Tag Archives: Internship

Les Roches Internship Fair

Posted on by
Reply

Each semester one of the proudest moments for the new HOII students or BSC S1s, as the case may be, is the Internship Fair.

It is our chance to show off what we did and where we went on our internships. As part of our internship assessment each student is asked to create a fact sheet about their hotel and experience, a report prescribed by the school and a display of pictures, brochures or any souvenirs they may have.

This is done in two batches and the results were amazing. We had 3-D models, glossy books, branded wines, sand from the beach in Greece, incense, music and various items from all over the world. It was a wonderful representation of the creativity of my classmates.

The fair is also an opportunity for the younger students to hear a bit of what to expect when they go on their internships in a few months. I very much enjoyed talking to my friends and colleagues to find out more about where they went.

Mr. Mioche the Career and Alumni Manager said a few words about the fair: Internship Fair prepared by Students after their first internship

Take a look at the Video below to see some of the displays.

 

Back to Bluche

Posted on by
1

So after 6 intense months of being in South East Asia I am now back in Jamaica preparing to return to Bluche for my next semester.

When you go off on your internship you don’t really realize how involved you get with the place until you leave it. Cambodia was such an awesome experience and I have made many good friends who I will hopefully get to work with in the future.

I could not have asked for a better or fuller experience at La Residence d’Angkor.
As a Management Trainee I was able to move through more than one department, gaining a more complete picture of the operational areas of the hotel. I spent the bulk of my time in Food and Beverage, 1 month in Front Office, 3 weeks in Housekeeping and rounded out my time in the executive offices working with the Executive Assistant Manager. As the hotel is small and intimate, I have had the opportunity to work very closely with the managers of each department and to join the heads of department morning briefing, which has been so valuable in gaining insight into the workings of the hotel.

As one of the few foreigners at the hotel, I was able to really get to know the Khmer people. I answered a lot of questions, most about “my country” (not many people knew where Jamaica is) and I asked a lot of questions about how they live. It’s funny how little parts of their culture travel with you when you leave. I have found myself trying to thank people first in Khmer, then in French and finally, the right language for this country, English.
My last weekend there, my dear friend who worked in Malaysia came to visit and I was able to play a real tourist for a bit and then amidst tearful goodbyes I got on the plane back to Jamaica.

The holiday here at home has been too short, but so good to recharge and get ready for the fun we are all bound to have in the Kitchen next semester.

Bon voyage! to all who are returning and Bien venue! to those we will meet for the first time back in Bluche.

Whitney

Happy New 2012 & less than a week to go…

Posted on by
3

I have a feeling that this year is going to be awesome with lots of fun to look forward to! It started off really well with New Year celebrations in London with good friends, and in just a few days I will be on a plane to Switzerland for my third year at Les Roches, and in June it’s already time for graduation…

 

And who knows what’s gonna happen after that?! My goals are set high and I’m going to work for what I want really hard. As long as I put my mid to it I think everything is possible. Friends are also a very big part of my life and I can’t wait to meet new and old classmates. During my time at the Marbella campus I had the privilege of meeting people who soon became very good friends. A hand-full of them are actually transferring to Bluche at the same time as me, and knowing that makes me really happy because they are some of the kindest and funniest people in the world. I know that together with them and all the new friends I will make, we will have a fabulous year.

I know that many of you new students are probably a bit nervous (I know I was) and I’m sure that a lot of thoughts are going through your mind right now, so I thought I’d try to answer some questions I got from a soon to be HOI student.

Are you happy with your choice of Les Roches? Was it tough in the beginning with a lot of work, feeling homesick etc?

I am very happy with choosing to study at Les Roches, and although I haven’t finished my studies yet I know that I have gained a lot of experience and developed important contacts for my future career that I would never have done without the help from the school. Just remember, especially when it comes to looking for internships, that the school will push you along the way but in the end it’s what you do of it that counts. Hard work and dedication are what will bring you forward in this industry! I don’t want to lie; first week of HOI was a shock to me and I wasn’t sure if I was going to make it. As you probably know, first year is “service” and for a whole week I was in stewarding polishing glasses and cutlery. I said to my self “This can’t be what I paid all this money for, to make glassware shine?!”, but it quickly became clear that this was only a small part of my education and good things only could come from it. Today, for example, I know how hard the stewards work in restaurants and that their job is very important to the business, and not only putting dirty dishes into a dishwasher. When striving to be a Hotel Manager, you need to learn the hard way and you must know how every department of your hotel works. There will be times when you feel homesick, and the best ways to cheer up is to surround yourself with friends, Skype with family, read a good book or why not STUDY HARD… Managing time is what you will come to learn at Les Roches because otherwise you will be swamped with exams and projects in the end… I say this from experience.

