The Career Days Event, organized by the Tourism Management Recognition Commission of Istanbul Medeniyet University, was held online on March 14, 2022. The event moderated by Assist. Prof. İrfan YAŞAR, Tourism Management Department Recognition Commission Chairman, and leading executives of the tourism sector and students of our department participated. In the first session of the event, which took place in two sessions, the participant industry executives made their presentations, then the questions of the students were answered in the second session.
Nebahat UYGUR, Mövenpick Hotel Istanbul Asia Airport – Talent and General Culture Director, started her speech by sharing her sectoral career advancement and experiences. Mrs. Uygur emphasized the hotel management principles of Mövenpick Hotel focused on satisfying their guests by understanding them as individuals, while also emphasizing they value to the hotel staff. In this context, she drew attention to the fact that the name of the Human Resources Department was changed to the Talent and Culture Directorate in their own hotels, as in all hotels within the ACCOR Hotels Group. Thus, she emphasized that they support the personal and educational advancement of their employees. She stated that they attach great importance to the intern students in their hotels and their ability to continue working at the hotel after the internship. Mrs. Uygur, handled the place of being a “female” worker in the tourism sector and especially in the hotel and gender inequality through her own experiences, gave hopeful advice to our students who will enter the sector by internship program and will work in this field.
Muhammet CUNTAY, L Collection Hotels – Managing Partner /Director, started his speech by stating that he is a tourism trained tourism professional and that he is a part-time lecturer in addition to his managerial role, and emphasized the importance he attaches to “industry-academia cooperation”. Referring to the need for “association” in the sector, Mr. Cuntay stated that he also carries out studies in this field. He emphasized that he believes that there should be a high sense of social responsibility in tourism, and emphasized the importance of their projects in this field. In this context, he stated that they always include a social responsibility project within their own business every month. Mr. Cuntay, who mentioned the effects of the negative effects of the pandemic conditions in the tourism sector, suggested that "crisis and crisis management" courses in tourism education should be included in undergraduate and higher education. Finally to tourism students., he mentioned the importance and value of making future plans based on his own experiences .
Dilaver DOĞRU, Villagepark Resort & SPA Hotel – General Manager, started his speech by stating that he is an experienced tourism professional for 36 years and gave advice to the students by saying "our only capital is our effort, we must improve ourselves and our effort". He emphasized that it is very important to love the job, to be a researcher and to work as guest-oriented in tourism. He mentioned the necessity of combining these two, not the distinction between "reasonable" and "educated" in the sector. Especially in his speech, he glorified the importance and value he gives to the students who will do internship. He stated that “the way to make tourism students love tourism and to continue working in this sector is the internship” and emphasized that each student should be seen as valuable in every hotel and should be educated with interest. Mr. Doğru, who gave advice to students with examples from their experiences, suggested that they should be competitive and that they could not progress without climbing the stairs.
İlmi YAVUZ, Hilton Istanbul Maslak – Learning Manager, shared his experiences that he developed himself by working in different fields of tourism and that he reached his position by striving despite all the difficulties. Stating that he is involved in tourism as a part-time and full-time academician as well as an industry manager, Mr. Yavuz gave advice and suggestions to students that will benefit their future in hotel management. For this, he emphasized the importance and necessity of working in different positions of the hotel at intervals.
Serkan GÜMRÜKÇÜ, General Manager of Ramada By Wyndam Old City, gave a great place in his speech to the issue of sustainability, which has come to the fore in recent years. In this context, he suggested that sustainability courses should be included in tourism education, especially between undergraduate and higher education courses. Indicating that he is still in master program in Istanbul Medeniyet University, Department of Tourism Management, Mr. Gümrükçü also expressed his belief that “crisis management and budget management” courses should be included among tourism courses. Because he underlined the requirements on these three basic issues, especially while working at the hotel. Emphasizing that he “thinks globally and makes living locally as his philosophy of life”, he recommended this point of view to all tourism students. He suggested that they should never leave education by following the innovations.
Çetin ÇEKİN, TGS (Turkish Ground Services) – IATA Trainer and Operations Coordinator, stated that he has no tourism background and that he moved to the aviation sector after working in the finance sector. However, he stated that he still takes part in tourism by his master program in Istanbul Medeniyet University, Department of Tourism Management. He emphasized that tourism would not exist without aviation and that aviation and tourism could not be separated from each other. Sharing his experiences, Mr. Çekin advised tourism students not to stop learning and not to give up on working.
Murat KUYUCU, Gorrion Hotel – General Manager, started his speech by pointing out that the hotel he is the manager of is in close relations with the tourism and hotel management schools, and stated that they attach great importance to the intern students. He emphasized that 40% of their employees are interns from tourism schools and they are very satisfied with all of them. Referring to why he likes tourism, Mr.Kuyucu stated that "making people happy during their travels gives him pleasure". He stated that "every day of the hotel business is different from each other, he likes tourism because they meet different people and live each day differently." Mr. Kuyucu, who advised the students that they should like tourism, explained the importance and value of doing his job with love based on his experiences.
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