At Your Service

Working in the service industry, where you are constantly interacting with people to ensure your clients and customers have a wonderful experience, can be joyous and fulfilling or daunting, depending on the reason you went into it.

Nadine Russmann, the manager at Hotel Uhland, says that the career chose her after a chance encounter with an advert for a job opportunity in travel consultancy and she hasn’t looked back since.

“To me, our country is a treasure chest of destinations, secrets and wonders and I could not wait to dive in.”

As a hotel manager, you will be in charge of the day-to-day running of a hotel as well as the staff. You will also be responsible for the budgets and finances, and organising hotel services.

As the manager of a specific hotel or other hospitality facility, you might also have to oversee operations of the reception and concierge, food and beverages and housekeeping. You must, as a manager, be willing to work and interact with as well as coordinate people and employees.

The great thing about working in this industry and having this job is always meeting new people. That is unavoidable considering that by 2030, there will be about 1.8 billion tourists worldwide, according to a Laureate International University study.

Other benefits of this are that you are always learning new skills and adapting while on the job as well as the possible travel opportunities if you work for a chain or group of hotels.

Nadine says that because of the industry she is in, the clients she encounters are “at their happiest selves while travelling and on vacation”. She also enjoys being able to bring joy to others and learn about different cultures.

The work can be not-so-fun too, however, as workers in the hotel industry often have long working hours, and many times they have to deal with unpleasant customers or situations and still keep a smile on their faces.

“We also have to always be our best selves,” Nadine says. A hotel manager also has to often work on public holidays and weekends. She adds that there can be a lack of free time that comes with the profession as they need to constantly be available.

There are many paths you can take to attain this dream depending on the position, the hotel and the proposed duties. Experience goes a long way but a school qualification could really seal the deal for you.

In Namibia, several institutions offer formal qualifications in the line of hotel and tourism management.

The Centre for Training and Projects Development (CTPD) and the Namibian Academy for Tourism and Hospitality (NATH) both offer training courses, while you can get an Administration in Travel, Tourism Hospitality certificate at The Institute for Open Learning (IOL) and the Polytechnic of Namibia offers a certificate in Hospitality Operations and Bachelor’s degree in Hospitality Management.

Before embarking on this journey however, Nadine suggests that you first ensure that people skills come effortlessly to you and that you can function well under pressure.

“If you’re an introvert or love routine, this isn’t the job for you, I think. If you can crack a joke on your worst day though, it is!”

Misconceptions about the profession still exist, she says. “Many people think that it is all fun, games and socialising, when it is in fact stressful and a lot of pressure.”

Nadine’s last words of advice: “Keep that smile going”.

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