My Experience of Working in the Hospitality Industry
“People will forget what you said, forget what you did but they never forget how you made them feel” — My Hospitality Mantra
I was always moved by the way my mother catered to every guest with a warm smile even after a tiring day at home. We were always taught, “Guests are God”. In my opinion, this is exactly what Indian hospitality is based on. The sense of being hospitable to anyone who crossed over the threshold was imbibed in me from a young age. Thus, driving me to enroll myself in the International Institute of Hotel Management.
I still clearly remember my interview day. Chef Shaun was my interviewer. He was very enthusiastic and his enthusiasm was contagious. I was instantly happy and excited about my journey ahead. It was a remarkably interesting journey through college, filled with challenges. One of the most challenging experiences was to learn food production or cooking from an industrial perspective. Kitchen classes taught us to be persisting, methodical and organised. Not everything was easy but the drive to improve has always helped me to push myself forward. Exploring diverse topics ranging from spices to liquor, and from bed sheets to flower arrangements was an everyday affair. Each day I could learn something new. I got a chance of being a part of casual training in the Hyatt Regency Kolkata, and that was the first time I realized that not everything in the hospitality industry was a bed of roses. I came back home from a 12-hour training exhausted but thoroughly satisfied. 200INR, that was my first salary!
Later on, I got a chance to get trained at Taj Bengal, Kolkata. That was a lifetime experience. I worked in the front desk, kitchen, housekeeping, food and beverage, laundry, and banquet sales. Every department had its own challenges but was equally satisfying. One of those days I met Ruskin Bond, my favorite author of all times. There were days when the simplest acts of mine brought a smile to the faces of my guest and that felt like achieving a milestone. The training taught me how just a small gesture of a smile can brighten someone’s day.
Meeting various guests helped me shape my personality and I gradually realized that I am best suited for food and beverage service. With the increased determination I did my major in food and beverage in my third year of college and got placed in the United States of America for an internship. I worked with Madeline Hotels and Residences under the resort chain of Auberge in Colorado. My understanding of hospitality suddenly increased a thousand times more. I became aware that working towards serving guests makes me feel alive. Meeting and making others feel happy makes me feel like fulfilling a purpose. Hospitality has shaped me into the warm and welcoming individual I am today. The global exposure in the USA made me rational and always open to the changes and creativity around me.
To me, it is a great feeling when someone who is away from home feels like home and I have the tiniest bit of contribution to it. Yes, it’s hard sometimes to be always smiling when you don’t feel like it but the satisfaction of touching so many lives through service is what overcomes all the hardship and complications. A small conversation over the bar counter while making a drink can make a huge difference in someone else’s life. This is what I love about what I do.
