CTH Connections Newsletter – July 2017

12th July 2017
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IS A MASTER’S DEGREE NECESSARY FOR YOU?

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Is a Masters degree necessary for you? Well, that question covers several factors, let’s look at a couple of them:

1) What industry do you want to work in? 2) What country do you plan to work in? 3) What is your long-term objective for your career?

The first two factors are related, as regulations and procedures surrounding an industry can be determined by the country. In some countries, holding a Masters is a set requirement needed for certain professions. For example, in Ireland, in order to become a teacher, you will need to have a Postgraduate Diploma in Education or a Professional Master of Education (Prospects, 2016). Therefore, investing in further education is necessary for that role in that country. However, different countries hold different standards. In a country that is just developing its tourism industry, obtaining a Masters in tourism may not be common practice and therefore not a necessity for the profession; in comparison to a profession in finance for example which is prominent in most countries. Understanding the industry that you wish to work in, in the country that you wish to live in are important factors before going further to gain a higher qualification.

What is your long-term objective for your career? Deciding what your end goal for your career is, is another important way that you can decide whether you should pursue a Masters degree. Typically, but not always the case; the higher up the ladder you go the more qualified from an educational standpoint you may need to be. For example, a degree is a standard requirement in Singapore to gain a hotel management position (Jerene Ang, Human Resources Online), therefore, in order to become a manager you will need to hold a degree. However, you may decide you like the front office; somewhere with less responsibility than a position as a manager, therefore a Masters degree wouldn't be necessary. Decide how far you want to take your career so you can plan for the future you envision for yourself.


POP-UP RESTAURANTS: AN ALTERNATIVE BUSINESS MODEL

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When it comes to eating out and shopping, a buzz word that is arguably synonymous with millennials is the word ‘pop-up shop’. The pop-up embodies all things new and trendy and therefore inevitably hipsters and young people flock towards them. This wasn’t the original concept of a pop-up shop; pop-ups were originally intended to offer supporters and customers a way to physically engage with a brand without the business incurring the costs of renting a space, full time. However, with the way pop-ups are represented today, opening a pop-up restaurant can provide a great initial business model to engage with the market.

The appeal of the pop-up store from the business owner’s standpoint is threefold; affordability, availability and marketability. Most smaller self-funding new entrants in the market probably won’t have the capital to afford a restaurant space on a full-time period and this is where a pop-up store is helpful. Pop-ups can happen in a number of spaces that come at cheaper prices than it would be to rent out a fixed space long term. Due to the short-term nature of a pop-up the costs are cheaper. Another appeal of pop-ups is because of the limited availability that they offer customers. Because pop-ups work on a limited time only basis, customers, especially millennials who strive for the latest things will cause the demand for the pop-up to increase and therefore increase the popularity of the business. Going back to a point made earlier about millennials wanting new things; millennials also want new experiences. Experiences in a lot of cities are quite often associated with dining experiences. Millennials want to try different food and beverages, based around trendy ideas and concepts. That’s why these new pop-up restaurants garner so much attention. For example, The Bunyadi, London’s naked restaurant had around 46,000 people on its waiting list. Creating a dining experience at a limited time only offer that can lower your costs is why pop-up restaurants are appealing.

Pop ups can be a great way to generate a buzz for anyone trying to market their business in the food industry. It takes a lot of work and dedication in order to find a location, market your brand and manage everything that comes with it; however, the rewards are well worth it. Visit Big Hospitality to get more information on how to get started. http://www.bighospitality.co.uk/Features/Pop-up-restaurants


THE ART OF CUSTOMER SERVICE: 'BE DIFFERENT, BE YOU

PROVIDED BY YUMMY LOVE JOURNEY

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I recently celebrated my birthday. Now I am not one to do things by halves and so I had a few events planned with all of them concentrating around my favourite subject; food.

I had amazing food at three restaurants but like some people I am sure that if I followed the recipes I could recreate them myself at home. However, it wasn’t just about the food.

Everything we buy, I am sure, can be recreated again by someone. Maybe even adding your own take on it and making the next new dish or product. There is one thing though that is unique to each individual and that is your experience and interpretation of each encounter; the customer service. Others may be able to replicate your product but they can never replicate the rapport and service that you build and provide to your customers.

As I mentioned, the food was great at all three restaurants, but there was one that I would go back to; the service was impeccable. It was warm, had friendly staff and especially our waiter, who made the experience an exceptional one. He introduced himself by name, was discreet, yet knew exactly when we needed him without being obtrusive. He engaged in conversation with us and we discussed a trip I am planning. He went out of his way to type up a list of recommended places to eat in Paris as he had previously lived there with a short message wishing us a wonderful trip at the end. Now I understand this is unique and during busy times staff may not have the time to do this. I would have been happy with the short conversation and a mention of a couple of places to visit that I would gladly have written down myself. However, he also made note of the fact that we complemented the chef on the breakfast and he suggested we come back next time for lunch and made some menu suggestions.

