Posts Tagged ‘Career advice’
What’s it really like to work in a hotel?
We all know that staying in a nice hotel is a lovely experience, but what’s it like to work in one on a daily basis? We asked Jacquelyn Shore, the Human Resources and Recruitment Coordinator at The Langham in Auckland. In this interview, she gives us a glimpse of what life is like behind-the-scenes at a 5-star hotel, as well as shares some tips for students considering a career in this exciting industry.
ITC: Tell us a little bit about yourself – how did you get to be working in this industry?
Jacquelyn: After graduating high school, I spent a year living and travelling overseas, as I always had an interest and passion for travel. I knew that I wanted a university degree so I returned back to NZ to complete my Bachelor of Business majoring in Human Resources and Management at AUT University. Towards the end of my studies I saw a fixed term part-time Human Resources Administrator position at The Langham Hotel. I applied and the rest is history. Two years later, I am a graduate in the position of full-time Human Resources and Recruitment Coordinator at The Langham Hotel, Auckland and absolutely loving it.
Posted in News | Tagged Career advice, Hotel Industry, hotel jobs, The Langham | Leave a replyThree skills you need to work in adventure tourism
Posted on 21/07/2015 by Jess O'ConnorLove travel, the outdoors and working with people? A career in adventure tourism could be for you.
Imagine doing something like this every day:
The above GIF shows an ITC student bungy jumping off the Auckland Harbour Bridge, one of the city’s most popular adventure tourism activities.
We recently caught up with Graham Trubuhovich (GT), General Manager of AJ Hackett Bungy Auckland. He has some great advice for students who dream of working in the industry.
If you don’t like people, walk away now
“Tourism is firstly a people job,” says GT, “so you should enjoy talking and be prepared to talk about all sorts of random things with random people.”
The good news is, if you love meeting new people and listening to their stories, then working at a place like Bungy will really be your dream job.
“Our crew spend their days meeting customers, signing them up and then either jumping them off or walking them around very high things. That’s usually fun enough, but often the crazy jump stories from customers doing funny jumps or saying funny stuff (there’s been all sorts of confessions over the years…!), plus some of the funny costumes people wear (if they wear anything…) can make your day.”
Posted in News | Tagged Adventure Tourism, AJ Hackett Bridge Climb and Bungy, Career advice |A day in the life of a travel agent
Posted on 08/07/2015 by Jess O'ConnorWhat’s it really like to work as a travel agent? We recently interviewed Michelle Savusa, Manager at Harvey World Travel Botany, about her exciting career. Michelle has over 21 years of experience in the travel industry and has been working for Harvey World Travel for more than a decade. She was kind enough to share with us some of the wisdom she’s learned along the way.
ITC: Describe a typical day in your job – what is it really like to work for a travel agency?
Michelle: Each day can be very different and often unpredictable. We receive enquiries via phone, walk-in and email. Most of our day is spent on the following tasks:
Posted in News | Tagged Career advice, career tips, Job Opportunities, Travel Agency, Travel Agent |Renaissance Tours employs 50 ITC students
Posted on 25/11/2014 by Jess O'ConnorAuckland’s cruise season has started! Several cruise ships are scheduled to dock in the harbour over the busy summer period, bringing many overseas visitors to Auckland’s doorstep.
Students from the International Travel College (ITC) will be working on the frontline when ships arrive, welcoming visitors into Auckland and processing tickets and related paperwork. Renaissance Tours has hired 50 ITC students to work as check-in agents at The Hilton throughout the summer. (more…)
Posted in Student success | Tagged Auckland, Career advice, career opportunities, Cruises, student jobs, Student success |The Top 8 Qualities of an Awesome ITC Student
Posted on 22/08/2013 by itcnzWe have so many great students; we thought we’d ask our tutors what makes a truly awesome one. (Read carefully – remember they’re the ones who mark your assignments!)
1. PUNCTUAL We know it’s early, we know you haven’t had your coffee yet, we know you just had that one last thing you had to tell your friend before you came in… But an awesome ITC student arrives on time, and even 5 minutes early if possible! It shows respect for your classmates, your tutors and your own studies and future career.
2. POLITE We pride ourselves on being like a family at ITC, but that doesn’t mean you should treat the other students or tutors like you treat your little brother or sister! Be polite, smile, say “hi”. A good mood is like a cold in that it’s incredibly infectious (but in a good way). Try spreading the joy today!
3. PREPARED You wouldn’t go to stay at a friend’s place without bringing your toothbrush, would you? Part of coming to ITC each day is thinking ahead and making sure you have what you need. Bring your own stationery, bring your own lunch or lunch money; heck, bring your own toothbrush if you want!
4. WELL-PRESENTED We’re not saying you have to look like a super model – that’s what the tutors are here for – but you should look like you take yourself and your studies seriously. If you don’t, no one else will either.
5. HARDWORKING (AND PLAYING) This is truly and honestly one of those times in your life where you get out what you put in. We know, we know, it’s a cliché and your parents are always saying it… but this time it’s true! The more you throw yourself into your studies and take advantage of the opportunities ITC offers you, the better you will understand how you work best, what kind of job you want and how you can get there.
And don’t forget to play hard too – ITC’s calendar is jam-packed with activities for students to take part in, like sports days, beach picnics, Mid-winter Carnival, Global Wednesday, Valentine’s week, St Patricks Day, the Easter Bonnet parade, and student Trivial Pursuit challenges! They’re a great way to meet some new folk, have a huge amount of fun and explore your creativity. (CLAIRE YOU MIGHT WANT TO PUT A LINK HERE TO THE EVENTS SCHEDULES?)
