129: How to Break Into the Luxury Travel Industry w/ Rob Karp, MilesAhead [Espresso Shots]

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Rob Karp, a 21-year old senior at Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration, is the founder of MilesAhead, a luxury travel concierge.  At 14, Rob developed a passion for the travel industry and a drive for delivering a best-in-class customer experience. Initially, he began helping family and friends turn their frequent flyer miles into inexpensive plane tickets for family trips. What began as a hobby and one man operation throughout his high school years developed into MilesAhead. He took $600 he had earned refereeing soccer games as a high-school freshman to start the company. Currently, Rob’s company is run by more than 10 dedicated employees across the country, employing part-time college students and full-time “adults.” MilesAhead is on pace to generate revenues in excess of $1,000,000. Rob and his team have visited over 300 hotels since 2016, spanning from Italy to Bora Bora to Japan, and utilize their time off from school to travel the world and deliver that first-hand knowledge to their 500+ clients. Rob plans to grow MilesAhead after he graduates from college in May 2019 and follow his dream to create the world’s best travel advisor. Buckle up and hold on tight to this Espresso Shot ‘cause we’re about to take flight!

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT IN THIS EPISODE

• • What entry level jobs are available for young people who want  to break into the luxury travel field
  • What are some useful skills that employers look for
  • Whether someone’s major is a deciding factor to break  into this profession
  • Why loving to travel is not a good enough qualification
  • Would a graduate degree give someone an edge in this industry
  • What life experiences would give someone a boost starting out in this field
  • What the best and worst part is in being in the travel industry
  • What people would be most surprised to learn about this profession
  • If you want to learn more about Rob’s current job and his career listen to T4C episode #15