From Candy Club in Malia to Amnesia in Ibiza, clubs around Europe have said goodbye to the 2018 party season. But clubbing holiday brand Party Hard Travel already have their sights set on next year by launching a recruitment drive for resort hosts to work the 2019 summer season in Malia, Ibiza, Zante, Kavos, Sunny Beach, Ayia Napa and Magaluf.
Party Hard Travel took 11,000 clubbers on holiday in 2018, have enjoyed triple digit growth for the third year running, and are looking for a whole new crop of enthusiastic, dedicated hosts to provide 5 star customer experience for their guests. But if you think that the only skills you need to do the job are the ability to down a line of shots and party until dawn, you’d be wrong says the woman in charge of the recruitment drive, Jodie Pilgrim.
“Yes, it’s a brilliant job with an amazing holiday atmosphere, but I’m not looking for people who are looking for an extended holiday. Our resort hosts are in charge of making sure guests have the best week of their lives. It’s a really responsible job, and hosts have to be able to think on their feet, manage social media channels, be the face of the brand and look after up to 500 guests every week through the summer.”
As the Head of Overseas Management, it is Jodie’s job to bring in hundreds of applications from all around the UK, whittling this down to the final chosen 30 for summer 2019 which she plans to do through recruitment events at universities and colleges.
“What I’m looking for are people who are looking to gain something tangible from working for Party Hard, like vital experience in the travel industry and valuable leadership, team working and customer service skills. When you look at where many leaders in the travel industry started out, it was as reps in resort. It’s such a good way to get involved in and learn about a really exciting and rewarding industry.”
But with hundreds of CVs set to come her way from young people who may have limited work experience, how will Jodie’s eagle eye spot the candidates who offer real promise as resort hosts?
“Try and make your CV stand out,” said Jodie. “Adapt your personal statement so it’s relevant to Party Hard Travel. If you’ve been away with Party Hard before, tell us. If you understand the brand and what we’re all about, then we want to hear it. Secondly, tell us what you hope to gain from the experience of working for us in resort. You can be studying for any subject at all, it doesn’t have to be tourism or events, just be clear about your objectives. Finally, talk about your work experience. Sure, it might be voluntary work or a Saturday job but anything with a customer focus that shows you understand how to create positive customer experiences is ideal.”
The lucky final 30 will be allocated a resort for summer 2019, jetting off to Europe for what could be their very first proper job. Micah Gordon, 23, is a graduate of the University of Coventry and was a resort host in Ayia Napa for 2018.
“If I could sum up what being a Party Hard host is like, it’s being the responsible one in a group of friends. You’re the one they’re going to come to when they need a hand. It’s a lot like uni but with sunshine and massive events.”
Marketing and Psychology student and 2018 Malia resort host Elin Jones-Thomas agrees, but reckons the number one attribute that a good resort host needs isn’t the one that you might think.
“When you tell people that you are a resort host, they imagine you’re like the old style travel rep dragging people off sun loungers to play games. Of course, you’ve got to be confident and like having a good time, but the most important thing to being a resort host is being approachable.”
2018 Ibiza resort host Lana Eardley, 23, recently graduated from the University of Staffordshire with a first class degree in Tourism Management. Lana decided to apply to be a host after a break up but admits the job was vastly different to what she expected.
“I couldn’t believe it when I found out I was going to be working in Ibiza. I’m more alternative and I suppose I was intimidated by the whole scene, but I found Ibiza to be really inclusive. The biggest shock when I got out to the island was just how big the job is, there’s a huge amount of responsibility on your shoulders but I loved that. After doing tourism at university, this was my chance to get experience in the industry, and I was thrilled to be offered a full time job with Party Hard Travel at the end of the season.”
The responsibility is something that most hosts thrive on says Jodie Pilgrim. “As a young person, your first job often means making the tea but as a resort host you are the person in charge of hundreds of guests each week. Party Hard Travel are a young, innovative and growing company, and we give our staff real responsibility and influence to make change. For the right employees, that is really exciting and we can’t wait to start receiving applications for our brand new 2019 resort team!”
Find out more and apply at www.partyhardtravel.com