International School Parent Magazine - Spring 2022

ADVERTORIAL
youngster may end up following a professional path that they aren’t
passionate about, or even adept at. However, without practical
guidance and support, inadequate choices can be made. It’s no
secret that both young people and parents have more knowledge
and information about traditional degrees such as medicine,
technology, computer science, business, finance and engineering
than they do about the field of hospitality business management
education that I am in. Additionally, they also have a much clearer
picture of the different career paths available with such traditional
degrees. Although, in my discussions with students and parents,
the hospitality industry is seen as truly fascinating, the struggle for
both groups is to see the real and diverse education and career
options the industry has to offer young graduates. We as school
representatives have the very challenging task of bridging this
information gap for hospitality education and careers to even be
considered in the first place. Catching up with other disciplines in
terms of knowledge is demanding when young people already are
in their decision processes. This often leads to the hospitality and
tourism industry losing out on the best talents to other industries
before it even gets the chance to introduce its opportunities.
Young people have unique individual skills sets and talents in
various fields and subject areas and may possess different skills and
abilities to their parents. Adopting a similar career role to either
parent may not be the right course of action. Youngsters need space
and time to discover what they are passionate about and truly want
to pursue. University e.g., isn’t for everyone, and a smaller college
where young people aren’t simply a number in a lecture hall can
be a much more suitable learning environment for many on their
quests to find professions where they’ll be able to thrive. When they
have the good fortune to learn at home that life is a journey of selfdiscovery
and new skills and multiple talents are developed, it’ll be
easier to define which talents to focus on or pursue for the first step.
I spend a lot of time ensuring students - and often their parents -
that it’s okay that they are not yet sure what they want to do and
that the important thing is to be proactive in finding a way that
will unleash their maximum potential. A great starting point for
many is a programme that offers them applicable knowledge and
transferable skills, that can be later used in a variety of industries
and professions. Courses that contains essential life skills as an
integral part of the programme, such as empathy and emotional
intelligence, teamwork, stress and time management, problemsolving,
strategy and innovation will also always be a valuable
addition to any young persons’ education.
Parents are more than simply authority figures, they’re the
#1 influencers! Along with vital information about educational
paths and career choices, they can facilitate the selection process
for their youngsters. However, where parents might want their
children to opt for a career they know well, what their youngsters
want or aspire to become, can be two entirely different things.
For hospitality management school representatives such as
myself, attracting the best young talents is not only based on their
knowledge and personal interests and the familiarity of their
influencers, but also driven by the attractiveness of the industry
and its perceived career opportunities. Consequently, we not only
support and guide students and parents in the decision process,
we are in the position of developing knowledge and provide
information about the hospitality industry as an attractive employer.
In our case, students are often not aware of all the exciting and
“Parents are more than simply
authority figures, they’re the #1
influencers!”
varied career opportunities a degree in hospitality management
offer, not only our industry, but service industries in general. Hence,
many of the best talents don’t even have hospitality on their ‘short
lists’ of options. Whereas students who are considering degrees in
technology, already have employers like Apple or Google in mind,
or specific industries where they see themselves.
Based on my personal experience from around the world,
most often also compare career opportunities and industries’
competitiveness. They ask themselves very practical questions such
as: which industry offers the best job and career opportunities, what
can I expect in terms of salary and benefits, what will my worklife-balance
look like? Furthermore, today’s young generation has
increased expectations towards more flexibility, job and industry
rotation, personal development, and value driven company cultures.
There are a few factors that will be of great value to parents in
the career choice process. Aid youngsters to discover their true
aptitude which mirror their personalities, strengths, and weaknesses.
This can be helpful in making a well-informed career selection. As
parents, investigate the interests and passions of the youngsters and
consider them while shortlisting career options. It is very difficult
to spend life working in a field that you are not interested in or
passionate about.
It is easy for youngsters to get won over by peer pressure into
choosing an education or career that the majority is opting for.
Sometimes, even parents get attracted to a career choice that is
trending. Hence, parents must be informed about various career
choices and guide their youngsters towards taking an informed
decision and inform them about all aspects of the short-listed
careers.
INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL PARENT SPRING 2022 | 27