You did your first internship in Sweden. Does the school find it OK that you do an internship in your homeland?

I have been traveling and living abroad for a large part of my teenage years/early twenties and because of that developed a good knowledge of English. When I was offered to do an internship at a luxury hotel in Sweden for my first year, I didn’t hesitate to take it because I knew I would gain a lot of experience from it and still not drop my level of English. I think it’s a very good opportunity for students to move to places they’ve never lived before and learn a different culture and improve the language skills. I think the school also would agree on this.

I also noticed that your internship started in June, does that mean we won’t get a summer holiday?

You have to do a minimum of five months internship although many hotel’s prefer to hire you for six. Some want the interns to start in June and other’s in mid-July. It is up to you to find out how many days off the hotel can give you if you have signed for a six months internship. The shorter summer holiday you get the longer winter holiday, and vice versa.

And one last question… How can I improve my English in order to pass the language test in first year?

Some last minute advice is that you read an English novel and perhaps write down the words you have a hard time understanding and look them up as you’ve finished the book and make sure to keep yourself updated with the latest online news.

That’s all for now folks, see you end of this week.

Stay cool and keep warm!

X Filippa

Time for a Change

Posted on by
1

For most of my time here I was in the Food and Beverage Department. I learned a lot about operations, staffing, service and guest interaction and a little bit about the administration of running the department. But after three months, in what is described as a luxury boutique hotel with only a few F&B outlets, it was time for a change.

At the same time, a bigger change was taking place, a new General Manager became a part of the team here. It is has been very interesting to see two very different styles of management.

So for one month, I trained in Front Office and for the remainder of my time I will be training in Housekeeping and very briefly in the Executive Offices.

In Front Office I spent time learning about reservations, guest relations, transportation, concierge, room allocations and some basic reporting. It was both a joy and a pain to interact with guests on an hourly basis, but I was reminded of why I love this industry. You deal with so many guests that smiling and making small talk becomes a chore and your cheeks build some extra muscle.

Then, there will be a guest who really makes your day, like two guests I had from America. Because of the flooding in Thailand, they decided not to visit Bangkok but to fly straight home, I offered my services to help them reroute their plane ticket. This was easier said than done and I spent the greater part of a day on the telephone to people in various countries trying to get the right flights. The guests were of course anxious (they were both in their 70’s) but I did my best at putting them at ease. Had they been different people, I would maybe not have tried so hard to get their arrangements in order but they were just the sweetest people and I wanted to help as much as possible. As a thank you, they gave me a little present and really flattered me with their compliments. It’s situations like these that reconfirm why I want to work in hospitality.

I have now started in Housekeeping and as I move from department to department my understanding is growing. Having a bit of knowledge from each area and seeing the context of its operations helps when you get to the next. I find that the big picture is becoming clearer and it makes me excited to get back to school and continue studying.

One more week to go!

Cambodia Travels
There are a number of villages on the great Tonle Sap Lake that spend a large part of the year completely flooded. They are mostly fishing villages and they carry out their entire lives on the water, transported by boats and canoes around the villages and to land for supplies. It is such a completely different way of life. The houses are all built on stilts that are 5 meters or more. In the dry season there will be no water and in the wet season the water will be lapping at the floor boards. There are schools, police stations, temples and pagodas for worship, shops, guest houses and government offices all “floating”. There was even a pig pen and chicken coops. However, while it was very interesting to visit Kompong Pluk for the day, I don’t think that it would be my chosen place of abode.

Baby Dara (Star) and his sister in the background enjoying a lollipop.

Kompong Pluk

 

 

 

Mobile Shop

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

How to charge your ever important mobile phone

Hitting the Halfway Mark

Posted on by
Reply

The month of August has been filled with ups and downs.

For the first two weeks of the month the hotel was extremely busy with just about 100% occupancy and what is normally a quiet, calm place became a bustling hive of activity. As part of my internship package, I stay in one of the rooms of the hotel (I am one of the lucky ones) and because the hotel was so full I spent about 5 days staying in a different room every night and one night off property which was kind of fun but at the end I was glad to be settled in one place.

My major project of this month was to create a presentation on Breakages. At Les Roches when we break things (once I saw a whole stack of plates go down in Market Place) we get reprimanded and told to clean up the mess and life goes on. It changes a bit when the cost of the equipment you’re using is related to the expenses of the department and the profit of your employer and maybe even your staff evaluation at the end of the year. So my task was to make this presentation to see why our team was breaking so much and how we could try to fix those issues.

