Reflecting my time at OSHM

Our 2019/20 Committee member Isabelle Hunter Simmonds reflects on her time at OSHM. She also speaks to some of our society members to see how OSHM has helped them plan for life after uni.

Like so many of my graduating classmates, the last few weeks have provided the opportunity to both reflect on my last three years at Brookes but also think about my future and where I’d like to end up.

Whilst it's true that many of us do pursue roles within a hotel, it is also important to recognize that the skills we learn at university also develop us for far more opportunities within the job market. While studying International hospitality and Tourism Management at Oxford Brookes, I studied a variety of modules including;

• Financial Management in Hospitality & Tourism
  

• Revenue Management & Pricing
  

• Global Business Communications
  

• International Marketing
  

• People Management
  

• Leadership & Professional Development
  

• Festival & Cultural Events Management
  

The list goes on… As a hospitality student I’m constantly asked, “but what did you actually learn…?”  Well my answer is not a simple one, and that led me onto this post. Hence I thought it would be worth sharing just how many subjects we cover, and the variety of an education we receive.  It wasn’t however until I saw an essentially identical post by Ilia Pevtulidi (will share below), that I realised how common the misunderstanding of our abilities are, and how important it is to share our skills so that we may help employers see how we could be an asset to their company!  As hospitality graduates, we are versatile in our skills set. We have a broad understanding of many aspects within a company from finance, to marketing and leadership.  We are taught about developing ourselves, both in our competencies of soft skills and of our understanding of how to motivate and work more efficiently in such diverse environments.  As an example of some of the roles we're looking for as graduates, and some of the roles past students have gone into, I reached out to a number of my peers and friends to prove just how our varied skills set can lead to a range of job opportunities. While individually we could talk all day, below are just a few comments that briefly explain our thoughts on the course and how our lives have been impacted as a result.

"Before coming to Brookes I wasn't too sure what I wanted to do. I knew that hospitality could teach me a lot of different things but even then, I couldn't have anticipated all the subjects I've been exposed to at Brookes. Two subjects that have really interested me are Revenue Management and marketing. I never thought I would consider either of these jobs but now I find myself intrigued in those areas." - Mahin, Director of Marketing for the Bacchus Society

"I always knew I wanted to work in the travel & tourism industry, but the international hospitality course at Brookes offered a wider view of the hospitality environment with access to the business school modules. This has meant I could really tailor my learning towards the areas I was interested in e.g. International business strategies and Business ethics, whilst maintaining a focus on hospitality. For the 3 years of study and 1 year of industry experience has opened my eyes to jobs I didn't even know existed, so now I am looking at a career completely different from my plans pre-university, but one that I know I am better suited to!"

- Mae

"One of the best decisions of my life was to choose Oxford Brookes for my studies. Allowing me to work in one of the most luxurious hotels such as The Ritz-Carlton and Corinthia gave me a different perspective of life and challenges to face. However, more importantly, long-lasting friendships from all around the world. Graduating now with an Upper Second Class and working in PR&Marketing for a luxury brand in Budapest feels ell deserved, but cannot wait what the future holds and see you soon Oxford."

- Anna

"I always knew hospitality was the industry I wanted to go into but when I started university I was unsure of the particular area o hospitality. Brookes has shown me so much about the industry and taught me a lot about management while allowing me to focus on areas I am passionate about including customer relationship management and international business strategies. after 3 years of studying and 1 year working in America, I am now focusing on a career in hotel management and Human Resources."

- Sarah

"What can I say about our course is that it not only gives you an outlook on academic knowledge of hospitality and tourism but also equips you practically to function in your future job. We get experience in people management and project management as you know which are very important experiences to have in the current recruitment world. These experiences give confidence that you can be a manager perhaps in the future. When I finished my assignments a couple of months ago, I just wanted to get back to work and applied to man places. Hospitality was not an option for me unfortunately due to COVID so now I work in a nice small decking company where I feel that my learning is being supported."

- Priscilla

---

By Isabelle Hunter Simmonds

Follow The Baccchus Society on Facebook, Instagram & LinkedIn @oshmbacchus2020