1. Home
  2. Resume examples
  3. Tour Guide
Written by Susan ShorSusan Shor

Tour Guide resume examples & templates

4.7
Average rating
people’ve already rated it
Tour Guide  resume examples & templates
Create my resume
resume example (text format)
Copy to clipboard
Shannon Gentry
Tour Guide
shan_ksgen8@gmail.com | (689) 320-4545 | Orlando, United States
Profile

Energetic and resourceful Tour Guide with several years of experience accompanying clients on trips and to various locations in different parts of the world. Adept at performing research in an effort to make optimal travel plans. Experienced in organizing itineraries according to time frames, weather, and events. Dedicated to providing clients with the best customer service and travel experience possible. 

Work Experience

04/2015 - 09/2019, Universal Studios Tour Guide, Walt Disney World Resort, Orlando

  • Greeted clients and developed itineraries based on their interests and needs. 
  • Escorted clients through the real working movie studios.
  • Provided clients with informative literature and provided access to special departments. 
  • Showed clients around different points of interest and answered any and all questions to the best of my ability. 

05/2010 - 03/2015, Tour Guide, Orlando Trip Experts, Orlando

  • Worked with clients to develop trip itineraries that made sense in terms of time, budget, and goals. 
  • Researched places to gather information about attractions, points of interest, history, weather, and other important facts. 
  • Effectively communicated with clients in English, Spanish, and Italian. 
  • Accompanied some clients on trips, serving as a translator and assistant throughout the trip. 
Education

08/2006 - 05/2010, Bachelor of Communications, University of Florida, Gainesville

09/2002 - 05/2006, High School Diploma, Jacksonville High School, Jacksonville

Languages
  • Spanish
  • Italian
Skills
  • Excellent Communication Skills
  • Advanced Planning Skills
  • Time Management Skills
  • Guided Tour Planning
  • CPR and First Aid Certified
  • Creative Problem Solving

Tour guide? What a fun job! You get to help happy vacationers explore and offer them interesting insights into your town. No wonder you want to work in this field. It’s time for you to find your next great tour guide position. You’re part entertainer, part customer service representative. A five-star tour guide resume illustrates both those qualities and your regional expertise. 

Tour Guide resume examples by experience level

Entry-level
Mid-career
Senior-level

How do you show off those diverse skills in a one-page document?

Get a head start with Resume.io. We offer resume guides and resume examples for 300+ professions and an easy-to-use resume builder that will make creating your job application easy. Let us help you express your performance style and experience in a way that will impress employers and get you that interview. 

This resume guide, along with the corresponding tour guide resume example will cover the following topics:

  • What does a tour guide do?
  • Tips and tricks for writing a tour guide resume
  • The best format for a tour guide resume
  • Advice on each section of your resume (summary, work history, education, skills)
  • Professional resume layout and design hints.

What does a tour guide do?

Tour guides take information about a worthwhile attraction and make learning about it fascinating and fun. They may work at one tourist site or travel with on a group tour throughout a region or country. Their job may entail daily excursions or lengthy trips, depending upon where they work or what clients they serve. 

Tour guides assist clients with travel and touring in unfamiliar areas. They use their knowledge of a place to help plan trips and points of interest. They typically serve clients who are first time visitors to a place by providing them with information and assisting with all aspects of travel and entry. They may provide recommendations for restaurants or other interesting sites and help if there is a problem with a hotel room or other travel service.

Some tour guides work for themselves, while others work for larger tour companies. They may specialize in one destination or travel to many sites. They are responsible for researching the destinations before travel to ensure that they educate their clients and enhance their visiting experience. Tour guides utilize excellent communication skills to plan fun and informative tours for their clients.

How to write a tour guide resume

Although this profession requires creativity, the structure of your tour guide resume is not the place to show it off. Stick to the standard and develop the following components for your CV:

  • The resume header
  • The resume summary (aka profile or personal statement)
  • The employment history section
  • The resume skills section
  • The education section

Choosing the best resume format for a tour guide

Typically, resumes follow a reverse chronological order format. That means, you list your most recent position and work backwards from there. This resume format, which mostly affects your work history section, is the way to go unless your career falls into a special circumstance. As a tour guide, you may have had different roles within the travel industry or maybe you are an aspiring actor or performer who uses tour presentation to hone your skills.

In those cases, or if you have changed careers, are just starting out or are a seasoned professional, you may consider the other resume formats we suggest as chronological alternatives or hybrids. We do not recommend the functional resume style as it is typically reserved for niche technologists or scientists because it highlights skills over work experience.

