Study abroad diary: I studied hotel management in Switzerland

Switzerland's hotel and tourism management major is world-famous. Whether it is the Swiss Hotel Management School Association or the Swiss Education Group's school, it has a professional teaching and internship system. We can confidently say that if you cannot learn the most professional hotel management knowledge in Switzerland, you will not achieve what you want in other countries.

In the entire learning process, I think internship is the most important stage. Not only is it a way for me to test the knowledge I have learned, but it is also an opportunity for me to truly integrate into Swiss life and directly experience the local customs and customs. Let’s start with finding a job: When it comes to finding an internship unit, each school’s situation is different, and the situations in the German and French districts are also different. From my personal experience, in addition to possessing the qualities required by the employer, the professionalism of the school teachers and the reputation of the school students’ past internships are the key factors for your admission. Many schools have teachers who are responsible for student internships. Their job is to help you find a satisfactory internship hotel. Many times, teachers will contact multiple hotels for you to interview, and students can choose where they want to practice. Of course, there are also irresponsible schools that will just push you to any place, regardless of whether you are satisfied or not, it will be considered as if they have completed the task. In fact, during your internship, the teacher and the school must also keep in touch with you. The teacher will come to the hotel regularly to ask about your situation and difficulties. In other words, the school will always be responsible for us unless we leave Switzerland! It is recommended that students should master more local languages. Even if your speech is not perfect during the interview, people will think that you are studying hard and are willing to work in German or French.

After finding a hotel for internship, the next step is to get into real work. Many students will complain that they are too tired from work, or have no friends and cannot communicate. But please think about the hotel industry. How can you reach the top in one step? Even the boss started as a waiter. I personally cherish this opportunity. Tiredness is inevitable. We are all spoiled children in China. We have never had the experience of serving tea and water to others and cleaning the room. It requires a process of adaptation both physically and mentally. . But when your efforts are praised by the manager and when you get your salary, you will be proud of yourself! Not only have you defeated yourself, you have also won the recognition of others! When it comes to salary, the salary of our interns must not be lower than the Swiss minimum wage, which is about 2,200 Swiss francs (before tax). My personal after-tax salary is 1942 Swiss francs. I am responsible for my own food and accommodation. Many hotels provide room and board for employees, but a portion of the room and board fees must be deducted accordingly, which is also a good choice for us students. You can also rent a relatively cheap house with your friends. Of course, with your efforts, you will get an uncertain amount of tips, which depends on your personal performance. Some people can get 300-400 Swiss Fa per month, while others only get a few dozen. Believe in yourself, efforts and rewards are directly proportional.

Let’s talk about interpersonal relationships. Why do some students say they are discriminated against, saying that their status here is low and no one takes them seriously? But why not find the reason from yourself? The most basic thing is, as a service staff, do you have a professional appearance? Foreigners attach great importance to this. If your shirt is always wrinkled, if your hair is always messy, if your leather shoes are always dirty, then they will think that you are not responsible for yourself, and you will not be responsible for it either. A trustworthy person. Why do you always feel like others are ignoring you? Ask yourself, have you taken the initiative to communicate with your colleagues? If they don't speak English, are you willing to try to say "Good morning!" to them with a smile in German or French? At the end of my internship, my colleagues held a farewell party for me, and everyone was reluctant to leave. Everyone also left their contact information, and the manager’s comments to me also included that I got along very well with everyone and made many good friends! I believe that no matter which country you are from, no matter how arrogant or cold they are, when they feel your sincerity and your efforts, they will warmly welcome you to join us.

In addition, many people will ask about where to stay after graduation. Everyone knows that Switzerland is a non-immigration country, and it is very difficult from the immigration office to stay in a formal job! But we still have students who have successfully stayed. It depends on whether the unit you choose is reputable in the local government and whether your position is urgently needed. Many hotel managers also welcome students to stay and continue working.

But from another perspective, many students do not want to stay and continue to work as waiters because they feel that the domestic hotel industry is in urgent need of professional talents. Our social value will be fully reflected in the country, so why not come back?

In general, many things