In collaboration with Study NSW, Academy of Entrepreneurs have been busy building and executing a series of employability events to help international students achieve their dream job. We were recently at the Google headquarters in Pyrmont earlier this week, and today we had the opportunity to work with Marriott Hotels.

The day began with an incredible presentation from the Head of Talent Acquisition, Fiona Pereira, who spoke of the origins of the company, the culture, and most importantly where to begin in order to get a job at the hotel.

Fiona also shared her own very inspiring story, beginning at the Marriott hotel in London as a Waitress, to moving to Singapore as Restaurant Director, to her current position in Talent Acquisition and Human Resources here in Sydney. She also shared, to date, her biggest career challenge: representing the company’s HR department during covid, and all the changes it brought about! Most importantly, we saw how anyone with a desire to succeed, can succeed within the Marriott community, where career development and growth are a key factor in their highly successful staff retention rate.

Over 50+ participants were then treated to a hotel tour, including the gym, swimming pool and Executive Suite, valued at a whopping $3,000 per night! It was confirmed that stars such as Kylie Minogue and Eminem had both stayed in the suite, amongst others.

Students gained a new perspective on working at a hotel, and in the hospitality industry, many were inspired by the stories of progression and success, as well as the array of different job opportunities available. The key realisation was that visas and English as a second language didn’t matter, because flexible, part-time openings are commonplace, and not all positions require fluent English.

We’d like to take the opportunity to thank both Study NSW, and the Marriott Hotel for their help and participation in today’s event!

Author: Annaliese Whipp