Cheniel's executive position secured through five-star service

: Created: 03 March 2020

Cheniel (27) from Battersea came to the UK when she was 16 and immediately enrolled at the College to study Travel and Tourism. She met tutors Clare Pitchford and Catherine Alford who told her all about the many different career paths to be had within this huge sector. Inspired, excited and full of enthusiasm she began her journey.

“London South East Colleges is where it really started for me,” says Cheniel, “Travel and tourism is a subject that encompasses so many different types of careers in a number of related industries from hotel, entertainment and venue management to holiday and travel agencies and many more besides.

“So many doors are opened for you when you achieve a qualification - it gives you a solid foundation to build on and fills you with confidence. Each day you attend lessons, you learn something else and your skills and knowledge increase. Your confidence also gets a giant boost and you start thinking bigger and become more ambitious.

“When I left the College after three glorious years, there was simply no stopping me. I landed a job at a hotel in Gatwick Airport as a food and beverage waitress and after a year there I landed my first job with the Marriott Group. This was to be the single best move I have ever made and where my career really took off.

“Firstly, I was employed as a Guest Relations Executive taking care of our customer and VIP guests, receiving complaints and requests, dealing with and fixing problems, listening to and recording feedback and acting on suggestions or instructions; doing everything possible to improve our service and uphold our reputation as one of the finest brands in the world. I loved it!

“After this I moved on to become Duty Manager at the London Marriott County Hall Hotel on Westminster Bridge where I dealt with operational and staff management.

“I’ve recently been promoted again to Group Sales and Events Executive in our Regional Office where I now take care of sales for events and meeting spaces across twelve different hotels. This is a new challenge but one I relish. Only through the experience I have picked up in my previous positions can I handle the high levels of responsibility that this job entails.

“Marriott Group are an amazing company to work for and they value their staff very highly. There is always a career path that can be followed no matter where you start in the company. On-the-job training is always available and opportunities to better yourself and seek promotion is welcomed.

“Like in any other industry or sector, achieving your ambition relies very much on having one to begin with. Drive, enthusiasm and belief in yourself and your abilities is crucial. With these in hand, it isn’t long before others see your potential and invest in you.”

Next week, a cohort of twelve students from various courses at London South East Colleges will be descending on the five-star London Marriott County Hall Hotel. There, they will be putting the skills they have acquired so far to the test as they shadow key staff for a week of valuable work experience. You can read more about this by clicking here.

If you think you have what it takes to become a professional and build a successful career in the hotel, tourism and leisure industries, we’d like to hear from you. We have a great range of courses to get you started. Apply now.