Launch Your Career with Marriott

mastering new skills

After almost seven years in hotel operations, I needed a change to keep myself motivated towards a better work-life balance. I have always loved fixing and troubleshooting issues at my previous job, which triggered me to pursue my IT career with Marriott.

Since the career switch, I have been a part of two pre-opening hotels. Working in a different discipline was challenging, but I believe there are always opportunities to look for areas to develop skills, which is something I am proud of. Different team dynamics and workplace settings encourage me to understand the broad spectrum of the skills I choose to adopt in the IT department.

cross training for growth

While working as a Beverage and Food Agent for In-Room Dining (IRD) at W Melbourne, I was inspired by the people culture within the IRD team. The amount of care we had for each other created a special bond within the team, which made me realize my people skills and my passion for it.

During my cross-training with my mentor, Marvie, her guidance helped me tackle challenges in the HR field step-by-step. One task I enjoyed was the onboarding process. Fueling new talent with knowledge and excitement, guiding them on their first steps, and leaving a lasting first impression are things I look forward to every week.

If you love your job and the tasks that come with it, it could become less of a ‘job’ and instead you can create enjoyable and memorable experiences.

a network for success

My Marriott journey has given me great opportunities to meet and work with other talented individuals, which has helped me to develop my skills and knowledge as a chef and a leader over the years.

The most memorable experience was when my first dish went on the restaurant menu. I took a lot of pride in the trust they put in me, to have something I made put out there for others to enjoy, and I knew from that day onwards that this was my career and my passion. That dish became a restaurant signature dish, and since then, I have created whole menus.

To aspiring chefs:

Don’t be afraid to share your ideas, and to listen and learn as much as you can from others. Not every idea will be a winner, but maybe someone else can help guide you in the right direction, and perhaps, you'll learn something entirely new.

exploring leads to new opportunities

My Marriott journey took me from Food and Beverages to the Rooms division, which greatly assisted me in understanding the complexity of the Front-office department. The opportunity to train the Fiji Marriott Resort Momi Bay team in strengthening the F&B brand standards made me discover my true passion for learning and development. Now, I am living my passion to train others in my current role as a Human Resource Coordinator.

Throughout my career, one of the biggest hurdle was myself, not believing that I was capable due to the lack of experience and cross exposure to Human Resources. Once I realized that the skills I had honed working in operations would be my greatest strength, things started to fall into place. Take advantage of every opportunity you have. Don’t be afraid to ask questions and challenge the status quo.