When I was in high school, I dreamed of coming to Warsaw because I thought it was a city with big opportunities. My plans for the future were completely different. As my biggest dream was to be an English teacher, I didn’t look for a job in hotels.

Then, completely by accident, I received a chance to start working in a hotel restaurant. Initially I didn’t think I would want to do that but I went for the interview and got it. After only few months I was sure I wanted to work in the hotel industry.

Because of this first job I gave up my degree in English and devoted myself entirely to working in hospitality. I started to study in the field of tourism and recreation, which strengthened and broadened my knowledge. Now I cannot imagine working anywhere else; it was one of the best decisions I have made. Everyone should try working in a hotel because it is a great adventure and offers constant personality development.

I have experienced work in various positions in different hotels. Every type of job has its pluses and minuses, but hospitality is a great opportunity to build character, self-confidence and motivation, and for me that is the best way. Over the years, I had a chance to be a mentor and mentee. For me, being a mentor is the opportunity to give someone something that is really important to me, a bit of my experience and knowledge. I also get the benefit of their experience and knowledge. We have worked through situations to find the best way of doing things.

As a mentee, usually this person does not know he’s my mentor, as very often it’s my current manager. What do I get from them? I learn how I can manage people, how I can manage the hotel and coordinate all processes being done in the hotel. It’s great that everyone is different, I can learn different things from them.

The best way to be a good manager in hospitality is to be natural and not pretend. I always try to support my team and help them with any problems. I do not give them solutions but they know that when they come to me, we will talk and at the end of the conversation they will know they can find the answer themselves. I want them to think about what is the best thing to do. I always have time for the team – that is very important in my relationship with them.

Anyone joining the hospitality industry should know it’s not a piece of cake. To achieve the success young people need to start from the beginning, for example, in reception or F&B team. Working in hospitality is really exciting, even if someone does not have any experience. You need to just think about the positive sides of the job and be patient. I know many people who have started in the reception team and they are now great hotel managers. In hospitality everything is possible.