Hotel Management H103
Graduated 2003
When Julia Newlands looks back on her experience as a student at George Brown College, what really stands out in her mind is the hands-on experience she got from her externship.
"I was really lucky to have the opportunity to do my placement at such a nice hotel as the Park Hyatt," says Newlands. "It really showed me firsthand what it is like to work in a hotel."
Since graduating in 2003, Newlands has been applying everything she learned from the two-year program to her work with Metropolitan Hotels, best known for their chic boutique-style franchises like Metropolitan Hotel Vancouver, Metropolitan Hotel Toronto and SoHo Metropolitan Hotel.
The 26-year-old's first position with the Canadian hotel chain was Regional Sales Co-ordinator, which she held for more than two years. Newlands has since moved on to the tour and travel market area for all three locations. Her responsibilities include visiting clients, negotiating rates, conducting site inspections and drawing up contracts. Eventually, she hopes to move up to Director of Sales for the hotel.
Newlands says what she was taught at George Brown was right on the money with what happens in the real world. "The courses, especially the ones related to sales and marketing, really provided relevant information to the hotel industry," she explains. "The curriculum was very much related to what I do now in my job." She also gives credit to the teachers for always taking the time to answer questions and genuinely caring about the success of their students.
Not only is Newlands flourishing in the workplace, she has become actively involved with the industry through the Canadian Hotel Marketing and Sales Executives (CHMSE).
While Newlands has found her calling in hospitality, she wasn't always headed down this path as she studied Early Childhood Education before switching to Hotel Management.
"I had heard wonderful things about George Brown, especially the Food and Beverage Management program so I went on the Internet to see if there was a hotel program," Newlands explains. "I would strongly recommend this program to others who are considering a career in hospitality. Everything that I took away from the program is really beneficial to what I need to know in the field."
