How Are You Going to Spend Your Summer?

As you are all now getting ready to take or already taking your exams, you are no doubt thinking ahead and looking forward to your summer. Some of you will be graduating and going out to start your careers in hotel and tourism, which is very exciting. Others will be starting or perhaps continuing a placement. Still others may have plans to just take time off from school. However, whatever your plans, the summer is a time for you to expand your knowledge of this wonderful business of hotel and tourism management that you are pursuing through your education at SHTM.

Don’t worry, I’m not going to suggest you read another textbook, study another subject, or anything that serious. What I want to encourage you to do is explore.

So, if hotels are your interest, go visit some. Yes, just get dressed up a bit in those professional clothes you all look so good in for presentations in your classes and walk around the lobby and public areas of hotels in Hong Kong or wherever you are this summer. In fact, I’d suggest you take time to introduce yourself to a front desk person, concierge, server in the restaurant, etc. Tell them you are studying at SHTM and you want to know more about what it is like to work in that hotel. You might even walk up to a manager you see in the lobby or at a restaurant (I know that will take some courage) and say hello. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised at how receptive to you they’ll be. Another option if you are too timid to speak to someone, might be to just sit in the lobby or have a drink in the lobby bar for a hour or more and watch the employees and guests interact as they check-in or out. Think about what it would be like if you were running that hotel.

For those with tourism interests, I'd suggest you go visit some of the well-known tourist attractions in Hong Kong such as the Peak Tram or Avenue of the Stars. However, don’t just go to see the attraction, go to observe the tourists and employees at the attractions. Again, talking to an employee of the attraction or even few foreign tourists about their visit could be valuable time spent for you. Another thought would be going out to Hong Kong International Airport and just walk around a little and observe what everyone does. You could go up to a service desk of one of the airlines, if they aren’t too busy, and introduce yourself to them too. Attractions such as Ocean Park or Disney are even easier as you could go for a fun day, but also take time to talk to those great employees serving you while you are there. How about cruises, well you don’t even have to go on one, just go visit Ocean Terminal and see how it is done when people are checking in or arriving for a couple hours. What about travel agencies, if they have a retail store operation, stop in and ask them about travel destinations you might want to visit someday, you don’t have to buy one if you aren’t ready, just see how it’s done.

If you are doing your placement this summer, don’t just spend all your time at the company you are working for, go visit the competition too on your day off. Of course, those of you looking to start your careers, but haven’t yet found the right opportunity, you certainly should do the same and even go to the human resource office to apply for any positions they may be seeking.

Enjoy your summer and make the best of it in every way, believe me, it will pay off for you in the future.

Looking Out for Your Future

It’s been awhile since my last blog, but I think there is a great opportunity coming your way on Wednesday, March 24 … Career Day and I wanted to be sure you take advantage of it.

During your studies at SHTM, you’ve no doubt heard that the hotel, tourism, and convention and event industries value you and are keen to have you pursue your careers in the field. However, the reality is that they aren’t standing outside of your classroom doors just waiting to sign you up; you have to seek them out and let them know of your interest in their organization. The only exception to that is Career Day! This is the one day a year when they come looking for you!!

Career Day is extremely important to all final year students, of course, but it is also an opportunity for others to learn more about what options you have to pursue your career and even WIE placements. We have numerous companies and organizations coming to meet you and tell you more about what they have to offer, but you have to do your part too. You have to prepare yourself for the future. First, you have to show up to meet the representatives of the companies and organizations that will be here. Second, you have to spend time to learn what you can about the companies and organizations in the hotel and tourism field. One way you can do that is through researching the companies online in advance. Another, even better option, is by attending the information sessions they are holding during that day. It doesn’t matter if you’ve ever heard of them or not, go to the information sessions, you never know when you will discover a whole new potential career path and they will be very happy to meet you.

So, let’s all show these companies and organizations how glad we are that they’ve come to your door this one time a year and go to the Career Day activities in large numbers. They’ll be impressed with you and you’ll be better prepared for your future afterward.

Get Started Building Your Credentials: Join In!!

Let me first welcome you back to campus, if you are returning for another year of study, or say hello to you if you are just joining us at SHTM. Last year, I started writing this blog about various things you should know about our undergraduate programmes in SHTM. The objective is to keep you better informed and perhaps give you some guidance with the decisions you need to make about your future here at SHTM and afterward when you join the industry. Your comments and feedback are also encouraged.

