New Delhi-based Manya Modi is currently pursuing Bachelor of Science in International Hospitality Management at Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne (EHL) in Switzerland. Consistently among the world’s top hospitality schools, EHL strives to be an ambassador for traditional Swiss hospitality, with a constant focus on shaping the future of hospitality through innovation.
A conversation with Manya about the EHL experience...
What made you choose hospitality and EHL?
I was in class X when I decided that I want to be in hospitality. I come from a huge family, and I was used to having guests at home. I realised that serving people is a nice feeling, and that is what made me choose hospitality. To be sure that this is the field I wanted, I took up an internship in a hotel for three months. I also did some research and found out that EHL is the best in the world, and then I started the process.
How did your family react to your choice?
They were initially not fine with it. In India, the concept of hospitality is looked down upon. The general notion is that people who are not good in academics get into hospitality. It took me some time to persuade my family, and my parents were fully convinced only after visiting the EHL campus in Lausanne.
Take us through the application and admission process.
The process involves writing an essay and filling an application form. Then there’s an online interview, followed by a selection day with a face-to-face interview — either on campus or in your country (they come to India as well). We also have team-building activities on that day to evaluate us, because in EHL we learn everything as teams. There are also online logic tests and French tests. It is a long process and not an easy one. It is one of the best in the world, so it certainly is hard to get in.
What do you study?
The first year was fully practical, with workshops, housekeeping, doing the dishes, serving, making food, and so on. We were on campus for six months and had to take up an internship for the other six months. In the second year, the courses are both business management-based (math, accounting, economics) and hospitality based (food and beverage cost control, rooms division, marketing, human behaviour and performance). We learn a language as well. In our final year, we have a student business project. We form teams and work on real-life business projects for companies. We get hands-on experience, and this is the biggest part of our course.
Is the course expensive?
It is a relatively expensive course, but the facilities are good. The quality of teaching is high, and teachers are experienced in their respective areas. On the whole, the cost is justified. There are scholarships as well — anyone can apply, but the recipients are carefully selected.
What kind of jobs do students tend to take up after graduation?
Graduates from EHL tend to get into managerial positions directly after the course. The EHL name carries value. In terms of placements, career fairs happen every semester, with a variety of companies coming in, not just those based in hospitality. The career fair is open to alumni as well.
How has your understanding of the field changed after starting the course?
I thought hospitality was simple, but after starting here, I know how much hard work is involved. It is a sector that is changing every day. Earlier, I used to look at hospitality from a customer’s perspective. Now I see it from the other side, and I understand how much goes on behind the scenes.
And what about the mindset back home?
Some family members back home still think I am doing a culinary course. They ask me what I have learnt to cook! It took my immediate family some time to understand what I am doing, but now they are really happy about it.
The writer was in Switzerland at the invitation of Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne.
