Placement Exceeds Kate's Expectations

Kate Baranova, a third year International Tourism Management student who is currently on her placement year tells us about her experiences as she decided to divide her year into two individual internships, to maximize her learning experience.

Kate says that the learning opportunities were beyond her expectations and has spent the last 10 months working directly in the Hospitality industry. The first six months she was based in Abu Dhabi, working at the St. Regis property. She has since completed her first placement and has relocated to Alicante, Spain working in the Hospes Amerigo hotel. Here is what Kate has to say:

“At both placements I primarily worked as a Front Desk Agent, occasionally cross-training in other departments. Now based in
Hospes Amerigo, I am improving my skills and abilities at offering a true 5-star service, learning from a very experienced team. The hotel policy is to never to say ’No’ to a guest’s request

but offer an alternative instead - which provides for some very interesting problem-solving situations and allows me to think on my feet. On top of that, I get to learn the ropes of operating the Front Office and how it is central to general operation of the hotel. It has helped me to become certain I would like to develop my career in the luxury hospitality industry further, and both internships have given me the skills needed and has developed my existing skills. I currently get to experience the Spanish culture every day, and it has definitely improved my language skills”

She would recommend to all Tourism and Hospitality students to participate in a placement year to gain industry experience and exposure, explaining the practical knowledge gained through industry experience is impossible to learn in a classroom setting.