Profession guide

Guides assist individuals or groups on any art facility, travel or sightseeing tours or through places of touristic interest, such as museums, monuments and public places. They help people to interpret the cultural heritage of an object, place or area and provide information and guidance.

Personality Type

• Social / Enterprising

Related professions travel

• Travel agency clerk
• Travel agency manager
• Travel consultant
• Travel guide
• Travel organiser

Skills

• Maintain working relationships

  Ensure effective working relationships with colleagues and others. Maintain them over long periods of time.

• Monitor visitor tours

  Monitor visitors' touring activities to ensure compliance with legislation and safety practices.

• Manage health and safety standards

  Oversee all personnel and processes to comply with health, safety and hygiene standards. Communicate and support alignment of these requirements with the company's health and safety programmes.

• Select visitor routes

  Examine and select points of interest, travel routes and sites to be visited.

• Escort visitors to places of interest

  Bring tourists to places of interest such as museums, exhibitions, theme parks or art galleries.

• Train guides

  Give training to fellow guides and volunteers.

• Handle veterinary emergencies

  Handle unforeseen incidents concerning animals and circumstances which call for urgent action in an appropriate professional manner.

• Create solutions to problems

  Solve problems which arise in planning, prioritising, organising, directing/facilitating action and evaluating performance. Use systematic processes of collecting, analysing, and synthesising information to evaluate current practice and generate new understandings about practice.

• Register visitors

  Register visitors after greeting them. Distribute any required identification badges or safety devices.

• Speak different languages

  Master foreign languages to be able to communicate in one or more foreign languages.

• Maintain customer service

  Keep the highest possible customer service and make sure that the customer service is at all times performed in a professional way. Help customers or participants feel at ease and support special requirements.

• Assemble visitor supplies

  Collect and check all required supplies and equipment before departure.

• Collect visitor fees

  Collect fees from visitors and group members.

• Inform visitors at tour sites

  Distribute booklets, show audio-visual presentations, give guidance and relevant comments at tour site locations. Explain the history and functionality of tour highlights and respond to questions.

• Conduct educational activities

  Plan, perform and supervise educational activities for a variety of audiences, such as for school children, university students, specialist groups, or members of the public.

• Use different communication channels

  Make use of various types of communication channels such as verbal, handwritten, digital and telephonic communication with the purpose of constructing and sharing ideas or information.

• Perform clerical duties

  Perform administrative tasks such as filing, typing up reports and maintaining mail correspondence.

• Provide visitor information

  Provide directions and other relevant information to visitors.

• Ensure health and safety of visitors

  Take the necessary precautions to ensure the physical safety of an audience or people visiting an activity. Prepare actions in case of emergency. Administer first aid and direct emergency evacuations.

• Assist clients with special needs

  Aid clients with special needs following relevant guidelines and special standards. Recognise their needs and accurately respond to them if needed.

Optional knowledge and skills

Source: Sisyphus ODB