Student: SINEAD

Degree: BSc Hospitality Management,

College: Dublin Institute of Technology (2010)

Work Experience: Six-month hospitality internship in Wellington, New Zealand (2009)

Reference: Article written by gradireland.com and will be featured in the gradireland Work Experience and Internships 2010 Guide.

For my third-year internship placement, I spent six months in New Zealand working in a five-star boutique hotel. Although I had no idea what I’d be doing, the experience exceeded all my expectations.

I began organising my trip towards the end of my second year (the placement began in the second semester of my third year). DIT had connections with some US resorts, but these didn’t appeal. I got in touch with Intern Options and after discussing my options with them, I decided to go to New Zealand. I found having the safety net of an organisation like Intern Options reassuring. DIT was also very supportive – no one from college had ever travelled that far for an internship although I think they will in the future.

Working in New Zealand

I’d worked in hotels before, but always in their sales and HR departments. As I was able to experience all the different departments, I developed an in-depth understanding of how a hotel is run. As well as overall inductions to the hotel, for each area I worked in I had a day of training. To begin with I worked in housekeeping – this way I got to know my way around. Then I moved to reception where I worked full-time for five months. I also worked in the restaurant whenever I could.

During my time on reception, the morning was taken up with checking guests out and keeping in contact with housekeeping staff. I also had to keep on top of the cash and tills, answer the phone, take reservations, and deal with guests checking in early. I learnt a lot – reception really is the hub of a hotel.

Accommodation and Living

I organised my own accommodation and lived in a backpackers’ hostel for the first month. Although in some ways this wasn’t ideal as I was working full time, I absolutely loved it! After a while though it was very nice to move into a flat where I didn’t have to share a room with six others!

Living away from home

The travel aspect was one of the major appeals of my internship – I visited Hong Kong and Vietnam on my way back to Ireland. For me it was about more than just the work: it was about living far away from home, trying to find my own way and learning from the experience.

If you’re interested in a Hospitality Internship in Wellington, New Zealand just like Sineads, check out the Hospitality & Tourism Internships page for more information.