Hospitality graduates share careers advice

Hospitality graduates and students pose for a selfie

The vibrant development of our Hospitality and Tourism graduates, with their passion and great affinity with our programmes is a constant source of inspiration to current students in the Oxford Brookes Business School.

It adds additional value to the existing Bacchus Mentoring Programme that supports our students throughout their time at Oxford Brookes University.

We were delighted to host a Hospitality and Tourism Career Talk on 29 November, which featured a panel of Hospitality and Tourism graduates who shared their industry experience with an audience of students and academic staff.

The industry panel of graduates included:

  • Mariana Zilhão de Sacadura-Botte, Global Sales Executive, Lore Group UK;
  • Benjamin Amram, Revenue Management Analyst at Shangri-La Paris;
  • Lucas Hemshall, Group Operations Managers at The Executive Centre Hong Kong;
  • Chien-Chieh Wang, Management Trainee at The Carlton Tower Jumeirah UK;
  • Chloe-Annabelle Darby, Deputy General Manager at Royal Foresters Ascot UK;
  • Stephanie Segoura, General Manager at Marriott International London who is also a Hotel Mentor in the Bacchus Mentoring Scheme;
  • and Anna McInnes, General Manager at Leonardo Royal Hotel Oxford UK, who is also our Hotel Mentor.

Our panelists offered high praise for the quality of our Hospitality and Tourism programmes that has nurtured them to their current positions in industry, through elements such as the placement year, subject knowledge and mentoring programme.

Lucas Hemshall, Group Operations Managers at The Executive Centre, Hong Kong said:

“There is so much more you can do with an Oxford Brookes University Hospitality and Tourism degree. The experience not only prepares you for a career in Hotel Management, but also in a wide range of events, and retail positions.”

The panelists shared interview tips and offered a to-do list for the current Level 6 students to prepare for their job applications. They also encouraged our students to persevere when job hunting. The mentors provided specific career application processes within their companies, as well as hands-on interview tips, developing their note-taking habits and being willing to go above and beyond in their first jobs in industry.

Graduate Chien-Chieh Wang speaking to current students about his career.

The event was also a wonderful opportunity for our graduates to reconnect after embarking on their chosen career paths.

After the event, two graduates kindly connected our students and academic staff to their managers where there will be opportunities to take part in field trips, management trainee jobs, and participating in the Oxford Brookes University Careers Fair.

This event offered exciting new opportunities to strengthen our students’ employability skills and career development.

Dr Kate Mingjie Ji, Subject Coordinator for Undergraduate Hospitality and Tourism Management added:

“As a staff member who taught all of these graduates, I am extremely proud. Their success confirms that the work we put into our programmes has been successful in supporting them achieve their career goals and defines our strong brand in the hospitality and tourism education space.

Many thanks to Dr Gordon Yan, Programme Lead, Hospitality, Tourism and Events, Anna Klenert, Senior Lecturer in Hospitality and Tourism Management for supporting the event behind the scenes; staff representative Dr Rosa Codina, Senior Lecturer in Events Management for forging ties with our alumni panelists; and Dr Sara Hannam, Interim Associate Dean Strategy and Development for delivering the opening speech.