“I have chosen my specialisation because I am a very enthusiastic and active person. I love to be surrounded by people, and cannot stand loneliness.” After graduating, she left her home country and travelled to the United States where she worked for a year in the hospitality industry. “While I was there I realised the importance of adapting to a new culture and how important it is to get on well with different people from all over the world. That time made me grow up faster. I realised what I wanted to do and what I wanted to achieve in my career.”

When Ilyushina moved to New Zealand for her postgraduate studies she found yet another unique work and social environment. “The New Zealand education system is very different. Education here is more about applying the knowledge and experience you have to a real situation. Lectures involve each and every student participating in different kinds of discussions, as well as presentations and team exercises, which all lead to ideas, creativity, and new solutions.”

Thriving in this environment, she says, is all about your attitude and desire. “The hospitality school gave me a very deep knowledge and understanding of how to manage your business and how to deal with everyday problems. I now know what it takes to make a customer truly satisfied, and how to build internal relationships that reflect the success of an organisation.”

Of course, New Zealand is known around the world as a popular tourist destination, as well as a safe and secure place for international students to live and work. Ilyushina had no trouble adapting to our way of life. “New Zealand is absolutely the right place to learn about the hospitality industry first hand.” She managed to gain admission to the international hotel management school of her choice. Her school has been operating since 1995 and has built a strong track record of success and achievement as part of the Leading Hotel Schools of the World group and maintains strong networks with other international schools and industry. The school works hard to provide career pathways for students like Ilyushina, as well as supporting New Zealand’s thriving hospitality industry by developing quality benchmarking systems, sharing information and resources, researching, publishing and convening industry conferences. They also have relationships with New Zealand universities, which allows their students to easily progress into Masters programmes.

“As a guest I like warm, high-quality service. So as a provider I try every day to improve my work in order to make people happy and make them feel they’re important.”

“The postgraduate diploma is a great opportunity to immerse yourself in the industry,” says Ilyushina. “One of the three semesters is dedicated solely to practical industry experience.” This means that students have a chance to get out into the real world, become a restaurant manager, bar team-leader, sous-chef or one of a thousand other hospitality roles. “Most of us are looking to get a managerial position, so this practice gives us inside knowledge of what each department does.” So by choosing to study in New Zealand, you’ll not only benefit from a high standard of education, but also have the opportunity to explore our country for yourself, and meet many unique and interesting people.

“The most exciting thing about my chosen area,” says Ilyushina, “is that you will always be tied to people. People are at the heart of our industry. Moreover, this sphere gives us an opportunity to get knowledge about different cultures, get in touch with people from different countries with different backgrounds. We can learn from them, and this can enhance our communication skills and understanding of different personality types. You are in this industry to make people happy and smile. Isn’t it exciting?”