My first topic this year is one that I hope all of you will consider right from the start of the semester, how you can get started building your credentials by joining one of the many student organizations we have in SHTM. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard industry professionals say that one of the important qualifications they look for is a student who was involved in student organization activities. We also look for it in the candidates we interview for postgraduate programs. So, believe me, it is an important criteria we all consider in the hiring or acceptance process. In fact, it could make the difference between whether you get the job or admission to a postgraduate program or someone else gets it.

SHTMSA (School of Hotel and Tourism Management Students' Association) is one you are already automatically a member of by being a student in SHTM. However, the real opportunity is for you to get involved in the many activities SHTMSA has planned. We’ve got another great group of leaders this year in “Starlight”. Later in the year, some of you will even have the opportunity to consider running for office. The faculty advisor to this organization is Dr. Eric Chan who can be reached at hmeric@polyu.edu.hk

We also have three other student organizations Eta Sigma Delta, HFTP (Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals Student Chapter), and PATA Young Tourism Professionals (Pacific Asia Travel Association Student Chapter also known as YTP). You have to be invited to be a member of Eta Sigma Delta, which is based on your academic achievement. The faculty advisor to this organization is Dr. Prakash Chathoth who can be reached at hmkc@polyu.edu.hk. The other two student organizations, HFTP and YTP are open to all students who have an interest in that area of the hotel and tourism industry. HFTP starts the year off with their first meeting on 28 September at 6:30 p.m and one of the first activities is electing new offices. HFTP’s faculty advisor is Dr. Henry Tsai at hmhtsai@polyu.edu.hk and YTP’s faculty advisor is Dr. Thomas Bauer at hmthomas@polyu.edu.hk. Please feel free to contact any of the faculty advisors or check out more information on the organizations at the websites noted below.

Additionally, we have many other professional associations in our field of hotel and tourism management who have student membership options with discounted annual dues and would welcome efforts by you to form chapters here at STHM. Those include Meeting Professionals International (MPI) for students with an interest in the convention and event management field and Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI) for those students with an interest in the sales, marketing or revenue management sides of both the hotel and tourism industry. I’m a member of both of these organizations and Dr. Ada Lo and Dr. Basak Denizci also belong to HSMAI. If any of you are ambitious and you want add a big plus to your credentials, be sure to let me know and I’d be glad to help you get a chapter started of these organizations.

So, now is the time to Join In! Get your new school year off to a good start and build your credentials at the same time, get involved in one of the current student organizations or consider helping get a new one started in your area of interest. I’m always available to talk more to any of you individually about it too.

Websites of STHM student organizations:

SHTMSA:
http://hotelschool.shtm.polyu.edu.hk/eng/ssupport/shtmsa_introduction.html

Eta Sigma Delta:
http://hotelschool.shtm.polyu.edu.hk/eng/ssupport/esd_introduction.html

HFTP:
http://hotelschool.shtm.polyu.edu.hk/eng/ssupport/hftp_introduction.html

PATA Young Tourism Professionals:
http://hotelschool.shtm.polyu.edu.hk/eng/ssupport/asia_overview.html

Deciding on Doing an Honours Thesis or Choosing Which Two-Credit Elective to Take

Starting next year, all of you in the BSc programmes are going to have the option of doing an Honours Thesis or taking two Level 4 electives. The Honours Thesis is a 5-credit requirement taken over two semesters. So, if you decide on the two electives, one will be a 2-credit subject and you will have three 2-credit subject options you can chose from to combine with a 3-credit subject of your choice. Since this puts you in a position to make choices, I want to be sure you consider all of the options carefully.

First, let’s consider the option to do an Honours Thesis. While I know many of you might first think you will gladly opt out of doing an Honours Thesis, there are some things you might consider before making that decision. If you have ambitions to pursue higher level degrees such a Masters or maybe even a Ph.D. or DHTM in your future, the Honours Thesis would be a highly recommend option to take as it will better prepare you for those studies. Another consideration might be if you have found a particular area of hotel or tourism management that hasn’t been covered in depth in your subjects and you’d like to explore on your own, then an Honours Thesis is a great way to do just that. I’d also add that if you like research and/or doing statistical analysis (something I learned I enjoyed only after I got to my Ph.D. level), then definitely chose the Honours Thesis option.

