Studying Hotel Management in Switzerland: Alumnus Profile

Habib Souleiman explains how a Bachelor in Hotel Management has helped him enter a management-level position in the Swiss hospitality industry.

During my last year of my secondary education in the Middle East, my family asked me what my plans were for my future career.

As I was unsure what I could do and did not want to join the ranks of the unemployed, I went to the career advisor of my school to get some sound advice.

She informed me of careers in the various sectors of the economy. I was not interested in manufacturing or primary sector jobs and decided to make my career in the services industry, after finding out that more than 50% of the Fortune 500 companies were in that part of the economy.

I am an outgoing person, enjoying interactions with people from many walks of life. I know I would not be happy to work cooped-up in an office all day, so I settled on the hotel and tourism industry.

My plan was to work after graduation in one of the local five-star hotels, hoping to be transferred after a time within the hotel company to various exotic locations.

I formed my decision after talking to the daughter of a friend, who had returned from studies abroad in Switzerland. She told me that after she completed a BA in Hotel Management, she managed to get a management internship through the placement office of the Swiss university. She is now a manager for one the prime hotel companies around, training front-of-house staff in hotels all over Asia.

She had chosen to study in Switzerland because she felt she would get the most comprehensive education there, while having the chance to learn French. 

In turn, I came up with my own university selection criteria, which were:

• A good education at the most reasonable price
• The shortest path to a degree
• An accredited degree
• City location
• Possibility of foreign work experience
• Paid industry training (I needed this to partly finance my education)
• Placement guarantee by the school into an industry training
• Ability to learn German
• Good ranking (this was difficult because in some countries this is not available)
• Successful Alumni

For me the criteria listed above led me to BHMS Business and Hotel Management School, located in the tourism capital of Switzerland, Lucerne.

I am now writing this article from my desk here in Switzerland, having successfully graduated and working now in my first management position with good prospects for further promotion.

Did I reach my goal? You bet!