Read the student story that made Employment Consultant Sarndra say “WOW!”
Telesia’s incredible story recently impressed Employment Consultant Sarndra.
At ITC, we have a dedicated Employment Consultant who works with current and past graduates to help them find roles in the industry. Thanks to her position, Sarndra often hears incredible stories from students.
But even when she hears these success stories often, there’s the occasional one that still makes her say, “WOW!”.
Recently, that was thanks to past student Telesia Saofai. Of course, we had to ask Employment Consultant Sarndra for more details – here’s what she had to say.
What happened that made you say “WOW!”?
Telesia Saofai reached out for assistance as she was keen to find a job in the industry she trained for back in 2016. Telesia worked for a short time in 2017 before falling pregnant with her first child – she now has two children and has been a stay at home mum.
It had always been Telesia’s dream to work at the airport as a check in agent, but she was happy to work anywhere in the industry. After a quick memory jog and a photo check on our database, I remembered Telesia as she had such a beautiful nature, had so much patience and she had such a positive outlook and was always smiling and happy.
Telesia had come to NZ from Samoa when she was about 16 and didn’t speak a word of English so she had huge challenges to overcome and she managed to pass both her NCEA levels one and two at Kelston Girls.
She worked incredibly hard completing her level 3 and 4 travel and tourism studies with us at ITC and managed to complete both with Distinction. She was always striving to improve her English and ask questions so that she could fully understand her work and do well. She was always beautifully presented and respectful of absolutely everyone, no matter their age or background. So a hard student to forget!
I couldn’t wait to call Telesia to see if she was still that person, and after talking to her I concluded that she is probably the happiest graduate I know! You can hear the smile emanating from the phone! She is still that incredibly happy and positive person with the utmost respect for all.
I suggested we jump straight in with plan A and sent her CV directly to both Menzies and Swissport and suggested Telesia would make a wonderful check-in agent.
Swissport contacted her that same day, interviewed her very quickly, and by the Monday she was training at the airport for check in!
What impact do you think this wow moment had on you and those around you?
Pride. Excitement. Incredibly happy and again, just so so proud of Telesia. She still had all those wonderful values. I recognised this immediately and so did Swissport. Telesia’s family were gobsmacked at how quickly this all happened and how she managed to get her dream job after being a stay-at-home mum for years.
Thinking ahead, what do you think Telesia’s story means for future students?
Sometimes things don’t go as originally planned but you can still achieve your dreams. Keep that positive attitude, that respect towards everyone you come across, and keep believing and trying.
If you have been a stay at home mum or dad, been off in another industry due to Covid or other circumstances, you can still work in the industry you trained for if you want.
The other important thing to note is that Telesia had gained customer service experience with both IDNZ and Renaissance while she studied at ITC, assisting with the many cruise ship turnarounds. She also worked in Food and Beverage at the Cordis hotel. This also played a huge role in gaining her dream job.
In fact, Telesia had someone down as a referee from IDNZ and I asked if that referee would remember her and she replied that she had done the right thing and checked with her that she would be her referee and she was offered a job immediately back with IDNZ!!!! So this also shows how important it is to make a great impression in those customer service positions and put everything you can into your time here at ITC because many years later we will still be there to help you – and it helps us when we have great things to say about you.
What’s your dream career?
Do you want to work as a check-in agent at an airport like Telesia? Or do you have something else in mind?
ITC offers qualifications that provide you with all the knowledge and skills you need to make a start in the travel and tourism industry. Our excellent reputation means that our graduates are well regarded all over the country, and our Employment Consultant Sarndra is always on hand to help with the job hunt.
Contact us today to find out more about what courses we have to offer and how you can enrol and make a start on your dream career.
Campus Study – college@itc.co.nz 0800 TOURISM (0800 868747) or https://www.itc.co.nz/contact-us/
Posted in News, Student success | Tagged Graduate success, ITC Award winning training, Swissport, Work in travel and tourism | Leave a reply