Meet Gaurav, an international student at Cardiff Metropolitan University who is currently studying his master’s in International Hospitality and Tourism Management. As part of his studies, he is undertaking a placement as the reception manager at The Parkgate Hotel, Cardiff.
“Hi, I’m Gaurav Choudhry from India, and I’m studying for an MSc in International Hospitality & Tourism Management at Cardiff Met. I’m currently completing my work placement at The Parkgate Hotel, Cardiff, as a Reception Manager; I take care of operations at the front of the house and work as a hospitality manager during rugby matches at the Principality Stadium.
“Before starting my master’s in Cardiff, I worked for multiple five-star rated hotels in my home country. I am pursuing a master’s degree to enhance my academic skills, and my personal and professional development. I chose Cardiff Met because of their alumni success stories. I also found lots of useful online content, not just documents but interactive videos posted on social media portals like YouTube, which helped me understand things better as I was travelling from a different country.
“What I really love about my course is the concept of group seminars. At Cardiff Met, I have group seminars and activities which add to my interpersonal skills while producing group work with people from different cultures. I gain hands-on experience for real events, where groups of students work as consultants for a company and help them with best practices in the market. These are unique techniques and methods which help me develop professionally.
“My previous work experience helped me settle into my role at The Parkgate Hotel; it has been a wonderful experience working for the only Welsh hotel chain in the capital of Wales. I genuinely enjoy meeting new people from all over the world and providing them with world-class hospitality.
“I have always quoted, ‘love what you do, do what you love,’ and working at The Parkgate Hotel truly complements this statement. I always remind myself that this is just the beginning, because when you love what you do, the sky's the limit. So, with the opportunities I have come across in the UK, I can very well say that, yes, there are a lot of growth opportunities in this field, and I am yet to discover a lot of new avenues.”
Gaurav secured his dream placement through the help of the university’s careers service and Cardiff Met EDGE, who helped him to update his CV and prepare for interviews. You can find out all about Cardiff Met’s career service here.
