Perhaps not all of our readers are aware that as well as having staff based all over the UK, Monarch also employs a very special team of people who live and work abroad.
Today we meet Cheryl, who started her career abroad over a decade ago and hasn’t looked back since. Find out why and what her job consists of!
Hi, my name is Cheryl and I’m Head of Customer Experience in the Algarve. I’m here to discuss my role at Monarch and how you could be a part of our great overseas team!
I began my overseas career 15 years ago, initially joining for six months for some sunshine and experience. I found a job where my colleagues were my family and decided to leave my job as a nursery nurse in the UK I quickly fell in love with the whole overseas experience and have worked in a range of roles from Children’s Rep to Specialist Delivery Supervisor. I can remember leaving for my first placement like it was yesterday, there were lots of tears whilst saying my goodbyes to everyone and my tummy felt like a rollercoaster, with the biggest mix of emotions I can ever remember having. My first season was full of ups and downs, feeling homesick on occasions (I even do sometimes now), more hard work than I had ever known and a lifetime of memories – that first season was gone in a flash and I’ve never looked back since.
Working overseas is so much fun, but it’s also very hard work and not your typical 9-5, Monday to Friday role. I work six days a week and even on my days off am on call and could be asked to tackle anything, anytime. There is definitely no such thing as a typical day in my job. On any given day I can be replying to emails, delivering training, conducting interviews, flying to one of our UK offices or a resort, offering someone a placement, booking flights, sending contracts or working with the Concierge team here in Portugal – the list is endless and there is always one challenge or another that comes our way but that’s what makes it so much fun!
The thing I love most about my job is meeting candidates at recruitment and seeing them develop and shine in our overseas teams. Being able to give someone the chance of a life-changing opportunity and have the most amazing experiences that I have been lucky enough to have is a very special job! If I had to pick one memory from the past 15 years that stands out the most is probably being on the Florida flight back in 2014 which was part of Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway.
So what makes a successful candidate to work overseas? Someone who is passionate about travel and customers, someone that is flexible, approachable, personable and has a huge can-do attitude. Don’t worry if you don’t have experience in travel or overseas – that’s where we come in with training, support and coaching.
I think I’ve mentioned more than once how much I love my job! I get to work in resorts in some of the world’s most amazing locations with sunny skies, blue seas and a bright outlook that comes as standard. It is definitely true that your tan will fade quickly but the memories and friendships you have will be there forever!