Experience of 2nd year student Janice Ng Voon Siew, Janice

Name of OSIP company: Cactus Resorts, Sanya (Hai Nan District), Gloria Hotel

1) How did you go about applying and finally getting there for your OSIP?

The OSIP application was a fairly simple process and made possible by our school which had already arranged with the company to take in our students. I only had to apply formally and attend an interview, during which I was told clearly what was going to happen and to have any doubts cleared up. The school also assisted to book my flight to China. All I had to do was apply for a visa to be an intern in China for a period of four months.

2) Having had IS (International students) as peers back in school, how was it like to be in an environment with greater IS presence?

I was used to having international students around me and found no problems adapting to the environment in Sanya. My trip to China made me realise that without learning and adaptation, one will never be able to survive in a new place and in new surroundings. I brushed up on my Chinese language skills as best as I could too. I also included in my Chinese vocabulary many of the terms used in a resort/customer service setting. The people were also very understanding and explained things to me if I had any problems understanding.

3) What are some learning insights that you have gathered from the OSIP Company?

I learnt how to manage stress better, communicate better and develop useful administrative skills. I also gained more insight into the culture of China.

4) Highlight any specific encounter(s) at work where you applied technical knowledge or skills acquired from any subjects that you had learnt in the course.

In school, I learnt ‘Opera’ (a hotel operating system) in the subject “Lodging Systems and Operation”. I was able to apply it to great effect while performing my duty in the hotel’s front desk. Even though they were using ‘Fidelio’, a slightly different system, I was still able to understand the system better than I would have if I had not learnt it in school.

5) Having been through this Diploma in Hospitality & Tourism Business course for the past 18 months, how do you see yourself fulfilling your personal goals and planning for your career in the future?

I definitely believe this overseas internship will better position me to secure a job in the future. Moreover, this stint allowed me to display my ability to adapt to my surroundings, which is a quality people look out for. I have learnt self-confidence and determination throughout my OSIP and this will definitely boost my chances of fulfilling my personal goal of holding a managerial position in the hotel industry.

Experience of 2nd year student Kelvin Huang Junyou

Name of OSIP company: Cactus Resorts, Sanya (Hai Nan District), Gloria Hotel

1)How did you go about applying and finally getting there for your OSIP?

It actually started with an urge to explore places further away from Singapore. I always thought that going overseas to work was an exciting challenge. Working in Singapore was a norm for me and I know what to expect from it. But by stepping out, I knew I had to start from scratch, adapt to a new culture and environment, meet new people, and experience a new lifestyle.

I started by focusing on which of the many hospitality and tourism businesses I wanted to get into. I started sending my CVs to several overseas companies. Things were going well as I got several replies. Later, I heard about possible internship placements in Gloria Hotel in Sanya, China. I decided to focus all my efforts to getting it.

I fully prepared myself and attended an interview conducted by two of my lecturers who were working closely with the company to fill up internship positions. With determination and sincerity, I aced the interview!

Travelling arrangements were subsequently made. Both my school and the overseas company had communicated and they came to an agreement on the internship start date and end date. I collected my tickets one week before my departure and found myself headed to Sanya on 14^th September 2008, and to fulfilling my interest to work overseas!

2)Having had IS (International students) as peers back in school, how was it like to be in an environment with greater IS presence?

The international exposure I had back in Singapore and the one I encountered in my OSIP in China were rather different.

Being with international students back in Singapore meant that I was like a host, inviting them into my life and my culture. We were not just fellow students, interacting for academic purposes; we were also building friendship in and out of class.  As such there was a close sense of camaraderie at many levels.

In Sanya though, I was the one being introduced into the working world of those in the hotel. My relationship with them was more that of fellow colleagues in a real work setting. We learned how to segregate between what was professional and what was personal. This I felt was an important lesson for me as it will better prepare me for the day I graduate and step out into the working world.

3)What are some learning insights that you have gathered from the OSIP Company?

I have learnt so much from my OSIP.

From the macro perspective, I gained a better understanding of the different tricks and trades of the hospitality and tourism industry, the tourism trends and situation in China’s tourism landscape.

From the micro perspective, I learnt how to better handle human relations and different facets of organisational behavior. I also found out more about the unique local Chinese culture.

4)Highlight any specific encounter(s) at work where you applied technical knowledge or skills acquired from any subjects that you had learnt in the course.

I completed a proposal to revamp the bar facility in the hotel’s lounge, and that allowed me to apply key concepts I learnt in my previous semester from subjects such as Principles of Marketing for Hospitality & Tourism,, Principles of Management, and Accounting Principles for Hospitality & Tourism.

5)Having been through this Diploma in Hospitality & Tourism Business course for the past 18 months, how do you see yourself fulfilling your personal goals and planning for your career in the future?

These past 18 months were really rewarding though it felt like the time just flew! I had not only obtained more knowledge about the whole spectrum of tourism, I also exposed myself to the diversities the world had to offer. With people from other countries as my classmates, as well as the OSIP experience, I had definitely matured both academically and mentally.  This was precisely what I wished to achieve before I joined The Tourism Academy @ Sentosa.

I will be approaching the tourism industry with not just my academic knowledge, but also as someone who now has a better understanding of what globalization entails.