Importance of English Language in the Hospitality Industry.

Over the years, I have witnessed  that  many hospitality  students secure good placements and few find difficult to get good jobs. The reasons could be plenty. However, one of the important reason is their English communication skills.

Communication Skills can be verbal or written .In Hospitality Industry Context; it is the English speaking and writing skills. The industry demands for these skills as they are extremely important for Guest & work place interaction. Guests or customers are of different nationalities and English Language has become an common medium for communication. Learning these skills are as important as the technical skills. Efforts should be taken by Hospitality students to enhance English Language .These pointers could help the Hospitality students.

1.Identify and accept that the problem  to speak and write  good English exist.

2.Once accepted, set a target. The target can be 12 months to 18 months to enhance  your skills.

3.Always speak English with your peers.

4.If you still find it difficult to cope, join good English speaking courses. These could be online or offline courses.

5.Watch good  English Movies and English Programmes on Television .

6.Focus to learn neural English without any accent.

7.Read Good English Novels, Newspapers, Magazines and so on. Go beyond text books.

8. Practice to speak and write Good English without grammatical errors.

9.Find a good teacher or mentor who can guide you.

10.Be focused ,determined and work hard.

Being a Chef

As I interview new set of students for the Hotel Management course at our Institute, I always ask them the reason to choose Hotel Management. Most students tell me that they love cooking and would like to become a Chef. But the reality is only few choose careers in Culinary after they complete the 3 year Hotel Management course. Most of them are inspired through the television cookery shows and celebrity chefs. However, during the 6 months internship in a star hotel, as they go through their kitchen training, most realize that their core strength is not cooking and look for other options in the Hotel or in the service Industry.

Working in kitchen is not an easy task. Its plenty of hard and physical work. Domestic cooking for 2 to 4 pax is different than cooking for large numbers. One should have the real inclination and passion towards food and cooking. Its highly technical and skill based. Cooking cannot be learnt overnight or going through recipe books. It involves constant practice.  Only such passionate individuals can be a successful Chef. So next time if you decide on becoming a Chef based on a television show, think again!!!!!

Learning through Travel

I remember a proverb in Kannada which states  Desha Suttu Kosha Odu which means Travel the places and Read the books .Education is all about knowing.  Just reading the books and acquiring the knowledge is incomplete. It is said that The World is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page.  I have learnt a lot through travelling.

Travelling can be local, regional ,national or international .Visiting new places ,interacting with people ,experiencing cultures and traditions, understanding the socio, economic and business dynamics enhances ones knowledge and brings  changes in attitudes and perspectives. Travelling opens up the mind. It widens ones horizon and builds confidence. Travelling teaches life skills .These life skills are essential in today’s world. Most institutions organize study tours and field visits.  My suggestion to the students is to participate in these activities.

At Apeejay Institute of Hospitality, Navi Mumbai, we have integrated travel component into the curriculum. The students are taken to Fish Markets, Vegetable Markets, Vine Yards, Cheese Farms, Emu Farms, Food & Beverage related industries and many more. The institute also organizes international tour to the students. Gaining International Exposure takes a long way in their careers. Never underestimate the value of travelling. So next time when you have an opportunity, just pack , get set and go…………………

Angles of white space:

Many times, we wish we had more than 24 hours as we are unable to give time to many of our personal or professional activities . However, I have observed that many will balance their personal and professional life beautifully without any compromises. It is all about managing oneself effectively and achieving all the domains of life. One concept I have read and I practice is about ‘Angles of White Space’ which Mr.Subroto Bagchi writes in his book ‘The Professional’.

White Space according to Mr.Bagchi is the empty space that we find every day. Be it while travelling to work in a coach, waiting for meeting to start or waiting for a flight at the airport. There are many instances in a day where we can discover white space. This white space can be proactively used to complete many unfinished tasks such as reverting to all the messages, phone calls, reading & replying mails to reading books, listening to music ,  connecting with a old friend ,family  and many more…… This is the best space that can be utilized to complete several unfinished tasks. It requires little planning and organizing.

