Hotel Institute Montreux student becomes first ever HIM student to do a remote internship

Salma, what is a remoteship and what responsibilities do you have in your internship role?

I think the best way to define a remoteship is by saying it’s an internship at a distance. So, in my case, it’s a virtual internship from home, as I’m currently working from my house in Amman in Jordan meanwhile the Kerten Hospitality team is either working from Dubai or from other countries all around the world. 

My remoteship is in the marketing and communications department, where my responsibilities include a lot of market research to be able to understand the markets of the different hotels, residences or co-working spaces for Kerten Hospitality. As well as this, I am also looking at different strategies for branding and brand awareness. Furthermore, I’m also responsible for a social media account where the aim is to increase followers and promote Kerten Hospitality. 

Since one of Kerten Hospitality’s hotel chains, Cloud7, opened in Aqaba which is a city in Jordan next to the Red Sea, Kerten Hospitality gave me the chance to meet the team and help out when needed. For example, they needed help with a marketing incentive, and right now I’m helping them out with reservations. This was able to give me a scope on the operations of a hotel when it first opens, as Cloud7 opened on the 1st of August 2020. 

I find that very interesting as even though my internship is in the marketing and communications department, I’m still exposed to a lot more than that, and regardless of the fact that it is considered to be a remoteship, the amount of things I’m learning and the skills I’m gaining is honestly a lot more than I expected and that’s something I’m very grateful for.

What made you want to do your internship at Kerten Hospitality?

Honestly, the main reason behind me wanting to do an internship with them was because of the current circumstances. As I was unable to go back to Switzerland for my studies or do my internship due to the lockdown, I felt like I had to do something during that time. I was actively looking for an internship here in Amman, but it was difficult to find one due to the impact of COVID-19 on the hotels. 

Kerten Hospitality offered what I was looking for… a remoteship! Like this, I was able to stay at home and yet at the same time work with an international company. I felt like being able to do an internship with them during this time would teach me a lot as I would see how they dealt with and are dealing with COVID-19, while at the same time I would be working on an international scale, meeting new people and establishing various relationships and connections which is very important. 

After seeing the offer and researching the company further, I realized that despite the fact that it is a newly established business, they have over 35 projects internationally. I felt that working with Kerten Hospitality would be a great opportunity to learn and understand the different dynamics of hotels all around the world. 

The internship program aims to empower the future generation of hoteliers and encourage young talents to join like-minded organisations that will help them to grow and achieve as part of an international team, and this is one of the most important factors that I tend to look for when applying for an internship or job.

What has been the biggest challenge of doing a remoteship?

I think a challenge that I faced at first during this remoteship is having the motivation and energy to work on a daily basis from home. I think we all need a change in scenery, and I’m not the type of person that can do the exact same thing on a daily basis. I want and need change. So, regardless of the fact that the tasks are not repetitive, and that they are very interesting, it’s just the fact that I’m at home, meeting people virtually and so on that made it a bit difficult. However, due to regular group meetings and by talking to the different employees and other interns, in addition to physically going to Aqaba to work and meet the team there working for Cloud7, it really changed that. I have realized how interconnected the Kerten team is, making the business environment as a whole very pleasant and one I would want to be in. Kerten Hospitality taught me that regardless of the place we are in and no matter what the situation is, working together hand in hand will help us overcome whatever challenge we face and achieve big things. 

 

What skills have you learnt or developed so far from the experience of doing a virtual internship?

I have definitely learnt and developed so many skills throughout this remoteship. I think a very important skill that I was able to develop from this experience was being able to balance my daily life activities with my work commitments. Working from home, I think it’s easy to get distracted and do other things. So, I have learnt to balance my priorities. I have also developed my time management skills and having multiple things to do within a similar time frame taught me how to manage my tasks throughout the day. Furthermore, something I’ve always wanted to develop was being able to work under pressure and do multiple things at once, and I think by giving me the opportunity to assist with reservations for a short period of time, along with tasks for the marketing and communications department, I was able to work on that. Moreover, I was also able to improve my research and analysis skills, as my tasks include a lot of market research. 

 

Did studying your Spring term on VLE at HIM help prepare you in any way for the position?

Not only did the VLE courses I took help me a lot, but also taking the spring term on VLE taught me many things when it comes to online meetings and prioritizing my tasks.

Additionally, as most of the projects for the courses are group projects, I learned how to work on tasks with people regardless of where they are, or what time zone they are in, and this was definitely a skill that I have also been able to work on and develop in my remoteship.
 

What advice would you give to HIM students who are interested in doing a remoteship?

I would say even though it’s an internship from home, and that you’re not physically somewhere working and meeting the team, give it your best! Try to find areas where you can develop yourself and learn. Think of it as if it’s a normal internship and that you are there. By having that mindset, you will end your internship on a good note, with so many new skills and so many new connections. 

 

 

About Salma Beiruti

Salma Beiruti is a BBA student at Hotel Institute Montreux. As of October 2020, she has completed her remote internship at Kerten Hospitality. 

Whenever you have a chance to do something, go for it. Know what you’re capable of, don’t doubt your abilities, and always push yourself to achieve bigger things