6. CONSISTENT You don’t have to be a robot (although it would be cool if you were!), but consistently turning up to class and turning in your assignments on time and to a high standard recommend you as a student and a potential employee. Also, if you always turn in high quality assignments on time, your tutors are much more likely to be sympathetic if you genuinely need us to cut you some slack at some stage.
7. PATIENT We do enjoy reading your assignments (no, really!), but we are only human, so please do be patient with us if we haven’t got them back to you yet. We know that our students put a lot of work into their assignments and we believe they deserve our full considered attention when it comes to marking them – and that takes time.
8. PROFESSIONAL This might seem like a funny word to use to describe a student, but at ITC we are pretty serious about preparing you for a real job in the real world. We spend a great deal of time and energy working out how we can best help you achieve your dreams – but in the end it’s up to you. Treat your studies as a real opportunity to start your professional career in the airline, travel and tourism industries and you will be amazed at how far you can go!
Posted in Student success | Tagged Airline training, Aviation Training, Blogs, Career advice, Employment, ITC, ITC Award winning training, ITCNZ, New Zealand Tourism Training, Tourism training, Travel Training | Leave a replyTips on gaining employment
Posted on 17/07/2013 by itcnzITC’s Account Manager Ceri Jenkins discusses two of the key barriers to graduates gaining employment in the travel and tourism industry.
“I am often asked at careers events by parents of prospective students, ‘What are the chances of my daughter/son getting a job when they finish the course with ITC?’,” says Ceri. And his reply is always the same: “If you really want a job and work hard with us, you will get a job when you graduate. However, if you sit and wait for the job to come to you, you will be sitting for a long time.”
ITC’s students and graduates have gained something of a reputation for doing what it takes to get the dream career they love. Whether it’s working and studying at the same time, volunteering at local events, or taking part in the many opportunities the college offers students to get onsite experience, most jump at the chance.
And the majority of graduates understand that to land their dream job they need to start on the first rung of the travel and tourism ladder, says Ceri. But often two things stand in their way of even getting to the first rung: lack of customer service experience and no restricted or full drivers’ licence.
For jobs such a flight attending or check-in, says Ceri, two years of customer service experience is usually required.
“This is easily worked on by encouraging students to gain part-time work while studying with us. ITC works hard to create strong industry relationships that see our students regularly working or gaining experience in hotels, backpackers, tour operators, car rental companies, cruise ship check in and local attractions.”
“If a student is doing a six-month course with us, they then only need another 12 – 18 months of work experience to achieve the two-year target. Upon graduation students are also encouraged to focus on customer service roles in any sector of the airline travel and tourism industry. By the time they are 20 or 21 they can have the sufficient experience and maturity that roles such as check-in or flight attending demand.”
Going through the process required to get a restricted or full drivers’ licence is also strongly advised, says Ceri.
“It would be no exaggeration to state that about 25 per cent of the roles we advertise at ITC require students to have at least a restricted licence. Therefore, if you don’t have a licence, you are immediately restricting the number of jobs you can apply for to 75 per cent of those advertised.”
Ceri says jobs that require a licence are wide ranging and include any role at Auckland airport, many accommodation providers and ferry services.
“These are the kind of jobs where you may be working varying hours of the day and night and they may not be close to home. It is simply not feasible to reply on public transport or Mum, Dad or partner to pick you up and drop you off for most of these jobs.”.”
Many travel and tourism jobs also require staff to drive company vehicles, such as car rental operations or even activity-based companies.
“Auckland Bridge and Bungy, for example, prefer to employ staff who can drive the courtesy bus to pick up and drop off customers at hotels, motels and backpackers.”
Ceri acknowledges that there are obstacles with learning to drive, such as the cost of gaining a licence, access to a car or access to a parent with a licence to teach children to drive. But not having a licence can seriously restrict graduates’ employment opportunities.
“So get out there and get some experience and get your licence if you can,” he says. “These are two certain ways to enhance your employability.”
Posted in Student success | Tagged Airline jobs, Aviation Training, Career advice, Employment, ITC, ITCNZ, New Zealand Tourism Training, Tourism training, Travel Training | Leave a replyDo you want your career to fly high??
Posted on 16/05/2012 by itcnzAfter having been a stay-at-home mum for a number of years, Pauline Ratumu decided to pursue her dream of working in the travel and tourism industry.
Pauline was thrilled when she found about ITC’s Certificate in Aviation course. “Hearing that the qualification specialised in the airport/airline industry and knowing that this course offered the foundation knowledge for that specific side of the industry sparked my interest,” she says.
Since graduating Pauline has attained a job as a flight attendant for Air New Zealand. She is enjoying every minute of it and says the only downside is the irregular schedule. She says she loves having the opportunity to travel and to meet so many new people “and, of course, the duty free discounts!”
Pauline says that her study at ITC set her up well for her new role: “When I went through my training with Air New Zealand I found that what I studied in class was very useful as I had already covered certain areas though my Certificate in Aviation course.”
Pauline is looking forward to her future career, which could include working on long-haul flights and, in time, senior roles in the airline.
And she has some good advice for others looking for a future in the industry too. “Have respect for yourself and be yourself. Have a good, positive attitude in everything you do, and don’t let anything put you off or hold you back from getting you to where you want to be!”
Posted in News | Tagged Career advice, Travel and tourism careers | Leave a reply