CHOICES ANALYSE CALDWELL ALWAYS WANTED TO DISCOVER WHAT MADE PEOPLE TICK, SO WHEN AN OPPORTUNITY TO STUDY HOTEL MANAGEMENT CAME ALONG, HER CAREER CLICKED INTO PLACE PERFECTLY.
EXPERIENCE THE CHANGE
We had a horse, a goat, a dog, cats and rabbits. At one stage we had three sheep called Freezer, Freezer and Freezer – one by one they disappeared...
Tertiary life is deďŹ nitely different to school – you are studying not because you have to but because you choose to. My advice to others would be to use this transition time to do as much as you can. Take all the opportunities and experiences you are able to. Change can seem daunting at times but equally exciting. Although at ďŹ rst you may feel homesick, don’t focus on what you’re missing out on but more on what’s at hand and to be experienced.
FINDING A CAREER
NEVER BORED
AS A CHILD I WAS HOMESCHOOLED, ALONG WITH MY SISTER AND TWO BROTHERS, ON A LARGE LIFESTYLE BLOCK IN PYES PA, TAURANGA.
I always had a desire to ‘know’ everything and discover how and why things were the way they were – especially people and the way they thought and acted and the possible reasons behind this. In my last year of school, I came across an associate of PIHMS (PaciďŹ c International Hotel Management School). She explained the practical and theoretical aspects of the course as well as the one year of paid work placements included in the degree package. The variety and travel caught my interest as well as the versatility of skills and subjects learnt. The main aspect that sold me though was managing people in a way that best ďŹ tted their strengths and weaknesses to the functioning of the operation.
HANDS-ON DEVELOPMENT The three years I spent studying at PIHMS were not only super fun and a great social experience but a place where I learnt a variety of new skills, built on others and developed as a person.
DIVERSE AND CARING The aspect I enjoyed most about PIHMS was being in an environment consisting of a mix of diverse cultures. We worked a lot within groups (practically and theoretically) and, although frustrating and challenging at times, this was the best way to develop one’s character. It was the hard times which I appreciated most as they made me the person I am. What I found unique to PIHMS was the support and genuine care by lecturers for the individual wellbeing of the students that really motivated you to do the work and do it well. Not only did they care about you as a person but they cared about your progress and the manager you would some day become.
Since graduating in 2008, I gained a job as Food and Beverage Manager at the Qamea Fiji resort and spa. The best moment of my career so far – other than living on a beautiful island surrounded by warm weather and clear water – is actually applying what I’ve learnt and experienced throughout the years and adapting it to the different environment of the Fijian culture and the operation of the hotel. What I enjoy most about management is always having the variety, never being bored with the work involved, and having endless room to keep growing and developing as a person. There’s always more to be discovered, as the more you put yourself in different environments (whether it be workplace, country or culture/people) the more you learn about yourself and those around you.
FAILING IS PART OF SUCCEEDING My advice though is that it’s not so much the destination that counts but the journey along the way. It’s not all easy but the hard times are the most valuable. Never give up hope, and remember that failing is part of succeeding; we only get knocked down to learn to pick ourselves back up. If you are unsure of what you want to do or be, don’t stress about it. Just do as you do and be who you are – everything else will fall into place. Make use of every opportunity as it’s the opportunities that deďŹ ne our lives, even the ones we miss! What’s worse than failing is not having tried!
The applied skills involved hands-on experience from all aspects and departments of a hotel. The theory and academic subjects were varied covering all angles, including marketing, statistics, strategic management, organisational behaviour, applied research, computing, sustainable tourism and accounting. It was the industry placement side of the course that I especially liked – having the freedom to choose any destination in the world where I wanted to work for six months and applying everything I had learnt, and coming back to build on that. 34 Tearaway March 2009
WD B0$5 BY LQGG
I suppose I have a really loose interpretation of ‘work’, because I think that just being alive is so much work at something you don’t always want to do – Andy Warhol
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