the top 100 companies to work for.
Where are you in the world? Living in 4 seasons a day Melbourne, Australia.
How do you follow your bliss? Being open to change. Some of the best experiences if my life have come from spur of the moment decisions primarily around travelling. If I am inspired to go somewhere. I will do what I can to make it happen and the moments spent exploring this world are where I find bliss.
When did your love for travel first come about? When I was young my family always travelled around. I was lucky enough to move to Switzerland for a year when I was 12 years old and also had year in England when I was 13. Moving around the world and throughout Australia with my family meant I got used to a life of movement. I definitely have my parents to thank for the itchy feet I am constantly getting along with the empty bank account from making purchases to cure them.
Can you tell us a bit about your journey and how you got to where you are at G Adventures? When I graduated from high school I studied and then worked in sport. I ended up in the Gulf of Carpentaria running sports programs through the communities all in a bid to save money and move to Canada. I love to snowboard so Canada was always a dream of mine. Living in Canada, I realized there was a lot more I wanted to see and do with my life so came back to Australia after two amazing years there and studied Tourism. I got a job with an adventure travel agency and spent two years there when all of a sudden I got the urge to move to the UK (Those damn itchy feet again) and explore Europe a bit more. During my time at the travel agency I kept coming across this great company called G Adventures at different expos and always found their staff to be a real standout from other brands. When I got to London I applied for a job straight away and was lucky enough to land a role with the best travel company around. Two and a half years later I find myself still loving every day at work with amazing colleagues and working in our Melbourne office.
What are the cool perks? Working for a travel company sounds like the dream! Tell us about all the fun, adventurous things you’ve done so far. The perks are absolutely the travel. Since starting work with G Adventures I have cruised through the Northern Isles of Scotland, gone on safari in Africa, taken a cooking class with wine tasting in Italy, met my Latvian family in a cave beer hall in the Baltics, learned belly dancing in Turkey, seen a walk off homerun for the Blue Jays in Canada, felt the mist of Niagara falls, snowboarded in the Dolomites after drinking grappa with a local family, along with an endless amount of stories. I have been able to step foot on 6 of the 7 continents and hope to complete the set in the next year or two by adding the bucket list destination of Antarctica. Working in a travel company means your list of must see destinations is constantly growing as you hear all the amazing stories from our travelers and working at G Adventures I have the chance to make my own stories.
How important is it to you to believe in the company that you work for? Belief in the company is everything to me. If I didn’t love what I was selling I would be horrible at my job. Coming to talk about a brand and product that I love every day makes work a lot easier and much more enjoyable. With G Adventures giving so much back to the communities through sustainable tourism along with setting their standards so high I had believed in them from the get go. I saw a lot of beautiful parts of the world getting destroyed through travel and to see a company step up and make an effort for travel to help the world was inspiring.
What advice could you give to someone who wants to work with a company that they love? What are the key things to look for? First thing is to find your passion. I knew I loved travel but then I had to find which part of travel I would enjoy the most. Once you have found it, do whatever you can to show interest and it’s as simple as putting your name in the hat when the opportunities arise. All the time I spent with G Adventures as a travelling customer and an agent booking their tours prior to working within the business constantly impressed me and encouraged me to pursue a career with this inspiring company.
Once you’ve found a company that you’re passionate about working for, how do you go about connecting with them and making it happen? For me I was lucky because I met a lot of the employees at G Adventures prior to working there. I went to a number of information and training nights getting to know the product and the brand which really showcased what they had to offer. Once I knew I wanted to work for G Adventures I was constantly planting the seed with them every chance I got to speak with them. I am big on building rapport and treating everyone as a friend rather then a colleague or an employee. Then once that role comes around that you are suited for they should already be thinking of you as a candidate.
What is your ultimate dream? Other then a room full of puppies? My ultimate dream is to ensure that myself and the people around me are happy.
Any last words of wisdom for someone wanting to do what they love? Don’t let the obstacles and challenges stop you from doing what you love. Life is meant to be fun and doing something you love makes it a hell of a lot more fun.
Follow the G Adventures journey here. X
