Island Life Adds Up For Planner

Sydney Morning Herald

Saturday October 25, 2008

Valerie Khoo

This Whitsundays holiday never ends, writes Valerie Khoo.

Just nine months ago Morgan Brown had a standard office job. Today she works in what she considers paradise.

A guest-service agent on a Queensland resort island, Brown was employed in the mortgage and insurance sector in Newcastle when she and a friend travelled north for a holiday. She found herself quickly seduced by the lifestyle and climate of the Whitsunday region and decided on the spot that this was where she wanted to work.

She hasn't looked back.

"It was a spontaneous moment that worked out better than I could have ever imagined," says Brown, 22, who nabbed a job on Hayman Island.

"I wasn't sure if financial planning was for me and I've always wanted to travel. The hospitality industry is a perfect opportunity to do that. [My friend and I] chatted to a few recruitment agencies to see if we could get positions on an island so we could have 'the island experience'."

These days, Brown's working day is a far cry from her job dealing with mortgages and insurance.

"I love it," she says. "I think because I'm living in paradise it's like a working holiday."

Brown says she enjoys a work-life balance many people would envy. "I love the work I do and the hours are pretty varied," she says. "Today, I'm not starting work until 3pm so I've had all day to get out and enjoy the beautiful sunshine. I can go snorkelling in the mornings and go to work in the afternoon and vice versa."

A bonus of working in guest services is being able to take part in the activities that guests have to pay for.

"I've been able to participate in pretty much all the activities the guests do," says Brown. "That's been a really good thing for me because I've been able to experience more here than if I came here for a holiday."

Brown's job requires her to deal with guests, check them in and out of the resort, arrange itineraries, book tours and assist management with the daily operations of the resort.

According to Ainslie Hunt, managing director of TMS Asia Pacific, recruitment specialist for the travel and hospitality industries, opportunities to work in tourism can be found throughout Australia.

Hunt says the shortage of workers in this industry is partly due to the mining boom.

"People are leaving all industries to go into mining because the dollars are so good," she says. "The highest demand for people in the tourism industry is in Perth. It's a city that's fairly isolated and it's not like they have an unlimited supply of people there."

Despite recent worldwide financial dramas, the demand for workers in travel and hospitality should continue.

"One of the driving factors for this is that it's a female-dominated industry," Hunt says. "With the high birthing rate, we are losing a lot of staff on maternity leave."

According to Hunt, the biggest demand is for travel consultants and people in call centre or customer service roles.

For those considering a career transition into the hospitality industry, Hunt recommends getting customer service experience.

Brown gained this customer service experience in the financial planning industry and she has found it invaluable.

"In the financial planning industry, I was dealing with high-profile clients," Brown says. "They were similar to, and have similar standards to, the guests they have here on Hayman. So I've used a lot of my organisational skills and client management skills."

Brown has now spent seven months on Hayman Island and has no plans to leave.

"Living on an island might be isolated but you're only an hour by boat from the mainland," she says. "There's actually more to do here than one would think.

"I still enjoy living here. This morning I went on an island bushwalk and took in the scenery and relaxed. Other days I might go on a chartered boat or go whale-watching. This is the perfect place to work."

© 2008 Sydney Morning Herald

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