Kammy Tang Yee-man is currently an intern in the communications department of the InterContinental Grand Stanford Hong Kong. She was inspired to enter the hotel industry because she wanted to help visitors get the most out of their travel experiences and return home with as many unforgettable memories as possible. However, as she tells Wong Yat-hei, she also believes good accommodation and service are vital components of the perfect trip.
What is your academic background?
I am a student at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, majoring in hotel management.
How do you start your workday?
I have a morning briefing to update the status and progress of my jobs. After that, I work on different tasks assigned by my superior. Handling paperwork and answering inquiries are routine duties.
What does your job entail?
My duties include compiling monthly reports, keeping track of relevant print and online news clippings, handling internal and external inquiries, providing administrative support to the department, and writing press releases.
I also have opportunities to participate in some ad-hoc tasks such as assisting TV film crews who visit the hotel, and helping with event management, which help broaden my horizons.
What are the major challenges you’ve encountered so far?
The most challenging part of my job is to handle multiple tasks at the same time. I need to prioritise my work and organise my schedule wisely, according to urgency and importance, to avoid messing up, because there are quite a lot of urgent tasks to tackle on a daily basis.
What are your professional plans?
I have been working here for two-and-a-half months and I enjoy working in this department very much. I plan to pursue my career in the hotel industry after graduation.
Understanding the different aspects of a hotel is essential for my career development, so I would like to intern in an operational department in the near future, for example the front office, to understand more about guest requirements.
I believe that gaining a variety of experience in different aspects is necessary to equip myself with the skills to succeed in my career, so I value every chance to try and learn new things.
What advice can you give those planning to enter the industry?
Everyone starts their career in a junior position. Be grateful, because you can learn from experienced colleagues. Be confident to work on new tasks to maximise your capabilities, and treat every task as a learning opportunity by finding out what you can really get out of it. Also, get out of your comfort zone and do not hesitate to take up challenges. You will find yourself gaining a lot from doing so.
