I will always remember my first internship in the F&B department when I faced the authority of the Executive Chef, the difficulty of Room service when we enter in the intimate space of our guests, the long banquet nights followed by early breakfast shifts.

Every day was so intense and so different from the past one, that I could not resist to know how tomorrow would surprise me. That’s certainly the reason why I am still working in the hospitality industry!

To be surprised and surprise…

Like when I was looking for possibilities to promote Novotel in Geneva without spending a lot of money and realised there was a lovely electric Renault Twizy in the underground car park, which our customers never used, even though it was one of our biggest USPs because none of our competitors offered anything like that for guests.

So I asked the GM if I could use it to raise awareness of the hotel because it was branded. It’s small, so convenient to drive and park in Geneva; cheap because it is electric, branded so better than a flyer. It was the perfect way to be a human billboard.

Live limitlessly is my motto and that is certainly why after eight years I am still working for Accor; “always looking ahead” is one of the company values and now that I am working in marketing, I have constantly to think about how to be one step ahead of our competitors.

I have always been very passionate about what I do and that’s certainly why the opportunities offered to me throughout my career made me believe the sky is the limit, and we should not underestimate our potential. I have been through several reorganisations and each one brought me amazing opportunities. They were very challenging, but I always learned a lot from what I did and from the people I worked with, and that took me further towards my goal.

To someone who is newly in the sector, trust yourself and your capabilities; be respectful and curious about the other departments, do not be afraid of change and build trust. You will always meet people who will support your ambition, because hospitality is about caring!

And to someone who is looking for work, hospitality is not the best paid industry but it will fill your heart with strong friendships, your head with unforgettable memories and your address book with precious contacts. It will also enable you to travel, to change from one department to another to discover new fields of expertise and to grow and learn fast; there are so many opportunities.

So, trust your heart and work with passion, you will be rewarded with a life that is not routine, you will have strong relationships and a lot of fun!