Olympe de Rouvroy
Human Resources Recruitment Consultant, Aotal
Bachelor of International Hospitality Management in Event Management and Human Resource Management
Studying hospitality was the obvious choice for Olympe de Rouvroy who just completed a Bachelor of International Hospitality Management in Event Management and Human Resource Management.
“I had been working in the hospitality industry since 2013, and had always been curious about working and learning within the industry in the future. I initially studied an arts degree at another university but then decided to change my degree and start a hospitality degree instead because it suited my skills and future career goals better.”
She wouldn’t hesitate to recommend the Bachelor of International Hospitality Management to other students.
“If you’re looking for a really good hospitality degree or aren’t sure yet where you’re heading, then I think this degree is really great. It teaches and encompasses many different aspects of hospitality, and it has such a large range of majors and specialities to choose from that everyone can find their fit.
“My degree helped me get a job at the Park Hyatt Auckland during my studies, which gave me the opportunity to be part of the team that actually opened the hotel. That was an amazing experience. In my last year, for my final-year workplace experience, I found a job at recruitment company Aotal, which has now led to working for them on a full-time basis. I’m really grateful for the opportunities my degree has given me.”
Supported to thrive
For Olympe, the people she met were one of the highlights of her time at AUT.
“Everyone was always friendly, the classes were very interesting and I appreciated all the work and effort the lecturers put in throughout my three years of study. Although my friends weren’t always in the same classes as me because we didn’t all major in the same area, we could all share some core courses together which made it easier to keep in touch over the three years.”
Like many students, she found studying during the COVID-19 pandemic to be the biggest challenge.
“We had to completely change the way we organised ourselves and the classes all moved to online learning. During the first lockdown in 2020, I definitely struggled to keep up with my lectures and I focused much more on my assignments. However, after a while, and with the help of all the online resources we had access to, I got used to the new rhythm.”
Advice for other students
Olympe’s advice for other students is simple: give yourself time.
“I think the most important advice I’d give others who are starting off or are in the middle of their studies is to give yourself time – give yourself time to rest and take time off, and don’t put too much pressure on yourself.”
Your wellbeing is more important than anything else, she adds.
“Especially with all the changes we’re facing with the COVID-19 pandemic, there’s so much pressure around us to always be positive, but sometimes the news can be very confusing or negative. I think the fact that people are still trying and studying hard is a huge accomplishment, and it’s important to take a step back sometimes and take a mental break from everything. Don’t be afraid to say no to that job or to any commitments, and put your mental and physical health before everything else.”
*The Event Management and Human Resource Management majors have been replaced by the new Hospitality and Society, Hospitality Enterprise and Hospitality Management majors.
