A day in the life of a Far & Wild intern

What is Far & Wild Travel and why did it appeal to me?

Far & Wild Travel is a dynamic and exciting new company here in the Lake District. Currently it specialises in tailor-made luxury safari holidays to Africa and is quickly expanding to different corners of the world, including the Middle East and even India. I'm Sarah, and after my A Levels, I wanted to challenge myself so an intern position at a unique company like Far & Wild Travel was the ideal fit.

What have been the highlights?

Over the duration of my internship it’s almost impossible to list only one highlight so here’s a selection:

In the first week I was made aware that I was going to be responsible for setting up the Middle East on the Far & Wild website; quite a daunting prospect being held accountable for entire nations including the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Qatar and Bahrain. Despite the nerve-wracking thought of being left to my own devices (with plenty of guidance when I needed it), I felt a strong sense of accomplishment completing the task in hand, which included writing region and property descriptions.

As well as accepting the Middle East mission, I really enjoyed researching and writing articles, in particular Lemur Island in Madagascar. Did you know you can get up close and personal with lemurs here on a canoe journey on this magical isle?

Another memorable moment has to be ‘walking with elephants’ in Ruaha, when Lyndsey from Asilia Safaris popped in to do some training. Although this was made possible by a rather special bit of technology (a Virtual Reality headset) the experience was realistic, very realistic. At one point I ducked out of the way of a huge elephant coming up behind me, much to the amusement of the rest of the team.

What have I learnt?

Looking back on the past two months I’ve spent at Far & Wild it’s surprising the skills and lessons I have learnt in an office environment.

For instance, responsibility has been key, the projects and exercises you’re working on at Far & Wild Travel are not pointless exercises, everything you do has a direct impact for the company, whether that be writing articles or sending emails. I was also entrusted to deliver some training to a new sales consultant over the phone, putting my clear communication skills to the test.

Working with firm deadlines and numerous tasks all at once helps to develop your time management juggling skills. I’m astounded by the knowledge of different countries I have gleaned, ranging from the archipelagos of Bazaruto in Mozambique to the Okavango Delta to the glitz and glamour of the Arabian Gulf – it has been a real cultural awakening. This really cements the notion that we are all global citizens.

A typical day in the life as an intern at Far & Wild Travel

9:00 Check and respond to any emails and start the day off with a drink, not of the alcoholic variety of course

9:20 Schedule some Facebook posts. Wilder blog articles are posted on a Monday, whilst on a Wednesday Facebook posts focus on 'wow' properties. On a Friday a feel-good story is ideal before the weekend begins

10:00 Write some property descriptions and upload these to the back end of the website – in this case Project Middle East or India

13:00 Lunch time - enjoy a break on the super comfy beanbags or if it's warm take a stroll into the village. On a Tuesday and Thursday post on Instagram using #myFarandWild to connect with the Far&Wild community

14:00 Twitter post – upload a tweet corresponding to the Facebook posts

15:00 Print off customer itineraries and take them to the local post office in nearby Langwathby

15:25 Update Colin, don’t worry not a person he’s a whiteboard

15:45 Send out New Bookings and Welcome Home emails using a platform called Mailchimp

16:00 Upload trip itineraries to the back end of the website

What are my next steps?

Following my time at Far & Wild, I’m heading off to Durham University to study Modern Languages and Cultures. The third year of my course will allow me to spend a year abroad putting my language skills into practice and travelling to new destinations.

As my internship was drawing to a close, Stuart, Head of Marketing made sure that I had covered all the areas that I was interested in. I wanted to make sure I had completed writing country and property descriptions for Project Middle East. Also, I decided I wanted a deeper understanding of the process of a sales enquiry from the initial stages to the confirmation of a booking. Listening to interactions with sales consultants and customers was an invaluable experience.

Why should you apply?

I have not regretted for one second taking the plunge and sending my CV and covering letter to the Far & Wild team. As cliché as it may seem, the things that I have learnt, and the people I have met have left in me good stead as I progress forward. Click the send button and gain a toolbox of skills to set you apart in a competitive environment.

Find out about the Far & Wild Internships here, including how to apply.