Being a college tour guide is one of the best decisions I have ever made. I’ll admit, at first, I was against it. I had been on enough college tours before attending Regis, both equally good and bad, to know how nerve-wracking it could be. I mean fielding all those questions, speaking in front of large crowds, and remembering all those statistics in the brochures? Pass.

However, I will forever be thankful to my friend for dragging me to the first tour guide meeting of the year because it changed my entire college career.

Since that meeting, I have been a tour guide (“Pride Guide”) at Regis for four years and am currently one of the Co-Coordinators of the Pride Guide Program. I have been selected as Pride Guide of the Month twice this year and have received positive feedback from prospective students that said the experience they had on my tour was what made them attend Regis. As you can see, I couldn’t be happier with my decision to be a tour guide.

With that being said, here are five reasons why you should consider being a tour guide at your college or university.

1. You Get to Represent Your School.

You are the first face that prospective students and their families get to see when they set foot on- campus. They drove, flew, or took a train in just to see what the college experience is like at your college or university. They want to hear your stories, and the school is counting on you to deliver.

Trust me, prospective students want to hear about how the laundry is free, what you do for fun on the weekends, and of course, the funny stories about those few people who forget to put water in their ramen noodles before sticking it in the microwave. Cue the fire alarm.

It’s a great feeling to know that you’re part of such an important decision and that your story could be the deciding factor for someone to enroll at your college or university.

2. You Get Paid to Talk to People.

Think about it. Every tour you give, you are getting paid to work on your public speaking skills, those skills important to potential future employers. I used to be a complete wreck when I had to speak in front of large crowds or in a small classroom setting in high school. Being a tour guide helped me find my voice and gave me the confidence to stand up in front of strangers to tell my story. Now, when I’m asked to give presentations in class, it feels like a breeze.

3. You Get to Be Part of Promotional Campaigns.

Ever wonder how students end up on college brochures, promotional videos, and are profiled on the school website?

Being a tour guide is one sure way of getting there. As an ambassador for your college or university, you’ll be asked by the admissions, communications and even alumni office to be part of all sorts of marketing campaigns for your school. Want proof? Check me out in the Regis Online Tour video here.

I was asked to be part of my first promotional campaign my sophomore year, when I was recommended by one of the Admissions counselors to be in a video about the Master Plan (Phase I) at Regis, a plan that involved updating current facilities of the campus (new suites, a Dunkin Donuts, and a quad). That one recommendation alone and a few LinkedIn connections later, I was asked to be part of more and more projects because of how impressed the staff at the college was with my credentials as well as my ability to market the school through campus tours.

4. It’s Great for Your Resume.

This one is pretty self-explanatory. Being a college tour guide looks great on a resume because it shows potential employers that you have important communication, teamwork, organizational, and time management skills. You even have the chance of networking with Admissions staff and other high-ranking members of your college community.This is a huge plus, particularly since I’ve asked for written recommendations that have helped land me lucrative internship opportunities. These are the connections that you will carry with you past graduation.

5. You Get the Pleasure and Satisfaction of Knowing You Impacted Someone’s Decision to Attend Your College or University.

Imagine the feeling you get when a new semester arrives and you see a student on campus that you recognize from your tour group. Knowing that you were instrumental in helping them find their home for the next four years is an amazing feeling. Even better is when they end up becoming a tour guide because of you! I’ve had this experience about five times in my career as a tour guide, and I cannot be more thrilled that they want to give someone else the same experience I gave them. That is the legacy you get to leave behind.

Being a tour guide has helped me gain a deeper appreciation for my school. It means more to me than just reciting facts and figures as this position helped me grow into the person I am today. Hopefully this article has made you consider joining your college or university’s tour guide program. Best of luck!