Catching up with Leandri: ITC Graduate Making a Splash in Exciting New Role!
Leandri is an ITC graduate living her dreams, and has recently moved back to New Zealand and started a great new role.
It’s been a year since we chatted to Leandri, an ITC graduate who was doing an International Working Holidays internship in Florida – and loving it.
At the time, she was one of just five team members (out of 1,300!) nominated for the coveted title of Associate of the Semester at Ocean Reef Club, which is a huge achievement on its own.
We couldn’t have been more excited that Leandri then went on to win the Associate of the Semester award!
But that’s just one of the exciting updates on Leandri’s journey so far as an ITC graduate, as she is now back in New Zealand and working in another great role. We chatted to her for more updates and news!
What have been some highlights since you received associate of the semester at Ocean Reef Club?
Ocean Reef Club genuinely changed my life. After receiving associate of the semester, I took some time to reflect on everything I had learnt about myself and what values I could take home with me, to further develop my character.
Being acknowledged for such an amazing award truly made me realise I may had been doubting myself and my ability to achieve amazing things. Furthermore, I decided to extend my travels before coming home with the money I had saved up due to the flexible living at ORC. I had the best time meeting so many different people and took this time to genuinely treat myself for all the hard work I did from high school all the way through to that moment.
How did you hear about the new role with Abercrombie & Kent / Akorn Destinations?
Like most people, when I got home from an amazing year and a half away from home travelling, I was struggling to figure out what my next steps were in my career. I went to multiple different business’s handing out my cv, but nothing was really intriguing me and like most people know, finding a job in NZ is not a piece of cake at the moment.
I decided to reach out to Sarndra (ITC’s Employment Consultant) to set up a meeting and talk about some options. She was very helpful running me through different options across Auckland and where she thought I would best fit in. The moment Akorn Destination Management was presented to me, I knew it was the place for me.
Leandri (right) with Sarndra (centre), ITC’s employment consultant.
What does a typical day look like as a Cruise Operations Coordinator? Or what does the role entail?
When I say every day is day is different, I truly mean it. You never know what you are working on until you are in the office. My job ranges from on port days assisting with turnovers of the ship to the admin side of things, pre and post cruise. I thoroughly enjoy this as it keeps me constantly on my toes and learning new areas in a range of departments.
How has the journey with ITC helped you with this next step?
ITC helped me learn so many useful skills in the real world and how to adapt with challenging situations. This ranges from team building skills all the way to learning how to multitask different tasks provided by your company.
What does the future look like from here?
I am very happy with my role now and cannot see myself leaving anytime soon. In saying this, I would love to further develop myself within the company and see where it can take me. As always, saving money wherever I can so I am able to travel where ever possible. Still have so much to see!
What advise do you have for anyone studying tourism or wanting to study tourism from your experience so far?
Give everything a go. You are going to be given the opportunity to experience so many things, and you must do exactly that. You must go in with an open mind, I mean I always thought I was going to be a flight attendant but look where I am now, and I wouldn’t change it for the world.
Become the next superstar ITC graduate
The entire team at ITC is always so excited to hear from our graduates and watch as they go out into the world and lead exciting lives working in travel and tourism. That’s one of the biggest differences here – we really are a family that supports our own, even if it’s been years since you graduated!
So when a student returns to New Zealand and needs some support in finding a role, we make sure they’re not alone in that journey. And our support often leads to an exciting new job!
The New Zealand Certificate in Tourism Level 3 is enrolling now for both our Auckland City Campus and Whangarei Campus, and both locations will begin in July. And if you don’t want to wait, or can’t relocate to those areas, you can always Study From Home and complete the same course online via distance learning instead!
For students who already have a Level 3 qualification, our New Zealand Certificate in Travel (Level 4) also begins in July at our Auckland City and Botany Campuses.
Contact us here with any questions!
Leandri in Paris.