u/kyr4baby

Hi everyone,

I’m a 26F currently working in academia and I’m planning a pivot into the Luxury Travel industry for the end of the year and would love some advice.

I’ve heard “product knowledge” is everything in luxury PR, so I’m considering starting out in a Luxury Travel Consultant or Operations role to learn the industry from the inside before pivoting to an agency. I’m living at home and willing to take a pay cut if it gets me a foot in the door — I’d also rather earn my way into PR with industry credibility than try to talk my way in without it.

I have some specific questions but would love honest opinions about this pivot and any advice you wish someone had given you earlier in your career in this space.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

- Is a consultancy/operations background genuinely respected by luxury PR hiring managers, or does it tend to pigeonhole you into sales?

- Are unconventional career trajectories or more academic/intellectual backgrounds common in the industry? Will I be seen as a weak applicant without any formal PR training/qualifications? (Would love to hear any non-linear paths into PR!)

- I ultimately want this new career path to take me out of my home country and give me the freedom to build a life and career across different cities — London first, then further afield. Has anyone made a deliberate move into PR specifically to enable a more international lifestyle and did it deliver?

Thank you in advance! 🤓

Hi folks,

I’m 26 and have spent 3 years in academia (teaching Social Sciences / £38k). My department is pushing me toward a PhD, but I don’t want to commit 4+ years to a degree that effectively tethers me to a career path I’m ready to leave.

I’m debating whether I can effectively pivot into Luxury Travel Operations and Branding. I was an independent travel agent whilst I was studying pre-COVID and this might sound a bit lame but I really enjoyed working with clients, doing all the logistics and building the perfect itinerary.

My goal is a career that takes me out of the UK but my feeling is that I’d have to land a role at a London firm in order to gain experience, before applying to jobs in Asia or the Middle East. I live at home, so have the stability to take a more specialist/entry-level role (and the associated pay cut) to get my foot in the door.

In an ideal world, I would make the full pivot by January 2027 but I’m worried that this all feels like a complete long shot so any advice on how to bridge this gap would be helpful!