Alumni

UCLan is recognised for its outstanding course provision which gives students the skills, knowledge, and personal attributes necessary to succeed at the University and in their future careers.

After graduating Makwana Rajkumar secured a Management trainee position with St. Pierre Marriott (UK). Raj has kindly provided us with details about his role.

"Joining St. Pierre Marriott (UK) was one of the best decisions of my life. This opportunity was definitely one of the most rewarding experiences and has boosted my confidence to step forward to establish myself as a Hospitality professional.

"I joined as a Supervisory Management Trainee, and the kind of exposure I received was phenomenal and helped me mould myself into a well-rounded and empowered individual. My job was to ensure the level of service was consistent and our guests left the restaurant satisfied.

"During this training program my main focus was to supervise the department's opening & closing procedures and to ensure all charges were accurately posted through point of sale. I was asked to maintain a safe working environment at all the times and also performed other operations related tasks as assigned by management."

Raj returned to India following the successful completion of his training and plans to further his Hospitality career in America.

In addition to graduating with First Class Honours in International Hospitality Management, Bethan Clarke was also awarded the Marriott Hotel Prize for Academic Excellence.

Bethan commented: "After taking an online personality quiz and being inspired by the TV series 'Hotel Babylon', I decided to plunge into four years' worth of debt by enrolling at UCLan – it was a great decision!

"The placement year within the degree was an attractive aspect when choosing a course/university, and resulted with a year in Chicago working in a Marriott hotel.

"Taking part in a role rotation there (mostly Front Desk) I gained great work experience and thoroughly enjoyed both work and leisure aspects of the placement, enabling me to return to Preston with solid career goals and the drive to succeed in my degree.

"My final year brought once in a lifetime field trips to Poland and Cambodia and, thanks to my tutors at UCLan, also a great end result. I'm thoroughly grateful for the help and support I've received throughout my time at UCLan and the remarkable experiences and opportunities which have been offered to me."

Danny Thompson embraced the opportunities available to him whilst at UCLan to enhance his CV and boost his chances of finding a job after graduating.

He said: "I think UCLan was great. There are interesting, diverse modules and assessments each year like the Green Gecko Project, which keep you interested in the work and allow you to try new things.

"During my placement year I worked for six months at Revolution Vodka Bar, Preston, initially as barman and then Sales and Events Manager.

"I moved on to The Continental in Preston for the rest of the year as a barman and then supervisor. It was good to get a contrast of experiences whilst on my placement."

He is now a member of the UK Management Development Programme at Hilton Worldwide and is hoping to progress up the career ladder there.