After a couple of difficult weeks, and the promise – unfortunately- of more to come, it’s now time to get back to writing.
Since this blog is about tales of hospitality, I thought it would be useful for my readers to understand a little bit about the particular characteristics of a hotelier…
To be a hotelier does not require to possess complex skills, like for let’s say, an astronaut or a rocket scientist (it’s NOT rocket science :)), I would rather say it requires a mixture of passion (I know, such an overused word these days..) and excitement to wander into the unknown… An open mind can help too, although traveling will open it for you without you realizing it… Actually a diploma in psychology could very well help you too!
If you like a calibrated life without too many surprises and discoveries, then maybe you should reconsider starting a career in the hotel industry… on the other hand if you want adventure and experiences in very diverse cultures, then it could be for you
Well, rather than writing pages about what I love about being a little dot wandering around the world, here are a few thoughts :
- Travel, of course! but also get to stay in and experience countries and cultures, with all the pros and cons
- Feeling privileged to live a unique life
- Does not seem like a job, travel, meet incredible people and still get paid for all of this!
- Most industries have their networks, but nothing compares to the EHL spirit, almost like a brotherhood around the world…
- In our ultra electronic and impersonal era, working in a hotel is a great way to meet and interact with people from all walks of life (100 or 200 members of staff, and many different guests any day, all with different needs and expectations…)
In the last 22 years, I was able to live in 12 countries…and I have the feeling I have lived different lives…. and I sure there are a few more to come 🙂
After my military service ended in 1991, I worked for 6 months as a night auditor in a hotel near Geneva… during the daytime I would send my CVs all over the place, there were no emails at the time so everything had to be sent by post mail, and the few replies I got were along those lines :
“unfortunately you don’t have enough experience for the position…”… so how am I supposed to get experience if I always get this answer, I told myself???
So I called my good old school friend, George, and told him I was going to pack two suitcases and move to Cape Town on January 1st 1992, and would he be kind enough to lend me a space in his flat for a few days until I get settled?
Not only he did that but he put me in touch with a few restaurants and hotels in the city, so 2 weeks later I had my first job as a Restaurant Manager at “Signatures”, a California inspired cuisine prepared by a Swiss Chef, another graduate of EHL….at “The Arena Entertainment Center” on the Waterfront of Cape Town….
And that’s how it all started….
A la semaine prochaine!
