South Pacific product manager, Infinity Holidays

Name: Raumati Wikaire

Age: 26

Role: To buy and promote travel products, including accommodation, rental cars, tours and activities

Working hours: 40 hours a week but often requires many more

Average pay: $50,000+ approx

Qualifications: Bachelor of Business Degree, majoring in marketing and tourism


Q. Describe how you got this job

A. I set my sights on working in a product position and got the job as a South Pacific product assistant for Infinity Holidays, the wholesale division of Flight Centre.

The company effectively buys travel product at wholesale rates, markets it and onsells it to the Flight Centre stores. I worked in this position for 18 months before being promoted to product manager.

Q. Describe what you do

A. My role is to buy and promote the product we sell for the South Pacific region.

This involves deciding on product which best fits our programme, contracting and negotiating the most competitive rates, producing brochures, liaising with the marketing department to devise specials and sales, putting together flyers and promotional material and ensuring all this is loaded in our system and easily accessible to our sales agents.

I would also go on about four to five buying trips a year to meet sales representatives and hotel owners, to get to know the property, negotiate rates, ensure the product is of a good standard and suits our market. These trips aren't as glamorous as they sound - the days are generally full of appointments and the evenings spent being with key suppliers, but they are always interesting.

Q. What have you had to do to succeed in this job?

A. Set personal and professional goals, be ambitious, manage my time effectively and overcome my weaknesses. I have also had to be creative and come up with innovative ways to sell the Pacific which is different from my competitors, and come up with campaigns and specials that effectively promote and sell the destinations.

Q. What sort of training or experience do you need?

A. Travel experience as well as experience in the travel or tourism industry is important. It is necessary to have an understanding of how it works and also to build up some contacts. A background in marketing is recommended, too.

Q. What skills and qualities do you need?

A. Good communication and negotiation skills, be well-organised and have a passion for and understanding of the tourism industry. Being able to multitask is also important.

Q. Best part of the job?

A. Travelling to gorgeous destinations, such as Tahiti and Rarotonga. It is also very rewarding to see the end result in the market, for example the brochures or the TV advertisement.

Q. Most challenging part?

A. Negotiating a deal to match or better our competitors. Also coming up with innovative ways of marketing the product.

Q. How do you define success in this job?

A. In a variety of ways, including meeting deadlines, seeing a campaign I'm responsible for in a shop window or on TV, getting a really good deal from a supplier or increasing sales to the destinations I market.

Q. What are your career hopes for future?

A. Once I have mastered this position, I would like to move into a company marketing role or perhaps manage my own luxury resort on a beautiful tropical island.

Q. If I wanted a job like yours how would I go about it, and what qualifications would I need?

A. It helps to have some experience in the travel industry to understand how it all works, but most important is to have done some travel of your own and have a strong interest in it. Some marketing or tourism qualifications are also very useful.

Q. What do you like most about your job?

A. The variety.

Q. What is your favourite part of the South Pacific?

A. The islands of Tahiti are absolutely beautiful, even better than the brochures.

Q. What advice would you have for someone contemplating a career like yours?

A. Go for it - it's fun, exciting and keeps you on your toes. Plus you get to see some gorgeous destinations.