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History nerds, hit the pavement Even after 16 years as a tour guide, Josh Silver still breaks out in an irrepressible ear-to-ear grin when he discusses the history of Philadelphia. He started in 1997 as a part-time guide at Clifton House — a historical home just outside of Philadelphia — and discovered he was a natural. Silver has an affinity for local history, combined with a habit of describing events and artifacts with strict precision: “My friend calls it my bowtie way of talking,� he says with a laugh. “The challenge for me is staying fresh. That takes a lot of self-generated motivation,� explains Silver. “After a while you have a lot of material to lean on, but you’ve got to push yourself to keep learning and incorporating new things.� Today Silver is one of the most sought-after
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Guiding passion. Tour guides relish the opportunity to teach about their cities and learn about them, too.
Interested?
Get out there
Josh Silver
guides in the city. But he still has to hustle to remain a full-time guide. There are few — if any — Philly tour guiding companies that offer full-time work, and almost all hire guides exclusively as freelancers. Silver has worked for almost every tour guiding company in the city, and currently rotates between two small for-profit companies and one nonprofit. “It can be an excellent way to get some supple-
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There is no official certification required to become a practicing tour guide in Philadelphia (though the city is pushing for one to be created). Currently, there
Quoted
“It’s not like [other jobs] where you’re often treated poorly. Very simply, you know where to go and they don’t. ... So people don’t look down on you.â€? New York tour guide Robert WestďŹ eld (www.robertwestďŹ eld.com)
is a voluntary certification provided by the Association of Philadelphia Tour Guides, which helps to foster credibility and community amongst guides. For more information: www. phillyguides.org mental income with something that’s always challenging and keeps you learning,� says Silver. “If you want to do it, the first step is coming out of your shell. There are monthly meetings of tour guides ... Get out there and start talking to people, because that’s a big requirement for the job.�
BRUCE WALSH
bruce.walsh@metro.us
HOUSEKEEPING SUPERVISOR RECEPTIONIST Located at the Philadelphia International Airport, Marketplace Philadelphia Management manages the airport’s concessions program throughout all seven terminals. Current open positions are Housekeeping Supervisor and Receptionist. The Housekeeping Supervisor must have at least 3+ years experience supervising 10+ personnel; must be exible to work varying schedules. Receptionist must be able to multitask; answer phones; greet guest, etc. For complete job descriptions please visit www.philamarketplace.com. Both positions are full-time. Marketplace requires a background check and drug screening. Please fax your resume to 215-937-1206 OR email apply@philamarketplace.com