Hospitality graduate catch up

Helena Cleary graduated from our International Hospitality Management BA(Hons) in July this year and during her course she took up the opportunity we offer to be mentored by an industry professional under the Hospitality Undergraduate Mentoring Scheme. We caught up with her to see how the scheme helped her after graduation:

“I secured a job just before graduation as Human Resources Coordinator at the Devonshire Club. It was my mentor, Judy, who initially put the HR Director of the Club in touch with me.

“So far it has been so amazing, I love the people, the building and the hotel – it is a private members club and very fancy. I have my own office which is brand new, and get to attend frequent meetings with the Heads of Departments and my General Manager. I am very much in the loop of things, and feel very involved and appreciated.

“I have also been able to initiate different things and have started doing welcome presentations to new starters, a staff Facebook group, organising a successful staff boat party as well as undertaking disciplinaries.

“I am thoroughly enjoying it and have been given a lot of responsibility. The Executive Chef is a Michelin Star Chef (Adam Gray) who regularly holds menu tasting, which is very fun and tasty!

“I learnt so much about myself at university, and although was not as engaged in first / second year, I did learn a lot from some of the modules, and liked getting hands on in the kitchen in the Cas Bar. I really pushed myself in final year, and was over the moon with my results.

“I am so happy to have got a first in my dissertation, and I remember bouncing off ideas with the course leader, Gillian Parfitt, just over a year ago. I also got a first in ‘clearymyplate’ which is now being used as an example to showcase the module.

“I was asked on Tuesday what my biggest achievement was, and one of them was securing this job, however the other was getting a 2.1 in my degree.”