And this next little encounter was a great way to turn a situation around. I had ordered some sweet waffles with raspberries but he came back and suggested I try the blueberry pancakes. He didn’t say straight away why, but added that they were out of the waffles, by which point I was already convinced with the pancakes. Subtle, but what a great way to change my mind and turn around what could have been a negative experience.

We had a customary cake which I know many restaurants will do if they know it is your birthday but he went around and had staff sign a birthday card for me. Now that is something I have never experienced. It just goes to show that these small gestures make a huge difference. It is what differentiates your service, brand and you from others. It is the reason why customers will keep coming back and be willing to pay that little bit more and new customers will flock to because they heard all about it.

By Ulpa Chauhan Yummy Love Journey

WHAT MILLENNIALS CAN BRING TO MARKETING STRATEGIES

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The use of technology; more specifically social media by hospitality and travel chains has provided millennials with a great opportunity in today’s market. A few years ago, when teachers and parents would complain about youths spending all day on social media, it was very much seen as a play thing or a distraction. However, today what was once a distraction is now a job. In many industries, even outside the travel and hospitality industry, social media is an important part of companies marketing plan. In fact, in larger companies, there are departments dedicated to it; a case in point is Marriott Hotel’s M Live team.

According to Mathew Glick, the head of the M Live centres, the purpose of Marriott’s M Live is to “surprise and delight”. This may seem vague, but once the purpose of the M Live team is explained, it will make much more sense. M Live uses what is known as geofencing technology in order to track the social media activity of its guests and wait for an opportunity to ‘surprise’ unsuspecting users. For example, if a guest was to share a picture of a marriage proposal on social media, hashtagging the Marriott Hotel, someone from the M Live team might see this and send out a free bottle and card. In return, the individual might post a picture of the champagne and thank the Marriott hotel and, voilà, great PR for Marriott. Then the cycle repeats; Marriott increases its customer interaction and generates a positive representation of the hotel.

M Live would most likely hire individuals who are tech savvy and know there way around different social platforms; this is a valued skill set in today's market. There are a various positions working in and alongside companies where these skills are helpful. One of the reasons that young people are sought after is because no organisations wants to be stagnant. Young people are said to bring a freshness and an influx of new ideas. Demonstrating your proficiency with new technology and trends is an appealing trait. Demonstrating how tech savvy you can be is where markets are heading towards, so don’t shy away from it.


HIGHEST PAID JOBS IN THE TRAVEL INDUSTRY

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We recently came across research conducted by the job search engine, Indeed, that highlighted the best paying travel jobs. This led us to a couple of conclusions, but first let's take a look at the list.

Here’s the best paying travel related jobs, according to Indeed:

1. Management consultant - £55,236 average annual earnings and up to 80% of travel time. 2. Freelance designer - £45,754 and up to 100% of travel time 3. Travel nurse - £42,886 and the opportunity to travel during a thirteen week contract. 4. Retail buyer - £39,175 and at least 10% of travel time. 5. Airline pilot - £34,575 and up to 100% of travel time. 6. Global events manager - £34,519 and up to 50% of travel time. 7. Auditor - £34,062 and up to 15% of travel time. 8. Travel writer - £32,791 and up to 100% of travel time. 9. Travel photographer - £32,470 and up to 100% of travel time. 10. Pharmaceutical sales rep - £32,062 and at least 50% of travel time. 11. Recruiter - £30,351 and at least 20% of travel time. 12. Travel agent - £24,333 and 30-40% of travel time. 13. Flight attendant - £20,419 and up to 100% of travel time. 14. Ski instructor - £15,708 and seasonal travel. 15. Stage hand - £8.22 per/hour and up to six months away on a contract.

Upon looking at the list there are a couple of things one might notice; one of the things we noticed was that some of these jobs don't seem, on face value, travel related. Of course, you have the typical airline pilot and travel agent jobs, but what about the management consultant or the freelance designer? The management consultant is said to have in the excess of 80% travel time and the freelance designer around 100%, but how?

Often as a consultant, clients might request that you visit their HQ to discuss matters concerning the issue they have. This could lead to various travel opportunities hence the 80% travel time. The type of company is important as well as if the role involves a lot of client interaction. However, it goes to show that typical travel related roles are not the only jobs that involve travelling, so as a travel lover, limited yourself to just them isn't the only option. This is one the reasons that you can combine two degrees at university or why degrees have aspects of different professions in them; even the CTH travel programme has units on finance. In this way you can combine two subjects you are interested in and find out what you like best. What is important is to understand which jobs involve a lot of client interaction, meaning you will have to go out and visit clients, this is something that is covered in various roles and but also, it will depend on whether the company your interested in works in this manner.


