Hotel Management Student Sowvik Sen Chowdhury Interview

Firstly I would like to say thanks to CTH for giving me the opportunity to introduce myself. I am Sowvik Sen Chowdhury from Bangladesh. I’m currently studying the Level-4 Diploma in Hotel Management at Mornington College of Business. I previously completed my A-Levels at the British Council. About my family background, my father is a retired Army Officer and my mother is a Housewife. My strengths are hard work, quick learning, motivational skills and punctuality. My weakness is that I easily trust anybody. However, I'm happy being myself, which I didn’t used to be. I used to hide in other people, or tried to find myself through other characters, or living out their lives which I didn't have. But now I'm happy being myself. Interview: What inspired you to study hospitality management? Thanks CTH! Frankly speaking I’m not a brilliant student but that doesn’t mean that brilliant students don’t study Hospitality Management, they do! From the age of 14 I always wanted to be a manager and owner of a 5 star hotel, or a cruise ship, or a casino. When the time came to get the admission to University most of the people I asked suggested I study Business Administration, so I got prepared for that subject. Suddenly I heard about Tourism and Hospitality Management, which is a directly career linking with hotels, casinos, cruise, airlines and also many other fields. So I thought that if I followed that road I could be a successful Hotel or Casino Manager within 6-10 years, so I could fulfil my dreams. Careers in these industries are always colourful and enjoyable all together. It’s an industry of adventure! Did you take any hotel management training before starting the CTH Level 4 Diploma in Hospitality Management? Unfortunately not. But from October 2013 I’m going to join an internship program organised by my college. There I hope to learn a lot of practical experience which I can use in my career. Also CTH has agreements with loads of hotels for training programs. You are currently enrolled at Mornington College of Business in Bangladesh. How did you decide this was the right choice for you? Yes! Definitely this is the best decision of my life. Because the hospitality industry is one of the world’s most dynamic industries and continues to grow every year. This industry will provide many employment opportunities for people with the right qualifications, and studying Hospitality Management exactly is the kind of education and skills that Hospitality Managers require to succeed. Also our course is recognised as one of the best in the UK and many other countries and has a truly global reputation. It will provide me with the skills and knowledge needed for a successful career in this dynamic and varied industry. Also MCB is the first college that provides a UK degree and the course fee is not bad at all. The Staff of our faculty are very friendly and also they provide excellent facilities to us. In my opinion this is one of the cheapest colleges offering CTH programs. What have you most enjoyed about the course? This is a course that is very interesting and pragmatic in hospitality and tourism industry around the world. This is the aspect I have most enjoyed in the course curriculum. One of the difficulties for students trying to get work after any course is that employers want previous work experience. Have you had any work experience so far? And if so, how did you get the opportunity? Basically, this course offers big opportunities in the job market. This subject is not available in our country. That is why I going to join our regional hotel in a part time basis, because I am studying Hotel Management they cordially offered me the position. What are your plans after you finish the CTH Level 4 Diploma in Hospitality Management? First I need to complete my target, which is to achieve Level 3 and 5 (Both together). I’m doing this because each level will give me different stages of knowledge and this may help me to gear up my career. Then I’ll transfer my credits in USA or Canada. And...Ohh sorry!! …Before that I would like to attend a training program (1 Year) under IHG Academy in Thailand. Besides my training session I’ll attend some certificate programs. For example, Cruise Ship Management, Casino Management or something like that. Where would you like to see yourself in 10 years? What is your dream? In the next 5-6 years I would like to be a General Manager of a recognized Hotel, and then I will try to open 2-3 hotels and restaurants in my home country and also a hospitality school. In the next 10 years Tourism and Hospitality industry is going to be a booming sector and Bangladesh will really benefit from that. About hotel schools, actually there currently are not enough good quality hotel schools in Bangladesh and loads of people have a bad idea about Hospitality Management. So I want to show and make it clear that this is a perfect course for anybody to develop their career and a better future. What are your hobbies? What do you like to do for fun? There are many hobbies keeping me busy! Among them I prefer mostly surfing, the internet and finding out the things which are related with my studies and my career. Moreover, I like to solve problems either in my family or my friend’s circle. I enjoy having fun and so get together with my friends to have some fun whenever I can. What advice would you give to people who want to make their career in hospitality? "The scholar should always perform good actions and deeds." Friends, don't be afraid about your future and don’t think that you have selected a wrong path (Hospitality Management) in your life. I can assure you that this you’ve selected is the best path. Just remember: "Do something today, that your future self will thank you for". Many people say that if a person wants to work in hospitality management, they don’t need a degree; all they need to do is to work in various jobs. I often hear this, but when I do I usually smile, as this conclusion suggests a lack of understanding. Hospitality is a business as complex as any, if not more so. Hospitality is the mother of all services. Most of us know that hotels are a business impacting the top and bottom line of owners and investors. But not everyone realizes that this industry is a financial engine, broadly impacting local economies and supporting local communities. Almost every country is dependent on their Tourism and Hospitality industry to a big extent. So, you should study that subject for a better future and career. Don’t think about others and what they are studying. Remember that you are studying because Hospitality is your passion. Just like it is mine!