Okay, knowing most of you will opt for the electives, let me give you some further thoughts on the three different 2-credit subjects you can chose from. The subjects are finance, customer relationship management, and e-business. I realize that the first thing you’ll probably think about is which one will be easiest and choose that one, but before you do, stop and think about your future career and what the industry might expect from you.

For those of you in hotel management, I can assure you that knowledge of finance is critical to your success no matter what area of hotel management you plan to pursue. I was a sales and marketing person in the hotel business most of my career and believe me, I needed to understand financial considerations in every decision I had to make related to MICE industry business, as well as how to establish and manage marketing budgets. This is particularly true when we are in an economic downturn. The management of hotels today involves financial decisions and many of the owners of hotels are financial institutions, so if you are going to be a leader in the hotel industry some day, you are going to need to understand the principals of finance.

The other two subjects are customer relationship management and e-business. Should you decide that financial management isn’t the way you want to go, even after my advice above, then here are some things you might consider in choosing between the other two subjects. If you enjoyed the marketing subject you took and/or if you have a particular interest in the sales and marketing aspects of a hotel or promoting a destination, then customer relationship management would be a good choice between these two options. This subject is a good way to learn how to put marketing concepts you’ve learned into practice. It would be a particularly good recommendation for tourism students who like destination marketing or management. E-business is another choice. I don’t have to tell any of you how important e-business is today; you see it all around you everyday. This is a big factor in the travel industry and it is also an important subject for those who might want to own your own small business someday, the entrepreneurs amongst you ought to consider what you can learn about creating e-businesses related to hotel and tourism. Tourism students with interest in the travel industry or even aviation should consider this as a good subject for you in particular.

Regardless of what option you choose, be sure to consult Willie-Wilson Chan, your academic advisor about it. This is also a decision you should feel free to use the “Voluntary Faculty Advising” program for, as we’d all be happy to discuss our thoughts on the choice you have to make and give you advice on what might be best for you depending the area of the industry where you want to pursue your career. Willie can also help connect you with a faculty member.

Good luck with making you choice and have a great summer. See you again in the Fall!!

There is No Such Thing as a Bad Placement

So, why do I say there is no such thing as a bad placement, or even second-class placement? To answer that, you have to consider the objectives of a WIE placement opportunity are. Certainly, one is to learn how to apply what you learned in classroom to the “real-world”, but another very important objective is for you to experience how managers in the hotel and tourism industry manage people.

On the first point, I’ve heard a number of concerns expressed by SHTM students lately, including at the most recent Undergraduate Programme Committee meeting, indicating a sentiment that the only good learning experience is with a five-star hotel or a top level travel organization. Well, I have to tell you that simply is not true. As we all know, the industry is experiencing a very difficult financial situation right now and it’s the hotels at the top of the luxury class and the travel companies who cater to the major global financial corporations who are suffering most. On the other hand, McDonalds is one of the few companies in the USA whose stock has gone up. I’d also point out that three-star hotels in Mainland China are in better shape with occupancy declines than five-star hotels, in fact some five-star hotels are now pricing themselves in the range of three-star properties in some cities just to get business. So, consider the fact that you will learn more about how to apply what you learn in the “real world” if you have customers to serve than if you are doing your placement where business is slow. Also think about it, those making money are more apt to give you more opportunities in the long run, right?

Of course, I don’t mean to imply that a placement with high-end brand hotel or tourism organization isn’t a good thing; it’s just that you can learn from every experience at this stage of your learning process. In fact, when I was in a senior management position with those high-end brand hotels, I often looked to recruit managers from less well-recognized and even less luxurious hotels, because I knew he/she had learned a great deal from that experience and would appreciate what a high-end brand had to offer.

Another challenge some may face is that you end up with a supervisor or manager who doesn’t give you much time or even respect. Our W.I.E. team, Chris and Edelweiss, do everything they can to try and prevent that from happening, but reality tells us not everyone is good at supervising or managing people. Therefore, if you should have an unfortunate situation where the placement doesn’t end up being everything you hoped it would, first let Chris or Edelweiss know, but also consider turning the situation around yourself. What I mean is reflect on it and take it as an experience to learn what you wouldn’t do if you were supervising or managing someone. I know some of my best lessons in management came because of people I worked for whose management style was ineffective. When that happened to me, I tried to make sure I didn’t manage the same way he/she did myself.

As you finish your exams and begin your placements, I trust you’ll keep my words of wisdom in mind. You have to make the placement work for you; it’s really up to you to make the most of it, not the organization or even the supervisor or manager you work with. Enjoy it, have fun, and of course work hard!

