Insights on Hospitality

By Cai Jia Sheng

Discover+ is a series of online industry panels which give students the chance to interact with working professionals and learn about the careers they aspire to enter. These panels provide youths and working professionals with the opportunity to better understand industry trends, hear first-hand perspectives from industry professionals, and gain valuable advice on entering or navigating these industries.

On 21 June 2022, Advisory hosted Discover+: Hospitality, the 60th edition of the Discovery+ series. Speakers on the panel included:

• Sylvia Low (Moderator), Director, Strategic Owner Communications & Events, Asia Pacific, Hilton
• Christian Westbeld, Managing Director, Raffles Hotel Singapore
• Jean Wong, Director of Front Office, Operations, Fairmont Singapore
• Oomar Paurobally, Director, Restaurant & Bars Operations, South East Asia & Korea, IHG Hotels & Resorts

Attendees included students and working professionals with a desire to know more about the healthcare sector, and how to best position themselves to enter this line of work. Below are some key points shared during the session:

What is the hospitality industry about? How do hotels operate?

Hotels deal with a spectrum of functions – from working in finance, to human resources, sales, and even legal aspects. As no two days are the same, every day is dynamic in the hospitality industry. Staff also need to be trained on soft skills, such as cultural savviness and personal presence when learning how to interact with international guests.

What are the career opportunities in the hospitality industry?

There are a lot of opportunities in the industry. However, to thrive in the industry, it is most crucial to know yourself well. For example, are you interested in a structured environment, such as the finance department, or in a customer-facing environment, such as a sales role? Working in hospitality includes the various business functions, so in that aspect, it goes back to what types of work best suit your personal skill sets.

What does career progression look like in the hospitality industry?

This boils down to expertise and experience. For technical roles requiring a certain degree of expertise, you may consider taking up new courses. For other roles including sales, you may consider taking up new and relevant challenges at work. Progression is quite standard and similar to most organisations.

What are the essential skills required in the hospitality sector?

The ability to think on your feet is important for roles in operations. Moreover, you would also need to have the product knowledge to provide a seamless experience to the customers. But most importantly, a positive, bright, and resilient energy is required in hospitality. Go with a positive attitude, be curious, and do not forget to smile! To break into the hospitality industry, do consider having referees who can vouch for your outgoing personality.

Any tips and advice for those looking to land a job or internship in the sector?

First impressions matter! During your interview, show how you can be a team player. Also, be prepared to work on unpredictable schedules. If you are working in daily operations, do be mentally prepared that the first 90 days of your work as a front-liner will be difficult, you will make mistakes but make sure to learn from them. Your managers will be happy to help you along.

What makes you stay in the hospitality industry?

You can derive a sense of pride from providing good service to the clients. Having good conversation with customers across cultural backgrounds is also particularly motivating.

What is the most fulfilling, challenging, and memorable part of your work?

The aspect of generosity, like in the case of building hotels in remote locations, is rewarding. You are building communities by being a part of the hospitality industry. You may also develop lifelong relationships with clients and your colleagues. Through your role in the industry, you are sure to also gain empathetic qualities such as graciousness and patience.

What is the future of the hospitality industry?

The population around the world is still growing and people are still traveling. As a result, fundamentally, the industry is growing. Digitalization helps in process improvement and people, and management starts to work very differently.

Authentic experiences may constitute part of the future of hospitality. Sustainability will also be a game-changer. Authorities from travel destinations, including Singapore, have already been working closely with the hoteliers to create experiences that are unique and innovative.

What are the qualities to work in a regional role?

The key is to be respectful when working with colleagues across different time zones and offices. Also, be inclusive when collaborating with others. You will also need to think about how to add value to the organization, especially in the areas of profit and loss. Equip yourself with leadership and project management skill sets to work in a regional role.

What are some of the expectations when working in the hospitality industry?

Long hours are still generally expected in the industry. Nonetheless, the mindset is shifting to go beyond recruitment. In recent years, employers have started to recognise the importance of career progression and compensation when thinking about retainment.

During COVID-19, technology including contactless procedures helped to keep employees in the industry safe and improve existing processes. The younger generation will be able to assimilate faster to new processes and technology.

What are some of the misconceptions revolving around the industry?

Is mobility a must? At times, family commitments may come before your career. This may result in you turning down mobility opportunities. However, you may still grow with the international organization despite staying put in the country.

What would you say to convince young job seekers to enter the industry?

Mistakes are allowed in the industry. You are allowed to find your way in the sector – from procurement to finance. There is also much room for you to grow as a person in the industry. Also, you get to see the world and work with the nicest people. Give yourself 6 – 8 years in the industry, you would likely achieve reasonable success as a hotelier and have lots of fun!