Tourist guide

You can do 3 levels of training to get a tour guide badge:

• level 2 - white badge
• level 3 - green badge
• level 4 - blue badge

You can apply to local tourist guide associations for training, or major tourist attractions that run their own schemes.

Guide London offers blue badge training, which usually takes around 18 months, and some heritage organisations, like York Minster, have their own training courses.

Career tips

An outgoing and friendly personality, plus being able to speak a second or third language, will give you an advantage when applying for jobs. Experience of dealing with the public and giving presentations will also help.

Further information

You can find out more about becoming a guide from the Institute of Tourist Guiding.

You'll need:

• patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
• customer service skills
• the ability to work well with others
• the ability to accept criticism and work well under pressure
• to be flexible and open to change
• sensitivity and understanding
• excellent verbal communication skills
• knowledge of English language
• to be able to carry out basic tasks on a computer or hand-held device

In your day-to-day tasks you may:

• work in one place like a castle or historic house
• escort groups around a site, giving information about its history, purpose and architecture
• accompany groups on day tours to a number of interesting places or sites

You could work at monuments and castles, in a museum or at an art gallery.

Your working environment may be outdoors some of the time and you'll travel often.