INTERNeX Programs: Hospitality

As many of you know, INTERNeX does not offer only one program, but has a wide range you can choose from, before you go abroad and actually join us. As winter season is approaching fast, more and more participants of our hospitality program will come to Vancouver. However, not many of them will stay here for long. Why that is so and what they do, you can read here today:

Travel and Tourism is one of the world’s fastest growing business sectors and the Hospitality industry plays an important role in sustaining the world of travel. It’s an exciting field to be involved with for a number of reasons, especially providing an opportunity to meet and work with fascinating people from all over the globe, to share stories and learn from them about the world they live in and how it compares to your own. This ever growing industry tends to attract those who consider themselves the outgoing type. Motivated people, who truly enjoy the experience of human interaction, are the backbone of the hospitality industry. The kind of person who’s comfortable socializing and enjoys the company of genuine people. This type of character is very desirable in the world of Hospitality.
This program gives participants the chance to gain experience in world class resort communities, especially during the winter season as for example ski resorts need extra help with the additional crowd of tourists. Placement opportunities are with hotels, resorts or associated companies in a tourism communities and cities. Positions and locations of placement opportunities are based on previous education, experience, English level, ability to stay a full season or longer, as well as general attitude and of course what is available at the time of your application. Hospitality produces daily experiences like no other work environment. One can find themselves preparing a banquet for a high end conference in the morning, handling the luggage of a professional sports team by lunch and be greeting members of Royalty later that day. There’s no telling which direction this exciting field will have you moving on any given day. INTERNeX will assist you with all you need to secure your placement including in depth industry specific consultations, orientation to living and working in the country and a placement specific orientation when you have secured your placement. The participants of this program often only stay in Vancouver for a few days and then move on to one of the many resorts and hotels spread throughout Canada. So once they arrive here this winter, you guys should use the time to get to know them and make a few new friends fast!

Find out more details about the hospitality program on our website…

Best,

Annika

 

INTERNeX International Exchange
International Village,
Suite 2077, 2079 – 88 West Pender Street
Vancouver, Canada -V6B 9N9-
Web: http://www.internexcanada.com
Email: pr@internexcanada.com

 

Cypress Mountain’s Weekend Employment

 

Cypress Job Fair

Olympic 2010 took place in Vancouver’s Cypress Mountain, also known as the Gold-Medal Olympic Mountain!

This weekend from October 15-17, there is a job fair that welcomes everyone to participate in for its open format interviews.  What does open format mean?

There is no scheduled appointment, so it’s a first come, first served basis.

Because it’s expected to have quite a big turnout, you are encouraged to bring your own form of entertainment whilst waiting for your interview time.

The jobs are mostly winter sports-related, such as skiing, lift operations, snow school instructor, but also include other positions such as food services, rental centre, and guest relations.

Since the interviews take place in Cypress, there will be transportation at various locations throughout Richmond and the lower mainland at specific times to take you to Cypress.

There are also perks to working there! You get a full pass or lift pass, complimentary group lessons, discounts from retail and rental shops, and many more…

 

 

Olympic Rings

 

Please check out the site below for further information:

 

cypressmountain.com/employment

CHEERIOS,

TRACY

INTERNeX Family Interview#5

So i realize that it has been a while since you last were introduced to another one of our staff members but don’t worry they are all coming. The next one we have for you is an interview with Mina who has been with the company for the longest out of anyone. So hope you all enjoy it she has a lot of great things to say!

What is your first name?
Mina.

Where are you from?
Originally I am from Seoul, South Korea.

What languages do you speak fluently other than English?
Korean.

What position do you hold at INTERNeX? And for how long have you been working here?
I am the program director and I am responsible for training new partners and running the entire Internship program, which is no easy feat. I began at INTERNeX back in March of 2004, so by next month I will have been here for six years.

What made you want to become involved with INTERNeX in the first place?
Well I was initially hired by INTERNeX back in 2004 on the basis of an extremely specific project where I was responsible for working with the Korean Government. Throughout this project I worked to forge links between INTERNeX and the Korean Government in order to satisfy a need this country had for sending their university students and recent graduates to Canada. They wholeheartedly believed that Korean students would have a greater chance of getting employed in the future if they gained some international work experience and our Internship program fit perfectly into their long term goals. Then in 2005 I was able to branch out further within the company and my scope of reach was considerably widened. I was now responsible for interacting with potential and current partners and doing Internship placements for all nationalities.

In what ways do you think INTERNeX is unique from other international placement agencies? What does INTERNeX specifically offer that no other company can?
First and foremost INTERNeX is all about the team. We are a multicultural and passionate set of people who can not only bring an invaluable amount of knowledge to this industry and our clients but also to each other. Each and every team member see this as more than just a job but rather an opportunity that we can provide to our clients that can truly be rewarding for both them and us.

