Les Roches Student Ambassador Tiffany Wiputri explains why internship experiences are so important for a career in hospitality.
I was born and raised in Indonesia and studied in the country until I graduated from high school. I realized that this meant I had not really been exposed to other cultures. At this point I decided that I needed to study abroad in order to widen my view and learn about other cultures, to allow me to engage and understand people better.
This is also why I decided to study hospitality management. I chose Les Roches because its academic program offers two internships during a 3.5 year study period, as well as the fact that the school also provides not only theory but also practical lessons.
For my first internship, I got an offer to work in InterContinental Hong Kong in the Club Lounge department. There I provided personalized service to each of the VIP members in both food & beverage and front office service. I also managed to witness and provide service when Forbes decided to host its 100th Anniversary in InterContinental Hong Kong. This meant we had around 400 of the world’s top entrepreneurs in the hotel.
I was proud to have been trusted by my manager to provide service during this important event. I was also able to exchange thoughts with some of the speakers, a few of whom even changed my mind and helped me to view things from a different perspective. It was truly an honor for me to be able to witness such a high profile event and to meet such important people from different parts of the world.
After my first internship, I became more positive about my passion for studying and working in the hospitality industry, which is why I decided to do my second and last internship in The St Regis Osaka, Japan.
There I worked in the Rooms Division department as a cross-training trainee. I learned a lot during my six month internship, as I was rotating throughout the Rooms Division department, working in Housekeeping, Guest Service and Butler. I was mostly in charge of the foreign and Chinese guests as I speak fluent English and intermediate Chinese.
I believe that in order to work in the hotel industry and to work your way up, it’s important to learn how each department works and how they support other departments.
[quote]Doing a cross-training has helped me to learn about the job responsibilities of each department, which has certainly widened my view about working in the hotel industry.[/quote]
I recently had an interview where the employer asked about why I choose to study hospitality management. The answer is that I have always loved to interact with people and learn about their cultures and points of view. Studying in Les Roches has contributed to widening my view about the world, as there are more than 100 nationalities studying here, along with the fact that the school also has teachers who come from different parts of the world.
I still believe that I have made the right choice to study in Les Roches, not only because of the reputation and the accreditation, but also because of the industry connections and network that Les Roches has as well.
Tiffany Wiputri, BBA6 Student Ambassador
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