Meagan Payne is a graduate student pursuing an MS in Travel and Tourism Management at the Jonathan M. Tisch Center of Hospitality. In this post, she tells us more about her internship this spring semester.
Where are you interning and what is your job title?
I am excited to be working for Arrangements Abroad Inc. here in New York City as their Client Services Intern. Arrangements Abroad is a private tour operator focused exclusively on the educational and cultural segments of the travel industry.
What projects have you been working on so far?
Part of my job is to help our Client Services team prepare all the necessary documents for our travelers before they depart on their trips. I am also helping our Operations team by creating spreadsheets to track when fundamental components have been added to our trip software. In addition, I have recently been assigned my own trip to manage. This includes preparing documents and corresponding with our travelers to coordinate all of their arrangements.
Have there been any challenges in your internship so far? If so, how have you learned to overcome them?
I’ve learned that each task I have been assigned is just one step in a long and sometimes complicated process. Therefore, I need to make sure I complete my part so that those who continue the task after me are not waiting on me to get things done. This can be hard to do, especially when I have many projects going on at once. But I’ve found ways to stay organized through utilizing the company’s software as well as mapping things out in my planner and through google workspace.
What do you hope to take away from your internship?
This internship has been a wonderful learning opportunity for me, especially to gain industry experience. I hope to take away an improved understanding of how to build relationships and network, how to effectively communicate with travelers and vendors in the tourism industry, and how to manage trips from beginning to end.
What are your future plans?
I currently have one year left in my graduate program. As I finish my degree, I’m excited to stay on at Arrangements Abroad throughout the Summer and into the Fall. While I don’t know what the future holds after graduation, I hope to find a full-time position in a tour operations department, organizing itineraries and building portfolios of exciting travel programs around the world.