Cambodia Travels

We had a kind of Management Retreat which I was invited to join. I have to say that it is amusing to watch your managers, who would normally be well dressed in shirts sleeves and black trousers, wearing sports gear and jumping around with a badminton racket and playing volleyball. After we played sports we drove out to East Baray.

A Baray is a manmade lake and this one is part of the complex of Angkor Wat, it is not certain whether they were made for symbolic reasons only or if they were used for irrigation as well. We had lunch on the rice fields and spent a lovely afternoon eating and resting in hammocks.

Baray

The Rice Fields where we had lunch

Local Food

I also had the chance to visit Happy Ranch Horse Farm. It was almost like home and I loved sitting around playing with the horses and dogs and chatting with the stable hands (although I’m not sure they understood any of what I was saying).

www.thehappyranch.com

However, towards the end of the month, near to the 3 month mark I started feeling down. Internships are a lot of fun and can be very exciting but that doesn’t stop you from missing home. It isn’t as though you want to go home immediately but I realized that the whole summer had passed and I, for the first time, was not there with all my friends who were on break. It is something to think about when you choose your internship. As my grandmother would say, it’s “character building”!

Time flies when you’re having fun… or working hard

Posted on by
Reply

During the first month in the hotel, things were not very busy as this is low/rainy season but now after the second month there have been a few weeks of full occupancy and I have a taste of how crazy it can get. I barely noticed that another month had gone by.
My major focus this month has been doing some menu revisions and putting together a Pick up Chart for the service team. My wine course came in very handy for this. I had an entire a la carte menu, an extensive wine list, pictures and an ingredients list to work with. It took some long hours of consideration and much back and forth with corrections and revisions between the Chef and me and the GM and me but I finally finished. Having learned the importance of knowing exactly what was on the menu at school, I knew the pressure was on the make sure what I came up with was on the ball.

So now every day in briefing time the whole service team is doing pick up chart training with an emphasis on the wine pairings.

Otherwise, I have been getting more and more used to being here and the different customs of the culture. And as I get more involved in the work itself, I realize just how valuable the little things we learn at Les Roches are. That when you know how to do something properly, it simply makes things easier and quicker. If I could add a word of advice to any new or prospective students: there will be times when you wonder, why am I learning this or how in the world could this be useful? Embrace all of the training that we get because it will be important and I am try to help my Cambodian colleagues who don’t have much formal training to see these little things and ways of working and adopt them.

Cambodia Travels

On one of my days off, I went to visit the BanteaySrey Butterfly Centre where they farm butterflies and provide some local residents with the tools and equipment to participate in this sustainable activity and a small source of income as some of the cocooned specimens are sold and shipped abroad.

I also saw the War museum where local men who fought in the various Cambodian wars have a tour of the old artifacts. There was everything there from fighter jets to landmine shells, most were either Russian or Chinese made.  It gives you a sense of the destruction that took place here,  but as I left, it made me realize how far Cambodia has come in the small number of years they have had war-free.

1 Month In…

Posted on by
Reply

Angkor Wat Temple and its reflection

I have now been in Cambodia for a month. And what a month it has been! On arrival at the smallest international airport I have ever seen, the first thing I noticed was that it smelled like lemon grass and the air was warm and thick with moisture (its rainy season here), so unlike the mountains in Bluche. It was a welcome change after having travelled for a looong time. I spent the first few days taking it all in and getting over my jet lag.

Tuk tuk or taxi

Siem Reap is a very historically rich area and there are a number of ancient temples which span reigns of both Buddhist and Hindu kings and the overlapping of the two eras makes the buildings even more interesting.  I visited Angkor Wat and was blown away by the attention to detail throughout the structures and the homage paid to the gods of both religions. The town of Siem Reap is very busy and colourful with bicycles, cars, trucks, mopeds, tuk tuks and people sharing the thankfully wide roads.

A window in the temple gates

It took me some time to figure out exactly what side of the road Cambodians drive on and found that officially it’s the right but I must say that not many take this into consideration. There are a number of markets and quite a happening night life of pubs and restaurants filled with travelers.

Travelling alone, as I am, isn’t a problem at all as most are open to meeting any and all new people.

La Residence d’Angkor proved to be more beautiful than the pictures I saw before coming here. The property is absolutely stunning, full of greenery and wood it has a certain old-world charm. So far, work has been good, not overly busy because it is officially low season here along with the rain. When the rain stops sometime in October, tourism high season begins. My duties have not been too numerous yet as I am still getting used to the way of working here and the hotel itself. The staff members (and all Cambodian people so far) are very welcoming and ready to answer any questions. I feel quite at home already and ready to sink my teeth in.