Expert tip

Overcome the Applicant Tracking System 

A fabulous tour guide resume is a start, but if you don’t understand Applicant Tracking Systems, or ATS, it may never get into the hands of a hiring manager. These software programs scan, sort and assess resumes for human resources departments looking for keywords and phrases the employer has pegged to the job.

The best way to ensure that your resume won’t get filtered out is to understand what your prospective employer wants. Analyze the job listing, carefully highlighting keywords and phrases within it that you can then use in your resume.

Use the phrase as it appears exactly. Spell out and use any acronyms just in case.

The job market for tour guides

The travel industry has been and continues to be hit hard by Covid, and what the future will look like is still unknown. One thing is for sure: tour guides in all areas of travel will have to be cognizant of social distancing and other safety aspects of travel.

Many public sites are open with restrictions, so tour guides who work in theses spaces will still be in demand. It remains to be seen whether tour groups outside travelers’ “social bubbles” will continue to operate. 

Statistical insight

Here are the industries with the most tour guides and their annual mean income as of May 2020*.

Industry Income
Museums, historical sites, and similar  $29,440
Travel arrangement and reservation services $36,960
Amusement and recreation $32,320
Local government $29,790
Scenic and sightseeing land transportation $34,130

*Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Resume summary example: talent showcase

You have your best shot at demonstrating your ability to captivate an audience with the summary (AKA profile) section of your tour guide resume. This freeform paragraph needs to answer the all-important question: Why should I hire you?

Introduce yourself with powerful, positive language. Feel free to get a little creative, but don’t go overboard. Maintain a professional tone throughout. Remember that you will be representing the company and that your role requires a strong customer service component. If you have knowledge of the city or site you will be working in, let your prospective employer know.

Expert tip

This open-ended section of your resume may be the most difficult to compile. If you need more inspiration, check out these related resume samples. For the creative side, click on our theatre resume sample or our actor resume sample. If you are looking for your first tour guide position, try the career change resume example. The freelancer resume example will help if you are applying for a contract role.

You will find a tour guide resume example summary below.

Adaptable summary example

Energetic and resourceful tour guide with several years of experience accompanying clients on trips and to various locations in different parts of the world. Adept at performing research in an effort to make optimal travel plans. Experienced in organizing itineraries according to time frames, weather, and events. Dedicated to providing clients with the best customer service and travel experience possible.

Copied!

Employment history sample: your career itinerary

How do you impress with a bulleted list of job responsibilities? Change the way you think about it! The employment history section of your tour guide resume is not a list of responsibilities, it is a declaration of your career achievements.

Think carefully about the role you seek and address the needs of that position by showcasing what you have already done that demonstrates your ability to do the job well. Your tour guide resume is your opportunity to tell prospective employers what you can do for them. That means proving that you have what it takes to fill the role, and enhance it, with minimal training time.

Expert tip

Be a STAR

An easy-to-follow format for making the most of your employment history items is the STAR method:

  • Start with the situation
  • Describe your task
  • Relate the action you took to solve the problem
  • Detail the results you achieved.

You will find a tour guide employment history resume sample below.

Adaptable employment history section
  • Greeted clients and developed itineraries based on interests and needs.
  • Escorted clients through the real working movie studios.
  • Provided clients with informative literature and provided access to special departments.
  • Showed clients around different points of interest and answered any and all questions to the best of my ability.
Copied!

CV skills example: the quick tour

Before a traveler books a tour, they may want to see the highlights at a glance so they know whether to read on. Recruiters use the same mindset when they scan CVs. The skills section gives them an easy way to filter out CVs that don’t fit their needs. That’s why you need to curate this section carefully. Choose a mix of hard skills, such as first-aid qualification and language skills, and soft skills like those listed below.

A tour guide needs the following qualities, according to WeTravel:

  • Communication: Both listening to and engaging clients
  • Detailed knowledge of the area: A great tour guide goes beyond memorizing key facts and delves into entertaining stories and obscure information
  • Charisma: Charm can help make even the longest traffic delay seem like a fun activity
  • Improvisation: Weather, the aforementioned traffic, long lines at tour sites, a client who oversleeps are all situations that call for tour guide improvisation
  • Extreme organization: Details and structure can make or break a tour
  • Empathy: It’s a tour guides job to make sure everyone, even the most difficult to please, are having a good time
  • Create group cohesiveness: Your goal should be to take a bunch of strangers and turn them into a group in which everyone feels comfortable
  • Patience: How many times can you answer the same question? You’ll find out.

You will find a skills resume sample below.

Adaptable skills example
  • Excellent Communication Skills
  • Multilingual Skills
  • Guided Tour Planning
  • Creative Problem-solving
  • Effective Communication Skills
  • Travel Knowledge
  • CPR and First Aid Certified
Copied!

