While most of us could only dream of regular vacations to the beautiful island of Bali, Imanuel Aaron Mogie (Bachelor of Business - Hospitality Management and Entrepreneurship Management), lived and worked as an intern on the Island of the Gods. Here is his experience and how it helped him pursue his passion in hospitality.

What are you up to right now?
I've concluded my internship and I’m now working on my family business while looking for opportunities at a luxury hotel in a paradise island!

Why did you decide on an internship?
Well, I realised that my goal is hard to achieve if I don’t take up an internship to gain some experience first. The hospitality industry is very competitive and experience is essential to enter the workforce.

Fortunately, I have a friend working there and she suggested that I should apply for an internship at the Bulgari Resorts Bali. I submitted my application online via its careers page and was invited for the interviews. I secured an internship position there within a fortnight.

What was your role as an intern?
I was offered an F&B internship position at The Bar for 6 months and I was assigned to work at three outlets, namely The Bar, The Pool and The Beach Club. I worked as a full-time staff there. From learning to make beverages, handling reservations, processing bills, to providing excellent service to the most demanding guests.

What was the overall internship experience like?
The overall internship experience was beyond words. It was fulfilling and life changing. Paradise island, high quality work, super kind and supportive colleagues and authentic Balinese culture were part of the overall internship experience.

If you could highlight one memorable experience, what would it be?
It is quite hard to decide on a single moment which has the most meaning to me. However, I think it was the New Year’s eve on the 31^st of December 2015. My shift began at 11am and we all did the preparations for the New Year party. It was fun and challenging because this was a very special event both for the guests and staff.

My director asked me to write each of the guests' name on the card because he felt that my handwriting is good and it was more personal to have their names handwritten. The party was very festive and beautiful, all the hard work was paid off. When the fireworks sparked right at 12am, we were all very touched. We no longer felt as a staff because all of us just blended together to celebrate 2016. Bulgari also provided a photobooth for guests and staff to take photographs as memorable keepsakes. It was my longest working shift of 14 hours but I did it out of passion and I didn’t feel exhausted at all.

What lessons did you learn from your internship?
Teamwork is very essential. I had a very positive and professional relationship with all the staff at the Bar. I've learnt to take care of the internal relationships first then take it to the guests.

How do you feel studying at JCU Singapore has helped you?
JCU prepared me well for the workforce and taught me how to apply the theoretical knowledge that I’ve gained. JCU is internationally recognised and great companies don’t have any problems in recognising my qualifications. My senior told me that I developed very quickly and was able to adapt easily to the new environment. I got it from JCU of course!

What are your plans for the future?
I’m looking forward to further my career development in the luxury hospitality industry. Hopefully, I can get more opportunities abroad as i’m also a traveller. Living and experiencing adventures at new places is my life purpose, well at the moment! Haha.

What would be your advice for current students?
My career advice is that opportunities comes and goes, once you find one, you have to put your mind into it and perform really well. You don’t have to tell everybody at your workplace that you’re great because the quality of your work will just prove it. The most fulfilling thing for me is when someone, be it a guest or your senior tells everybody that you did an amazing job.

I just want to thank JCU for the amazing learning experience that it offered me. You have opened more opportunities for me and prepared me for the challenges from rapid globalisation.