The Career Days Event, organized by the Tourism Management Department Promotion Commission of Istanbul Medeniyet University, was held online on March 14, 2022. The event was moderated by Commission Chairman Assist. Prof. İrfan YAŞAR, and leading executives of the tourism sector and students of our department participated. In the first session of the two-session event, the participant industry executives made their presentations, then the questions of the students were answered in the second session.
Nebahat UYGUR, Mövenpick Hotel Istanbul Asia Airport – Talent and General Culture Director, started her speech by sharing her sectoral career advancement and experiences. And she drew attention to the fact that the name of the Human Resources Department was changed to the Talent and Culture Directorate in their own hotels. Thus, she emphasized that they support the personal and educational advancement of their employees. She stated that they attach great importance to the intern students in their hotels and their ability to continue working at the hotel after the internship. Mrs. Uygur, handled the place of being a “female” worker in the tourism sector and especially in the hotel and gender inequality through her own experiences, gave hopeful advice to our students who will enter the sector by internship program and will be employed in this field.
Muhammet CUNTAY, L Collection Hotels – Managing Partner /Director, started his speech by stating that he is a trained tourism professional and also a part-time lecturer in addition to his managerial role, and emphasized the importance he attaches to “industry-academia cooperation”. Referring to the need for “association” in the sector, Mr. Cuntay stated that he also carries out studies in this field. He emphasized that he believes that there should be a high sense of social responsibility in tourism and emphasized the importance of their projects in this field. In this context, he stated that they always include a social responsibility project within their own business every month. Mr. Cuntay, who mentioned the effects of the negative effects of the pandemic conditions in the tourism sector, suggested that “crisis and crisis management” courses in tourism education should be included in undergraduate and higher education.
Dilaver DOĞRU, Villagepark Resort & SPA Hotel – General Manager, started his speech by stating that he has been an experienced tourism professional for 36 years and gave advice to the students by saying “our only capital is our effort, we must improve ourselves and our effort”. He emphasized that it is very important to love the job, to be a researcher and to work as guest-oriented in tourism. He mentioned the necessity of combining these two, not the distinction between “experienced” and “educated” in the sector. Especially in his speech, he glorified the importance and value he gives to the students who will do internship. He stated that “the way to make tourism students love tourism and to continue working in this sector is the internship” and emphasized that each student should be seen as valuable in every hotel and should be educated with interest.
İlmi YAVUZ, Hilton Istanbul Maslak – Learning Manager, shared his experiences that he improved himself by working in different fields of tourism and that he reached his position by striving despite all the difficulties. Stating that he is involved in tourism as a part-time and full-time academician as well as an industry manager, Mr. Yavuz gave advice and suggestions to students that will benefit their future in hotel management. For this, he emphasized the importance and necessity of working in different positions of the hotel at intervals.
Serkan GÜMRÜKÇÜ, General Manager of Ramada By Wyndam Old City, gave a great place in his speech to the issue of sustainability, which has come to the fore in recent years. In this context, he suggested that sustainability courses should be included in tourism education, especially between undergraduate and higher education courses. Indicating that he is still in a master’s program in Istanbul Medeniyet University, Department of Tourism Management, Mr. Gümrükçü also expressed his belief that “crisis management and budget management” courses should be included among tourism courses. Because he underlined the requirements on these three basic issues, especially while working at the hotel. Emphasizing that he “thinks globally and makes living locally as his philosophy of life”, he recommended this point of view to all tourism students.
Çetin ÇEKİN, TGS (Turkish Ground Services) – IATA Trainer and Operations Coordinator, stated that he has no tourism background and that he moved to the aviation sector after working in the finance sector. However, he stated that he still takes part in tourism through his master’s program in Istanbul Medeniyet University, Department of Tourism Management. He emphasized that tourism would not exist without aviation and that aviation and tourism could not be separated from each other.
Murat KUYUCU, Gorrion Hotel – General Manager, started his speech by pointing out that the hotel he is the manager of is in close relations with the tourism and hotel management schools, and stated that they attach great importance to the intern students. He emphasized that 40% of their employees are interns from tourism schools and they are very satisfied with all of them.