I am certain that I will learn a lot, not just the techniques and service styles and the running of the hotel but culture and working with people as well.

Today I bought a bicycle… wish me luck with driving on the right side of the road!

Animal friends… beware of the biting monkeys.

See you later!

Posted on by
1

So after a few weeks packed with final practicals and final exams we all had to dig out our suitcases, get a number of cardboard boxes and pack up our rooms. It’s funny how somehow, without noticing it you accumulate and acquire so much more stuff than you came with, making it ten times more difficult to pack! Some of us are going straight on to HOII and are going on holiday but most are going to different corners of the world to start our 6 month internships.

It has been a long term packed with everything from how to clean different floors to how to calculate formulas like REVPAR and ARR. But it’s only been five short months. We have seen two seasons and the beginning of summer. Friendships have been forged and a good time had by all. I thought it would be nice to see what some of my classmates have had to say about their experiences in the past semester.

  • It’s been an insightful journey and a very practical year; you get to meet billions of people which is awesome.
  • Adventurous, exciting and new, a big change and challenge.
  • School is located in an isolated area, but the people are crazy and fun.
  • A mixture of experiences which would scare, excite and intrigue any individual, not a typical university.
  • A wonderful insight into the world of hospitality. I now know how to make my own bed.
  • A near death experience. (this from one of our more accident prone students this year with 3 falls, stomach flu and so many visits to the doctor)
  • Getting to know so many new people from different countries is one of the big advantages. Hopp GC! (a student from Zurich)
  • From a teacher: We are teaching discipline that will be necessary for the future not only our subject. It is a good lead in to the internships where this education will continue. It has also been my first semester and it has been an absolute pleasure.
  • The snow is really beautiful. Travelling is so easy and transport is really reliable.

Each person has had their own unique experience and we have all come away with a lot. I look forward to seeing my classmates again in January and hearing all about their internships which I am sure will all be very different and exciting.

For now I will be writing from Cambodia telling you about the country, its history and people and of course my internship as it progresses.

Cambodia: The Kingdom of Wonder

Posted on by
Reply

As I am about to set off on my internship in Cambodia I have decided to do a little profile on Cambodia. Only a few weeks left until the end of the semester…

Nestled in South-east Asia, Cambodia is bordered by Thailand, Laos and Vietnam.  It has been blessed with unequaled natural beauty, including its landscapes and wildlife.  The geography is dominated by the Mekong River and the Tonle Sap Lake which support the wildlife and provide the environment for the principle agricultural activity, rice cultivation.  Furthermore, it has a strong historical background since it has had inhabitants since around 2000 BC and today some of the ancient temples still stand.  Although the country has been shrouded in political unrest, and has had somewhat of a question mark beside it in relation to tourism, attitudes are changing along with the reasons people travel and the country has opened up to development and investment.

Along the Tonle Sap

Cambodia has the infrastructure necessary to facilitate tourism and has made the first steps towards creating a more tourist friendly environment.  In terms of travel routes the country has four major airports, two seaports and two train lines which run at least once a week.  In relation to roads, an article from the New York Times stated that some 21 road projects were being completed allowing better access to historical sites for visitors and importantly, better transportation opportunities for locals (Fuller, January 18, 2010).  Following that, although the official language of the country is Khmer, English and French are widely spoken and are being taught by schools and the monks in more rural areas. This sets the country up well to invite travellers in.

View of the main Angkor Wat temple complex reflected in a pool. The central towered portion appears on the Cambodian flag.

The “Land of Khmer” is rich in history, culture and architecture largely influenced by the French colonization and the people’s Buddhist beliefs.  Khmer people practice Theravada Buddhism and as such the land is dotted with beautiful historic temples.  To quote Lee, Y., & Chen, C. (2010) “the strength of Cambodian tourism lies in unspoiled nature and historical and cultural resources such as historical sites and architectural buildings”. In addition to this, dance plays a very important role in storytelling and can be either very formal or basic.  Here the dancers are accompanied by special orchestras including bamboo flutes and Khmer cymbals.  Another attraction to visitors is the unique cuisine based, of course, on rice and a unique blend of sweet, sour and salty flavours coming together in harmony in one dish or as part of the meal. Usual menus include a soup, two other dishes and one of the many rice varieties steamed.  The attractions to the country are endless and anyone visiting will learn, be fascinated and entertained by Cambodia.

Entranceway at the Bayon, a richly decorated temple at Angkor built in the late 12th and early 13th centuries by King Jayavarman VII.