The best thing is to carry a small pocket size diary  or just a note pad will do. Write ‘things to do’ . Keep updating the diary or the pad at regular intervals. Once the task is achieved, keep ticking YES .The ones that are still NO, do it the next day. Use technology to your advantage. Evaluate the number of tasks completed before going to bed. You will be surprised to see that you have completed more than 90% of your listed tasks. That’s an achievement. It gives you immense satisfaction. Life is all about managing time which is giving time and receiving time .Remember that little steps taken everyday adds up to big results. Never procrastinate any task for lack of time .Do it today and do it now.

Graceful Exit

In this competitive world, most receive job offers or apply for jobs with other organizations. However, few of them leave the present organization without proper notice or hand over. Its not wrong to leave your present job for other prospects. However, the way one leaves matter the most .In this blog, I have penned down few points about ‘Graceful Exit’.

1.Its important that one leaves the present job gracefully. Follow the terms and conditions in the letter of appointment. Most organizations have minimum of one month notice period and at senior positions ,it may be two or more months.

2. Serve the notice period fully. Leaving abruptly will affect the organization and your credibility .Remember it’s a small networked world.

3.Work with the same enthusiasm, commitment and motivation till the last relieving date. Do not keep taking leave just because you need to exhaust the pending leave.

4.Hand over everything to your boss, colleague  or the person who has replaced you. It may be even a small thing like a company badge or a borrowed book from your company library.

5.Introduce people  and share all the contacts that you have developed to the person who has replaced you.

6.Never demotivate your colleagues   just because you are leaving .

7.Its not right to bad mouth about your present organization. Always remember, the present organization have taken care of you and also contributed towards your growth and career.

8.Thank every one on  your last relieving day. This can be done verbally or a nice mail can be sent .Also, furnish your contact number and personal email id.

9.Complete all the relieving procedures .

10 .Its always good to leave  gracefully so that you are welcome again to your previous organization  .

The 3 C’s for Effective Communication

In today’s competitive environment, the success of an individual depends largely upon they way one communicates. Communication is an integral part of any process.  The mantra for effective  communication depends on these 3 Cs which are Content, Confidence and Communication. Each ‘C ‘is most critical and vital. The absence of any one ‘ C ‘can lead to  poor communication. These 3 Cs can be applied while making Presentations, Public Speaking, Group Discussions, Interviews, Meetings , Formal or casual conversations.

1.Content: The quality of communication is based on content. Content is the subject matter which comes from Knowledge, Skill and Experience. Good Communicators work on good content. They best way to acquire content is through reading, research and constant updation.

 2. Confidence: The next important aspect to effective communication is the confidence. Communicating boldly and confidently in front of audience with positive body language creates great impact. Confidence comes from experience and constant practice.

3. Communication: This is the 3^rd C which is the most critical and vital. The effectiveness   of communication depends the chosen language, expertise in the language, grammar, clarity of thoughts, speed, body language, gestures and voice modulation.

Though these 3 C’s looks simple, each one have important role to play. Keeping these pointers in mind will certainly lead to effective communication.

Internship in a Hotel : A Great way to learn

Recently ,I submitted by  my Thesis on Internship Experiences of Hotel Management students in Mumbai for my Masters in Philosophy (M Phil ) programme.  As I was collecting the data for my research, I interacted with more than hundred students and captured their experiences. Every student of Hotel Management undergoes six month internship in a star hotel as part of the hotel management degree course curriculum. The students were from different colleges and were studying 3 year hotel management or hospitality studies. The exposure to real life situation is priceless .These are some of their positive experiences

·         Learning new skills and enriching knowledge

·         Interacting with real guests who belong to different nationalities and cultures

·         Experiencing a 5 star property which offers various products and services

·         Working with people which has enhanced the people management skills

·         Friendly Work environment & employee facilities

·         Meeting Celebrities

·         Being part of events and festivals

·         Opportunity to experience different cuisines

·         Developing Leadership & Team Management Skills

·         Change in perception and attitude

·         Taking up responsibility and being accountable

·         Enhanced career prospects

Hotel Management is one of the few courses which offers compulsory internship.  Its a great way to learn  for a career in the hospitality sector.