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!
One of my favorites things has been always walk around and get lost. Yes maybe it can sound weird but I firmly believe it’s the best way to know the city, the neighborhood, the essence of some place. When you see the real behavior of the people who are living there, where the people usually buy …streets where there are no tourist at all, where there are no one taking pictures… that’s for my the real essence of a city. When I used to live in Rome I just started walking around and maybe spend four or five hours just walking and never realized all the time that I spent.
INTERNeX Canada 