There are some growth factors that position Cambodia as a country that is worth visiting.  Their economy has shown growth in recent years and continues to show good potential for coming years as proved by the statistic “Cambodia’s real GDP should expand by 6.5% (Cambodia economy: ADB forecasts growth recovery, 2011).  Another good news indicator is the discovery of oil in Cambodian waters and a plan to begin extraction in 2012, which would of course show further increases in GDP.  Most importantly, the last ten years have seen major investment in the country through the development of hotels for example, the Orient Express Group’s La Residence d’Angkor. These should act as a comfort for doubting tourists.
There are numerous reasons to include Cambodia on the “go there” list. The country has beauty, beaches, rainforest, wonderful hotels and a culture to dive into.  What more can you ask for in a destination? I am very excited to begin working there!
www.tourismcambodia.com

Reference List
• Fuller, T. (2010, January 18) Cambodia Takes to the Roads in Building Spree. The New York Times.  Retrieved May 3, 2011 from www.nytimes.com/2010/01/19/world/asia/19camboroad.html
• Lee, Y., & Chen, C. (2010). Examining and comparing the competitiveness of tourism industry in Cambodia and Taiwan: An assessment from professionals Journal of American Academy of Business. Retrieved May 1, 2011 from http://search.proquest.com/docview/324724724?accountid=45049
• South East Asia Map, Phuket Guide – Retrieved May 1, 2011 from www.phuket-guide.netphuket_mapsoutheast2.htm.gif
• The Economist Intelligence Unit (2011) Cambodia economy: ADB forecasts growth recovery  Retrieved May1,2011 from http://search.proquest.com/docview/863216375?accountid=45049

Internships

Posted on by
Reply

This week I signed my internship contract to work with The Orient Express Hotel La Residence d’Angkor, a 5 star hotel in Cambodia! So I thought it would be a good time to talk a little bit more about the Career Development and Internship Placement Office.

My internship process was not a complicated one and I benefitted from the presentations and interviews with different hotels organized at school.

Three members of staff and one Intern work in the CDIP office and assist everyone with gaining that vital experience or with planning their path after leaving Les Roches. I sat with Matthieu Mioche, Career and Placement Manager to ask him a few questions about the CDIP office. His team includes Joanne Norris-Smith and Raymonde Tapparel.

What would you say is the main purpose of the CDIP Office?
The main aim of CDIP is to be the link between students and the hospitality industry, supporting students with job or internship opportunities. We give advice on how to access these opportunities and about international recruitment and work eligibility.

What does or should an internship entail?
An internship is really practice in relation to what you have learnt in theory for that semester. But it is also about identifying with a company’s values and aims and wanting to work towards upholding those. It is also about the personal experiences and relationships that a student can build with their manager who is a leader, sets an example and can become a mentor for life.

Where in the world can a student go for internship?
This is unpredictable. Each day visa regulations are changing and a student’s eligibility to work will differ from country to country (e.g. the US J1 visa). The main things to think about when trying to decide where to go are visa regulations, language (some countries require a specific language and it can therefore become a barrier to working there), practice and ability (some enjoy luxury hotels or others may be more suited to working in a Brasserie or small boutique hotel).

Please tell us about the relationship that Les Roches has with a number of Hotels and Chains.
We try to invite a range of hotels to visit Les Roches each semester, catering to many types of markets. For example luxury to middle range, boutique to large resorts and also luxury retail brands. It is important to us that we try to gain exclusivity with some of the hotels that come here and if not that, a special guest (e.g. the C.O.O. of Orient Express), Les Roches Alumni also come into play. This semester we have had visits from Orient Express, Ritz Carlton International, The Landmark London, Louis Vitton (exclusive to Les Roches), Disneyland Paris, Rezidor Group, Hyatt, Four Seasons and Cultural Homestay International. These companies provide a variety of positions from first internships to permanent contracts.

How easy or difficult do you think it is for a student to gain an internship?
In this respect, you will find success in relation to how much effort you put in. You must be aware of the opportunities available and act swiftly and professionally in response to them. It is important to go to the presentations from the companies and have knowledge of them to see if they match you and your values or personality. Ideally, you should confirm an internship by the end of April as May can be very busy with exams and final grading. Some people are very quick in securing an internship and go all around the world while some find their first taste of the working world in a strange place very daunting and decide to go home for their internship. The most important thing is that you are happy in your choice and gain the best experience possible.

The CDIP is always trying new ways of reaching students and being more accessible, they are now on Facebook and subscribe to other forms of social media, working towards being more electronic and using less paper work, allowing for better interfacing between hotels and students. There is a section on the Les Roches website dedicated to CDIP Les Roches Website- Career & Placement.

Mr. Mioche’s responses have been paraphrased.