My name is Zhao Bei and I graduated from HTMi in Switzerland. To study in HTMi is a wonderful experience and I will never forget the time I spent with my classmates. I have made lots of friends from different countries and it was better for me to learn about different cultures. We had several culture nights that we organized by ourselves. It not only trained the students how to organize the event but also for people to learn about each other’s countries’ cultures.

After I got the Bachelor Degree, I went to the United States to work on a hospitality management training program, organized by HTMi. The training program lasted 1 year and I worked in 5 different hotel departments. I got a general idea of how to run the daily operation and also learnt many service skills from my colleagues. I went back to Shanghai, China after I finished the training program. My first job was to assist the Executive Assistant Manager of Westin Shanghai. Besides assisting the EAM with his tasks, I needed to observe the department’s daily operation to avoid guest complaints. I also needed to deal with all suppliers and make contracts. This job helped me to change from a student to a professional manager. Now I am working in the Public Relations Industry, and my experience and education has taught me to work in any service industry not only within a hotel, as there are common points in that both of them providing a service to all clients.

I appreciate that I have had a chance to study and work in abroad. All these experiences have made me a more open-minded person and to consider everything from different aspects. I think that everyone can learn things from their own experience and they will be very fortunate in the future.

Barbara Zhao

Zhao Bei

China