Tour guide resume education example

There are no formal education requirements for tour guides, although most in the profession have a high school diploma. In this section, you may simply list your diploma and any higher level degrees you have.

If you have taken any classes that are directly related to the travel and tour industry, list those here as well.

See resume example for an education section below. 

Adaptable education example
  • University of Florida, Gainesville, Fla., bachelor of communications, Aug. 2006-May 2010
  • Jacksonville (Fla.) High School, diploma, Sept 2002-May 2006
Copied!

Resume layout and design: picture perfect

Helping tourists find the perfect Instagram shot is part of your job, so you understand how important visual impressions are. Make sure the landscape of your resume is just as awe-inspiring. Here are some principles to keep in mind:

  • Keep your design looking professional with aligned text and ample margins
  • A splash of color is eye-catching; too much color is distracting
  • Ensure your contact information and section headings stand out by using a bold font
  • Consider using a professionally-designed resume template to avoid formatting mistakes.

Key takeaways for a tour guide resume

  • Tour guides must be entertaining and your profile is a great place to exhibit that skill.
  • Target each CV to the job you seek. If you know something about the place you will be showcasing, make that known.
  • Check out our tour guide resume sample for more ideas on creating a great page layout.
Build your resume in 15 minutes
Build your resume in 15 minutes
Use professional field-tested resume templates that follow the exact ‘resume rules’ employers look for.
Create my resume
4.7
Create my resume
Share this article

Beautiful ready-to-use resume templates

Win over employers and recruiters by using one of our 25+ elegant, professionally-designed resume templates. Download to word or PDF.
4.3 out of 5
based on 54,832 reviews on Trustpilot
Use this templateSantiago resume template
Traditional
2,100,000+ users chose this template
Use this templateDublin resume template
Professional
6,100,000+ users chose this template
Use this templateHelsinki resume template
Prime ATS
310,000+ users chose this template
Use this templateSeoul resume template
Pure ATS
78,000+ users chose this template
Use this templateAustin resume template
Specialist
33,000+ users chose this template
Use this templateBerlin resume template
Clean
2,000,000+ users chose this template
Use this templateAthens resume template
Simple ATS
420,000+ users chose this template
Use this templateNew York resume template
Corporate
5,000,000+ users chose this template
Use this templateVienna resume template
Clear
2,900,000+ users chose this template
Use this templatePrague resume template
Precision ATS
140,000+ users chose this template
Use this templateBrussels resume template
Two column ATS
190,000+ users chose this template
Use this templateSydney resume template
Balanced
2,500,000+ users chose this template
Use this templateShanghai resume template
Header ATS
310,000+ users chose this template
Use this templateStockholm resume template
Essential
11,000,000+ users chose this template
Use this templateParis resume template
Polished
720,000+ users chose this template
Use this templateMadrid resume template
Vivid
1,900,000+ users chose this template
Use this templateRome resume template
Calligraphic
300,000+ users chose this template
Use this templateMilan resume template
Harmonized
1,000,000+ users chose this template
Use this templateToronto resume template
Defined
3,800,000+ users chose this template
Use this templateSingapore resume template
Minimalist
920,000+ users chose this template
Use this templateAmsterdam resume template
Industrial
2,200,000+ users chose this template
Use this templateBarcelona resume template
Elegant
570,000+ users chose this template
Use this templateOslo resume template
Bold
750,000+ users chose this template
Use this templateChicago resume template
Authority
220,000+ users chose this template
Use this templateCopenhagen resume template
Half Tone
160,000+ users chose this template
Use this templateBoston resume template
Executive
200,000+ users chose this template
Use this templateGeneva resume template
Statement
55,000+ users chose this template
Use this templateTokyo resume template
Modern
450,000+ users chose this template
Use this templateLisbon resume template
Creative
340,000+ users chose this template
Use this templateMoscow resume template
Pastel
890,000+ users chose this template
Use this templateRio resume template
Visionary
270,000+ users chose this template
Use this templateVancouver resume template
Confetti
680,000+ users chose this template
Use this templateCape Town resume template
Color Splash
88,000+ users chose this template
Use this templateRirekisho resume template
Rirekisho
140,000+ users chose this template
Use this templateShokumukeirekisho resume template
Shokumukeirekisho
15,000+ users chose this template
Use this templateAcademic resume template
Academic
2,800+ users chose this template
Use this templateEntry Level resume template
Entry Level
2,600+ users chose this template
Use this templateLondon resume template
Classic
8,400,000+ users chose this template