A junior travel consultant is someone who assists with the travel schedules of a corporation’s employees. Junior travel consultants help make arrangements for employees or clients to reach out-of-town destinations, lending a hand in lining up flights, rental cars and lodging. On top of that, they perform clerical duties for senior travel consultants by forwarding calls, handling mail, keeping records and maintaining itineraries for travelers.

Basics

Junior travel consultants work for either a company’s travel department or a private agency. They often perform tasks that might be considered mundane -- such as filing, bookkeeping or responding to email -- but are crucial in helping people reach their destination. In the event an employee is traveling out of the country, junior travel consultants typically play a role in setting up passports and visas, and researching the customs of the country or city in which the employee will be staying.

Skills

A junior travel consultant performs many tasks and needs to possess a wide array of skills. She needs to be a strong communicator and highly organized, helping employees feel at ease before a big trip. She must have a thorough understanding of how to use the computer and phone system, both of which are used to help plan an excursion. Junior travel consultants should be accomplished record-keepers and skilled at math, since travel arrangements need to fit within a company’s allotted budget.

Background

There are no set requirements for someone to become a junior travel consultant. Most learn on the job, although most employers seek candidates with at least a high school diploma or the equivalent when hiring a travel consultant. Some junior travel consultants have a college degree, with an emphasis on courses in travel, tourism, business and communications.

Prospects

Jobs for travel agents are expected to decrease by 1 percent from 2008 to 2018, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). While there is information specific to junior travel consultants, it is assumed their jobs fall into the category of travel agents. The BLS cited the Internet as a big reason for the predicted decline in jobs for travel agents, as “the ready availability of travel and airline websites that allow people to research and plan their own trips, make their own reservations, and purchase their own tickets will result in less demand for travel agents for routine travel arrangements.”

Earnings

Travel agents earned a median salary of anywhere from $20,000 to more than $47,000 per year in February 2010, according to PayScale.com. Junior travel consultants are likely at the lower end of that scale, depending on their experience and size of the company for which they are employed.