Giovanni Sune's FCM Employee Story
Combining my passions with FCM
Ten months before I ever heard of FCM, I was working the customer service desk at the same local grocery store I’d been at since I was 14 years old. I’ve always enjoyed helping people. In fact, the thrill of finding solutions to someone else’s problems is one of the two things in this world I feel most fulfilled by. The other? Travelling. Needless to say that when I found FCM on Indeed, applying as a Jr. Travel Consultant was a no-brainer. Now, I get to build a career out of my passions by helping other people achieve their travel goals. Whether I’m finding them the best rates or talking through plans with an anxious client, it’s always rewarding to let someone know that I’ve got their back while spreading the travel bug in the process.
Starting my journey strong
Full disclosure: at the time that I applied to FCM, I might have loved travelling, but I didn’t know anything about corporate travel. So I joined as a member of the TAP (Travel Agent in Progress) Team, which is a group of people with little-to-no experience in the travel industry, let alone corporate travel. Through the TAP Team, I was trained as a Jr. Travel Consultant and gained a lot of experience from hands-on training and assisting veteran Travel Consultants on other teams.
After about seven months, I was promoted to Travel Consultant (a more senior role) on the Chicago regional team. This was a pretty big accomplishment for me and another motivator to further develop my career. My role on the Chicago team has been a great opportunity to learn more about travel agencies and I’m trying to get all that I can out of it. In the future, I hope to get more into account management, and I am confident that FCM will help get me there with its vast network of experienced and collaborative industry leaders.
From the start, I’ve felt like part of a family
I know, I know – everyone says their coworkers feel like family. But at FCM, I truly feel valued by my colleagues who have gone out of their way to support me and ensure that my voice is heard. The TAP Team provided me with most of those mentors. It’s been easy to develop professional connections with my teammates (and even those on other teams) when I’ve already been working under them for close to a year.
Management is also super approachable, which has been extremely valuable to me as someone who is not only new to the industry, but to the corporate world as a whole. Overall, I’d have to say that it’s been a great place to network and learn how to build professional relationships.
With any customer service job comes a hectic environment, but the camaraderie here has somehow made a fast-paced job feel laidback. You could say we work hard and play harder. There’s lots of regular, fun events where we can bond as a team and celebrate our accomplishments, whether it’s going out for drinks at happy hour or a destination trip like the annual National Ball, which was hosted in Las Vegas in 2022.
My travel bucket list
I’ve been to six countries (and counting!), and out of all of them, my favorite place to visit was Cuba. Part of that might be my own Cuban heritage talking, but it’s such a uniquely beautiful country. The colors, the food, the people – the culture is unlike anywhere else I’ve ever been.
As for my next big trip? Iceland. I’ve just got to cross the Northern Lights off my bucket list!
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