I recently spoke at ITT Future You during World Travel Market (WTM), sharing how I got into the tourism sector and what the early stages of my career actually looked like. It wasn’t a tidy process – I made decisions as opportunities arose, tried things that seemed sensible, and adjusted when they didn’t work out.
Most of the discussion focused on the practical aspects of starting – building skills, understanding how the industry works, and figuring out how to make steady progress without having everything mapped out in advance.
Resilience came up, too. For me, it’s mostly been about perseverance, learning what I didn’t know, and sticking with things even when progress was slow or uncertain. Nothing dramatic, just the kind of consistency that helps you move forward.
My placement at Sanderson Phillips has been incredible – I’m learning every day, and thanks to the people I work with, I’ve gained a deeper understanding of our industry and grown more than I ever thought I could.
What I appreciated most about ITT Future You was the honesty of the conversations. People were open about the realities of early careers, rather than trying to make everything sound perfect or overly strategic.
I left WTM feeling that it was a genuinely useful event – full of practical questions, clear discussions, and a reminder that most careers develop step by step, rather than all at once. It was a privilege to share the stage with moderator Danny Waine and fellow speakers Harneet Singh Sachdev, Jessica Garner, and Boris Bijstra. Many thanks to Claire Steiner and ITT Future You for reaching out and giving me the opportunity to share my story; it was an honour.