Relationship Manager | FEXCO
Tourism & Planning BA (Honours) - 2014
I really loved the subjects taught and the expertise of the staff. Not only did we learn the ins and outs of modern tourism (and its historical background), the lectures were also versatile and the staff were not only lecturers, but people with a real tourism background who knew what they were talking about.
What are you doing now?
I am currently working as an Account Manager with Booking.com, Germany in the Partner Services department, which means I work with partners (hotels). While traditionally a sales role it is actually more of a consulting role, helping partners improve their overall performance on our platform. Before that (as my first job after graduation) I worked for Viator/ Tripadvisor as an Account Coordinator in London.
What did you find most valuable about your course at Westminster? How did the skills you learnt during your degree help you to shape your career?
I really loved the subjects taught and the expertise of the faculty staff. Not only did we learn the ins and outs of modern tourism (and its historical background), the lectures were also versatile and the staff were not only lecturers but people with a real tourism background who knew what they were talking about. Generally, the courses helped me to learn how to really gather my thoughts and express myself in writing. Group tasks set me up for teamwork in my job and as frequent presentations are still a part of my job now, the university prepared me well for this.
What was the best thing about being a student in London?
Despite being expensive, London is obviously the best place to be a student. The city is vibrant, international, and full of opportunities! I made friends from all over Europe and we are still in touch now, 2 years after graduation!
What advice would you give to someone thinking of pursuing a similar career?
In my current role, you need to be open and friendly as you are in touch with a lot of different people all the time (be it on the phone or when you're out on market visits). You have to love travelling and shouldn't mind being away from home for frequent overnight business trips – I am travelling almost every week! You have to be really well-organised and good at time-management, as you work very independently. It's great fun if you have those skills, modern online travel agents are vibrant, fast-paced and international companies, related to both tourism and technology, and you can absolutely learn a lot!
Is there anything else you would like to tell us about yourself?
I wasn’t a high achiever at school (in fact, I failed 10th grade and had to repeat the entire year) - but I loved the university so much and really set my mind to it. I ended up receiving academic achievement awards for year one and year two (thank you for the scholarship payment, UoW!), and graduated with first class honours. I also got free membership of the Tourism Society and was asked to write a student's view article which was published in their newsletter and the University of Westminster's website. Anything is possible, just really immerse yourself in the university experience, and if you need help: ask for it! The staff's doors are always open!