We live in a competitive world and it is imperative for us as students to get an opportunity to learn new skills and gain relevant experience in our areas of interest. My school also believes in developing the academic, cultural, physical, and social potential of every child and given this, has introduced a compulsory internship programme for students studying in grade XI.
The hospitality industry has always interested me and I had always wanted to understand the operations of the various departments in a hotel to make an informed decision about my future. Naturally, when I was asked for my internship preference by the school’s career development centre, I requested to be placed in the engineering department of a hotel. I was thrilled when I got a similar opportunity at ITC Group of Hotels.
My internship began with an interview where I was tested on my knowledge about the ITC Group of Hotels. On the first day of my internship, I was sent to the Hospitality Management Institute of ITC (HMI) in Manesar where I learnt more about ITC as an organisation as well as the various courses it offered.
ADVERTISEMENT
I was subsequently placed at ITC Maurya Sheraton, in New Delhi, and ITC Grand Bharat, a luxury retreat. Typically, one would not correlate engineering as an area of education with the hospitality industry, specifically luxury hotels. However, with my internship at the ITC’s engineering department and my interactions with the chief engineers at the three hotels, I understood how hotels use technology to improve the overall guest experience — be it for self-check-ins, live online chats, experience in their rooms with automatic lights, A/Cs, and so on. I also learnt that most of the properties owned by ITC have incorporated robust sustainability practices like biogas plants to supply fuel for their staff cafeteria, to contribute to a greener planet. Almost all ITC properties have solar panels to generate green power and Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) to treat and reuse water to further contribute to the hotels’ zero-discharge principle.
Lasting impact
My experience also offered me a glimpse into how a corporation can work towards making a difference through its CSR efforts. With this internship, I have been able to widen my understanding of how each sector and industry can offer roles across various skill sets and therefore, as students we need to keep an open mind about exploring as many options available before settling in on our future field of study and career. Finally, my interaction with senior leaders also helped me understand how a good mentor can make or break a new entrant in an industry.
ADVERTISEMENT
The writer is a grade XI student of Shiv Nadar School, Gurugram.