My Internship Experience – Erick Cai, Hospitality and Tourism Student

Erick, TMC Academy HIDP in Hospitality and Tourism Student

Tall, smart and well-mannered – these were our first impressions of Erick when we first met him. He was a boy with charisma, later proved to possess leadership qualities as he took on the student club president role.

Erick Cai Hao Lei, from Changzhou, Jiangsu Province, was a student in TMC Academy’s sister school in China. Two years ago, he saw a TMC Academy poster in the premise of his school. Today, he has completed his Higher Diploma in Hospitality and Tourism Management studies, including an internship at Holiday Inn Singapore. Most recently, he received an offer letter from Swiss Hotel Management School in Switzerland, our university partner, to further his degree studies. We speak to this confident young man about his internship experience.

Q: So you’re working as a Hotel Trainee Front Desk Officer! Share with us what you have learnt and the experiences you’ve had with people at work.

Erick (E): During the first 2 weeks of training, I was sent to almost all the departments of the hotel. I’ve learnt a lot, including how to allocate rooms, how to use the hotel management system and effective communication with other departments. My supervisor and colleagues are very friendly and passionate about their job. Mr Pinaki, my lecturer, gave me support when I was feeling frustrated and gave me advice to perform better at work.

Q: How does this internship experience help in your future career and studies?

E: This training program gave me a chance to utilise all the knowledge I’ve learnt into practical work and I have a better understanding of the hospitality and hotel industry.

Q: Share an interesting moment or activity during your internship.

E: The one event that makes me feel touched and impressed was “Employee Day – Happy Birthday”, which is a half-day event celebrating the birthday of employees born in the same month. We played games, took photos and had cakes. This kind of event can really help employees to have closer relationships and become more loyal to the company.

Q: Would you recommend other students to take on an internship program?

E: I strongly recommend all hospitality students to take on internship. It can not only improve your practical skills and knowledge, but also make you more prepared and able to adapt to the changes and developments in this dynamic industry.

In the many school activities and external events Erick has taken part in, a speech he made at last year’s Agent Conference left a deep impression on many. Here is an extract of his presentation:

I’ve studied for almost a year in TMC. During these 11 months, I joined so many competitions, school activities and even organised student activities with my amazing student club team. I’ve not only received academic knowledge, but also management skills, social skills, friendship and all kinds of things that you will never get from a book or a class.

I still remember the first orientation that I joined; our principal, Dr Chin was talking about the motto of our school which is ‘Every step with you.’ At that time, I didn’t quite get it, but now I understand. For me, TMC is like a ladder. Climbing a ladder can be toilsome, the higher you climb the more difficult it gets. However, no matter how many steps you take, the ladder is still there, steady and durable. Maybe it looks normal, but it can help you get higher and eventually, you will reach the top. So, thank you my dear ladder.