MILLENNIALS AT THE WORKPLACE

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In the three-part series published earlier this year by Travel Market Report, they discussed topics surrounding millennials at work. With each year passing a new set of millennials embark on their journeys at travel agencies, kitchens and hotels. With that being said, Travel Market Report took the opportunity to look at some of the intergenerational issues that might occur in the workplace. By this they mean, tensions that can arise between younger employees and their older counterparts. So, let’s take a look (We'll be using A to represent the younger employees and B for their senior counterparts).

The article made mention of a lack of understanding between millennials and the older generation. This issue is said to be related to the many misconceptions amongst these two groups. Young employees might be seen as spoilt and entitled, whereas older employees are seen as indifferent and patronising. So, how can you we work out this issue?

A: Since most of the stereotypes and misconceptions surrounding young people are centred around laziness and entitlement, they must demonstrate a can do attitude in the workplace. Show you can be responsible and take on tasks for yourself, be willing to help and go the extra mile.

B: The older generation must be more open up to their counterparts and be more ready to engage. Older employees are seen as indifferent, therefore opening the lines of communication with the younger employees and being ready to offer them support is a step in the right direction.

However, the article goes on to say that even the lines of communication differ between the age groups. Young people (41%) are said to prefer electronic forms of communication rather than face to face ones. A contributor to the article who works as a travel agent mentioned that, when an issue arises, young people prefer to send an email. However, the percentage is said to be at 41% which is hardly the majority. Therefore, we've decided to ask our students about this. In the coming weeks we're going to have different discussion points surrounding how you prefer to communicate and how you might deal with the issues presented in the article. So, out look for the discussion point on our Facebook soon.

What this article does show is that there are solutions to issues that occur, solutions that different parties can take, hence why there's a solution for A as well as for B. it's just a matter of being open to them.

Like us on Facebook and look out for the discussion points f

ASHBURTON STUDENTS COOK UP A GOURMET EXPERIENCE FOR CHARITY

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Held over four separate evenings, the Ashburton Charity Dining Club is an opportunity for the school's aspiring chefs to showcase their skills, whilst getting experience in catering for large groups in a fine dining environment.

All proceeds for this bi-annual event go to local charity, Bank Youth Project, who do fantastic work in the regional community in Devon where Ashburton’s is based. The events are always a huge success but this year perhaps more than ever with the school receiving some extra special feedback… One of the diners, John from Teignmouth, took the time to write to the school about the evening he spent as their guest:

“I’ve just returned home having spent the evening at your dining club, and felt that I had to get in contact to thank you for the wonderful time my wife and I had.

Now, I could hardly describe myself as a ‘foodie’, but I know good food when I taste it, and I have to say, we were both absolutely blown away by the quality of the dishes we enjoyed.

Every single little detail was perfect, every mouthful eye-rollingly beautiful, and you could tell the love and care that had gone into each course. My wife is, by her own admission, a fussy eater, and our tastes in food tend to differ wildly. Yet both of us devoured each course with equal admiration.

Initially, being the frugal type, I was unsure of booking. I don’t like to part with £59 unless absolutely necessary. I’m so glad I did. In fact, the quality of the ingredients being used in each dish, and the matched wines, makes it an absolute steal.

We will both certainly be attending again in the future.

I also want to take a moment to thank the students who took care of us as waiting staff. Considering they are training to be chefs, and not in the service sector trade, I thought that all did remarkably well and really added to the enjoyment of the evening.

Nothing was too much trouble for them, and they were all very approachable and friendly. I’ve certainly had less professional service in some fine-dining restaurants, so an extra well-done to them.

Thank you once again. We look forward to booking again in November.” John was clearly a happy customer, as were the many others who also took time to send feedback.

Even better, a total of £1,710 was raised this time around for the charity. Peter Brewer, Bank Youth Project Trustee, was in attendance on the final night to be presented with a cheque by Ashburton's Chef Operations Manager Rob Spencer.

Peter spoke of some of the great work they do in the community and highlighted how “the vital support” Ashburton Chefs Academy gives them has helped young people in the area.

“BYP is a centre for young people aged 10-19 who live in and around Ashburton. We are a charity and rely for all of our funding from donations and grants. We do this against a background of massive cuts in local authority expenditure on youth services.”

Peter then gave us specific examples of people BYP have helped. These included help with homelessness, family problems, treatment for drug addiction, and overcoming learning difficulties. One former attendee of BYP is now a youth worker themselves and “help[s] children as I was helped.”

Ashburton’s expert trainers commented that the training towards the CTH Level 4 Culinary Diploma qualification really helped the students perform to high standards during the event. It is experience like this, preparing dishes in a realistic working environment which will help them secure jobs in top quality establishments in the future.

Ashburtons are very proud to be supporting BYP in all their work and CTH wishes them every success in this excellent charitable activity, especially as it also provides great career experience to students on top!


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