CHAPTER 13. UNEXPECTED OVERTURN

Last week, in chapter 12, everything related to staff selection process seemed to be solved, but last Friday, things changed in a radical way: two of the people I had selected, turned back their mind and decided they didn’t want the job, and I still need one more person to work. That means I have to start again with the process and the interviews. I have selected six new applicants, and next Wednesday will be the second chance. I hope there will be no more delays this time.
About the deed, it seems this is going to be the week when I get it back from the Business Register, but I don’t want to get my hopes so up because there is a long holiday since Thursday till Monday.
The last open matter, the refurbishment estimate for the premises, also seems to be ready for this week, maybe on Tuesday, as the contractor told me this afternoon, despite I tend to think it won’t be before Wednesday.

CHAPTER 12. MOVING FORWARD

About the last friday applicants, I have just taken my decision. I have made my choice based on the human resources department’s reports and my own evaluation, and I have selected two people. One of them has experience as a tourism agent (she’s doing that job at present) and the other one is a tourism graduate looking for her first job. I think I have taken the right choice, but that is something nobody could know before the agency starts to work.
About the premises, yesterday (tuesday) I have been there with the building contractor to mesure the office and tell him the way I want the decoration, and tomorrow morning I will be there again with the electrician, to decide the number and location of the light spots, as well as the plugs for the rest of the stuff, phone and internet connections.
Finally, I have to go to Málaga University next month, May 4th, to take a short course about travel agencie’s management, and I already have purchased my AVE ticket from Madrid to Málaga.

Things are moving forward, despite I'm still waiting for the deed's registration at Business Register.

CHAPTER 11. I GOT THE KEY

Yesterday, I went to a meeting at the Shopping Centre head office in order to inspect the condition of the premises and its supplies (electricity, air conditioning) and to get the key. That means I have been given the office, and now it’s time to renovate and decorate it as a travel agency. It will be necessary to polish the floor, paint the walls and change and redistribute some light spots, before to place the furniture and the rest of items (computers, plasma TV, pictures). Next monday I will meet the building contractor to ask him for an estimate, and if we agree the price, I hope the works will be started in less than two weeks.

At the same time, next friday morning, I will interview the final applicants shortlist in a row, and I hope to find two people I would like for the job.

Once this two tasks will be finished, in adition with the company registration (the deed is still in the Business Register, and it probably will be there for two more weeks), it will be time to start the paperwork at the Xunta. June 9th still stands as opening date target.

CHAPTER 10. TIME-OUT WEEK

This is a transition week. Once registration process and contracts are signed up and taking their course, it’s a good opportunity to dedicate time enough to close the staff recruitement. After considering the amount of CV received, I have done, with the help of the Main Office in Malaga, the very first selection. Now, there are about fifteen applicants selected and next week they have to pass a personal interview, in order to choose the best person for the job. All of them fulfil the requirements relating to degrees and job experience, and the decision is going to be difficult. I think it’s very important, when you have to work selling something directly to people, to have a positive attitude, to be enthusiastic, outgoing, respectful and to be able to smile a lot. This is important in every job, but it’s even more important when you work in a travel agency, because you are selling something expensive wich people can’t touch or see, and the final picture that customers are going to retain is the one they had received from the people who sold them the travel.

CHAPTER 9. CONSIDERING APPLICANTS

The selection process is getting started this week. The job offert apeared last sunday in Faro de Vigo newspaper and I’m receiving a lot of CV each day. That means the decision is going to be difficult. I will consider all the CV received till next saturday, and start with the first sifting next week. If someone takes more than a week to answer to a job offer, I think he or she must not be really interested in the job. I also have to say that I’m a bit surprised, because I put the job offer at the Tourism notice board in the UNED faculty in Pontevedra last wednesday (march 26th), and I have got just only one CV. I’d prefer to offer the opportunity to work in a job related to tourism to somebody who should be currently studying tourism. However it seems there are no people interested in that kind of job, wich is strange considering the fact that for 3rd grade students I think it’s also a chance to get some credits as a part of the final graduation project.