Student Story
Always put you best foot forward.
Cole, Hotel and Restaurant Management Graduate
Where has the Hotel and Restaurant Management diploma program taken your career?
Since graduating from Camosun, I have held a number of leadership positions with Westin Hotels and Resorts, and Fairmont Hotels and Resorts including Housekeeping Manager, Reservations Manager, Revenue Analyst, Front Office Manager, and Assistant Controller. In addition, I have had the opportunity to travel as I helped open a new hotel in Cairo. As I write this, I am on my way to the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge to be their new Director of Rooms.
What did you like best about the program?
I have many fond memories of my 2 years at Camosun, it is the valuable network of industry connections that I am most grateful for. Through my winter co-op in Whistler, and a recruitment fair in Vancouver, I met two people who would later hire me as the Housekeeping Manager at the Westin Bayshore Resort and Marina. Two years later, I applied at the Fairmont Empress. While they did not have any vacancies at the time, they decided to create a position for me based on recommendations from two former students and one former instructor from my time at Camosun.
Advice for others considering coming to Camosun?
Always put your best foot forward…the hospitality industry is a close-nit one and you never know who you may see again in your career. The people you meet through your co-ops, open houses, practice interviews, even your classmates or your instructors could all be potential employers or coworkers.