What changes within INTERNeX have you personally witnessed since you have joined the team?
We have grown on an exponential level from what we were back in 2004 in terms of our general company size and the amount of systems and procedures in place. Now we also have an extremely active online community which is constantly fed by our PR interns who can dedicate themselves solely to interacting with our clients in a successful manner. And last but certainly not least our team; I have seen various changes in human resources at INTERNeX but I wholeheartedly believe that we now have a cohesive team that shares a common goal and this is an essential element for the ultimate success of our company.

Where would you like to see INTERNeX in the next 10 years? Do you have any New Year’s goals for the company?
I would like to see INTERNeX offices in all the major cities of the world. But personally what I think is most important is recognition from the Canadian Government and receive special visas especially designed for INTERNeX participants. Now the reasoning behind this is that our government provides different countries with certain quota of visas that can be made available. So even if we want to increase the number of opportunities we provide, our ability to do this is hindered by this quota and therefore we need to have the government see that what we do is beneficial to Canada.

Tell us one interesting thing about yourself that not a lot of people know?
For fours years I practiced a traditional Korean martial arts known as Kook Sul. This martial arts system taught me things such as self defense and sword fighting and I even participated in demonstrations in front of hundreds of people.

If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be and why?
Honestly I couldn’t imagine living anywhere but in Vancouver permanently; however, if I have to choose anywhere else I would say the Netherlands. This is because that is where my in-laws are living and I always like to be close to my family.

If you would like to know more about INTERNeX as a company and all the programs and possibilities it has to offer please do not hesitate to contact us at the office:

INTERNeX International Exchange
Suite 200 – 211 Columbia Street
Vancouver BC -V6A 2R5-
Web: http://www.internexcanada.com
Phone: +1 (604) 662 8149
Email: info@internexcanada.com

Candidate Expose-Anja

So lucky you! This week you have two candidate exposes. Anja is actually currently participating in the hospitality program. She was gracious enough to take the time out of her busy schedule to sit down with me (over the Internet of course) and answer a few of my questions in regards to her experiences in Canada. I think she is a perfect example of how beneficial our programs can be for our candidates future goals. So keep reading and see if the hospitality program might be for you!

What is your name?
Anja

Where are you originally from?
Munich Bavaria, Germany. I have lived there since i was born, so around 21 years ago.

Why did you want to come to Canada in the first place?
I had just recently finished up with my apprenticeship in Germany which i had been doing for the past three years in a hotel. I needed a change and so i decided to go abroad. Honestly at first i had no idea as to where i would like to go so i went through an agency back home and they gave me the option of either Canada or Australia and so i chose the former.

How did you find out about INTERNeX?
Well i applied in Germany through the agency known as StepIn and they are working together with INTERNeX and they said that INTERNeX was the company to work with if i was really interested in working in Canada.

Why did you choose to participate in the Hospitality Program?
I signed up for this program because i wanted to gain some invaluable experience in the international hotel business. I have already had some amazing experiences with my company and my language skills have improved drastically.

For how long were you participating in this program?
I will be working for one year in total. I started organizing everything last year in February with StepIn in Germany and in March I got in contact with Internex and 4 weeks later I found out that i would be going to Vancouver soon. And in May 2009 I finally arrived in Vancouver and had my meeting with Marien and she gave me all the details and than I was on my way to Banff. All happened very quickly!

What position do you currently hold at your site of employment?
Front Desk Agent.

What kind of tasks are you responsible for on a daily basis?
Checking in and checking out guests, making reservations, dealing with complaints, giving information about all our resort has to offer, preparing check in packages for arriving guests, dealing with lost and found items and of course making our guests happy!

Do you feel that this experience has helped in terms of your future goals both professionally and personally?
I really do because it has helped me to learn so much about people, both Canadians and Americans, and how to deal with different situations which can be a challenge for me because i am not an English native speaker. Before i came here my English was really bad but now it makes me so happy when guests are telling my how great my English sounds!
When i worked in Germany i was very much focused on other people and what they need and i would always forget to ask myself what i really want. I never would do things just for me and now that i am here in Canada i am doing what i love and i am learning things about myself that i never really acknowledged. I would really like to open my own restaurant and hopefully have locations all over the world…and my experiences here are taking me one step closer to my dream.

What was one of the most memorable moments you have had in Canada so far?
By far when i met Connie, the president of the Snowy Owl Sled Dog Tours. I had the pleasure of accompanying her on one of her many trips with her wolf Shaman. That was just amazing for me! I never in my life thought that i would meet a wolf face to face…but i can check that of my list now.

List the top three reasons why you would recommend others to participate in the Hospitality Program?
Everyday is different, you get to travel to lots of different places and you meet so many people from different cultures.

Have you managed to do any traveling? And what is the one place that you recommend people to visit in Banff?
So far i have managed to visit Vancouver, Jasper, Edmonton and lots of places around Banff of course. But at the end of my trip i am going to head over to Montreal, Toronto and Quebec. One place that i would highly recommend is The Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel it is one of the most spectacular looking hotels i think i have ever seen-it truly looks like a castle!