Tourism, a career with many potential paths

People working in tourism speak with great passion and energy about their jobs, about the guests they serve and about the people they work with. 

There is an energy and a buzz that is quite unique to the people working in this sector. That positivity starts with their daily interactions with people and it continues through to their awareness that they have chosen a career with huge potential for personal growth, with a great range of paths to choose from.

For some tourism professionals, that growth potential takes them on an upward path from service through to roles of greater responsibility and into management. They can achieve an exciting, varied and rewarding career without ever-changing employer.

For others, tourism takes them on a journey through different hospitality roles, with several different employers, taking them to different places and even to different countries. With a career in tourism, the world really is your oyster.

A passion for food service

Anna Hevers loves her role as the chef de partie at Michelin Bib Gourmand restaurant Goldie in Cork. She loves the hustle and bustle of the kitchen, she loves engaging with people. No two days are ever the same.

Anna has always had a passion for food and for working in restaurants.

“It felt right. I loved its hustle and bustle and how, despite the surrounding noise, you can switch off and plate up,” Anna says.

She studied hotel management at Shannon College of Hotel Management at the University of Galway, and worked front of house in her placement year at The Grove, a five-star country retreat in Hertfordshire, in the UK.

After college, she won a scholarship to attend Le Cordon Bleu London, where she studied cuisine and patisserie.

“At Goldie we work a four-day week. The result is that I’m full of energy, ready to go, full of passion and not burned out,” says Anna.

It’s a smart move by the Michelin Bib Gourmand restaurant, which showcases local produce and has a sustainability ethos, something people are becoming more aware of, she says.

Anna started at Goldie by doing work experience. Its owner Aishling Moore cut her teeth at MTU Cork where she graduated with a Bachelor of Business degree in culinary arts.

With Aishling I knew I’d be in good hands,” says Hevers. “You have to be a sponge. It’s an exciting place to work and learn interpersonal skills that will really fulfil you. Creativity is part of the role. You don’t get that in every other job.”

On her down time, Hevers channels her creativity and love of food on Instagram, where she goes under the handle @annadarlinghevers.

A job that covers every aspect of life

John Burchill is operations manager at Hayfield Manor Hotel, a luxury five-star establishment in Cork that he describes as being a 365-day-a-year, 24/7 human business.

“You get to build great relationships with customers,” he says. “Some last generations. You become part of the life of that family.” Being part of someone’s wedding day is wonderful, says Burchill, but the job covers the full circle of life.

“In my early years a colleague overhead a wedding being cancelled. It was as a result of sad circumstances; the groom was terminally ill,” he recalls. “We brought afternoon tea to the family in the hospital. You become part of the life of that family — we have since celebrated all their children’s Christenings at the hotel.” 

There are 21 nationalities working at Hayfield Manor Hotel. That exposes the Irish staff to different ways of doing things and different ways of living life, Burchill explains.

Having worked weekends and school summer holidays in hospitality, he decided early on to study for a culinary arts degree at what is now MTU Cork. He approached Hayfield Manor for a work placement and when he finished those studies, went on to do a degree in hospitality management at the same college.

He says there are many perks to working at Hayfield Family Collection, a key one being how the group offers six hours of counselling to all employees annually. The service is anonymous, Burchill explains.

“It’s another way of recognising that people may be going through a tough time and that everyone knows that it’s okay to not be okay,” says John.

Young chef’s rapid rise

A passion for food has seen talented young chef and lecturer Alex Quilter enjoy a rapid rise in his career. At just 22, he currently works as a culinary instructor with the National Learning Network (NLN) in Tralee, Co Kerry.

“Working with the NLN is something I’m hugely proud of,” says Alex. “A big motivation for my taking this role was being able to help other people through the course, in the way I was once helped by the organisation. If I hadn’t come across this, I wouldn’t have been able to really work with my passion for cooking.”

Alex began his culinary career aged 16, having left school without completing his Leaving Cert. At school, he had been pushing himself to get the most points in his exams, but he was so focused on achieving, he ended up developing social anxiety within the final years of secondary school.

Alex attended counselling, gradually rebuilt his confidence. Having looked at a number of career options, he soon found his path in food and has quickly soared in his career.

He worked for a time with Kate Browne’s Pub and Restaurant in Ardfert, Co Kerry, but then decided that he needed to get some qualifications to boost his career prospects.

He decided to join the NLN, an organisation that helps people with disadvantages and encourages them to excel in life. From there, he moved onto culinary skills studies at Munster Technological University (MTU), Tralee. Going through Springboard, Alex went on to the Higher Certificate in Culinary Arts.

Alex recalls: “It was at this point, with many skills and confidence gained, that I felt I really would love to work in a fine dining kitchen — a tough role for any chef. A lecturer of mine at MTU, Mark Murphy, referred me to the Park Hotel in Kenmare. That kind of support from teachers, lecturers and tutors is so important.

“I was open to the move and knew the Park Hotel was a very high-end business, with a great reputation. I went for the interview with the executive head chef, James Coffey, a Michelin-trained chef running the award-winning restaurant at The Park Hotel.

“He must have been impressed as he offered me the job and I spent the next three years working there.

“I learned everything about starters, main courses and desserts and developed the skills to run a section by myself and prepare the best local produce to the highest standards,” he adds.

“I also found the team in the hotel caring and enjoyable to work with and the Brennan brothers always looked after their staff very well. I couldn’t give enough praise to John Brennan, James Coffey and David Espagnat (sous-chef) for their support and mentorship.”

 Alex has never looked back since. He now plans to return to studies in January to complete a degree through the Chef de Partie Apprenticeship programme at MTU in Tralee.

“I hope one day to open my own restaurant. From learning so much in the last few years, I believe anything is possible,” Alex concludes.

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