Learning More About Your Career Choices Through “Voluntary Faculty Advising”

The Hotel and Tourism industry offers you many different potential career options. Even though the current economic downturn has made finding those opportunities more challenging for you, it is still an industry that gives you many choices.

You certainly learn about many potential career options in your subject lectures and through the industry professionals who come to campus as “Professor for a Day”. However, you might have more questions about specific career paths in the industry and even how to get started. Recognizing that fact, we have created a new career advice support system to help give you direction on the best career path for you. As part of our academic advising programme we began this year through Mr. Willie-Wilson Chan, we now have added a “Voluntary Faculty Advising” support system for him to refer you for career advice.

We have a great deal of industry experience on our SHTM academic staff/faculty and we want you to take advantage of it. Therefore, we invited faculty members to join a “Voluntary Faculty Advising” pool by letting Willie know what our special areas of expertise are so we can provide advice to you. For example, I have a great deal of experience in hotel sales and marketing, so my name is on the list for sales and marketing career options.

Of course, this is open to all undergraduate students regardless of what year you are in. Willie can connect you to one of the “Voluntary Faculty Advisors” who is an expert in your interest area. He says “Don't hesitate and come talk to me. My door is always open for you!!" and now he has even more to offer!

SHTM is Providing Support for Final Year Student’s Job Opportunities

As you are all well aware, we are facing the worst global economic crisis of your lifetime, if not mine. I’m sure this is making many of you who will be graduating soon anxious about your future. While there is no easy solution for this dilemma you are facing, we want you to know that faculty and staff of SHTM have begun taking several actions to help better connect you to future job opportunities.

One of those actions is the establishment of a "Career Appointment Services (CAS)" provide by our Industry Partnership office for you. The objectives of the CAS are:

1. Assist our final year students in getting jobs in the hospitality industry
2. Facilitate our industry partners to recruit our graduates.

The "Career Appointment Services (CAS)" works as follows:

Sometimes SHTM faculty and staff may receive requests from industry friends to refer or recommend students to an organization. Some may refer or recommend students they are most comfortable with to the directly to the organization. However, in other cases, they may want to reach a broader student audience or more information is needed, so in these cases the SHTM faculty or staff member will refer the requests to CAS.

CAS will follow up with the requests, collect more information about the offer, and communicate with all of you, the students. CAS will communicate with students via email, website or notice board.

The CAS contact person is Edelweiss Yeung (email hmey@polyu.edu.hk, tel 34002646). Since this is a new service, requests have only just begun, so it make take a little time before many job opportunities are identified, so be patient as we are working on it.

In addition to the CAS, other job referral options might be taken by SHTM faculty and staff, depending on the nature of the job openings and each faculty member's individual preference on referring, such as:

• When there is a job referral opportunity identified by faculty members, they can either notify all eligible candidates or pre-screen the candidates for the organisation as one option.

• Another option will be to utilize the SHTM Student Association External VP as a liaison to the students when trying to access student interest in a specific job opportunity.

• Another avenue for referring specific job opportunities is by refer students that faculty have advised in the Honours Thesis process as they are more familiar with these students and their capabilities. So, be sure your supervisor knows of your career path interests

Still other actions we (the faculty and staff of SHTM) are taking are:

• Introducing students to any potential employers at the Professor for a Day and Career Day on March 4.

• Subject Lectures have been encouraged to lead their classes to visit the exhibitors at the Career Day on March 4 as one of the class activities to promote awareness of job opportunities.

• Utilize the SHTM Alumni Association network to proactively assist in the recruiting process by encouraging them to think first of our SHTM grads.

Another key initiative is the Student Year Book you probably have already heard about. The School is preparing a Student Year Book for all final year students in 2009. All final year students have been invited to provide a brief profile and a photo to go into the Student Year Book. The Student Year Book will be distributed to our industry partners, for us to encourage them to employ our students upon graduation. Students are reminded to submit their information to the School by 26 February 2009

Other options regarding the possibility of continuing your education or working as research assistants are also being explored through the entire PolyU efforts to help you. You’ll hear more about those options soon.

So, as you can see, we are working on being pro-active on your behalf to identify job opportunities even in these difficult times. As I said earlier, it won’t be easy, but hopefully it will be easier with all of us working together. If you have any other suggestions or thoughts, please feel free to let me know.