What decides your career - is it a dogmatic decision based on life’s practicalities, one that is fuelled by passion or perhaps, does the hand of fate have a role to play? For Mr Russell Wong, his dreams of a hospitality career started as a student who would spend his days after school waiting at the hotel lobby for his mother, a secretary at the hotel, observing both heartfelt conversations and interactions between staff and guests as well as its operations.
As a self-professed introvert, he was inspired by the impact a hotelier could have on a guest’s travel experience. Thus marked the start of his pursuit of the art of service: after his graduation from Nanyang Polytechnic, the then 22-year-old decided to pursue a Bachelor of Science in International Hospitality Management at EHL Hospitality Business School.
What made you eventually decide on EHL Hospitality Business School?
After a difficult operational internship experience at Marina Bay Sands during my time at Nanyang Polytechnic (NYP), I considered pursuing other fields of studies for university. Aside from EHL Hospitality Business School, I was offered an opportunity to study Political Science at National University of Singapore (NUS).
What inspired me to pursue a career in hospitality at EHL? The heartfelt note of appreciation from a guest made every demanding moment of my internship worthwhile.
This experience fueled my motivation and dedication to delivering exceptional service, even on the longest and toughest days.
That reaffirmed my commitment to hospitality and I was thankful to receive an EHL scholarship for direct entry into the second year of EHL’s Bachelor programme upon graduating from NYP.
Working smart, building meaningful connections
Since my admission to EHL Campus (Singapore), which opened in 2021; my robust academic life has been equally matched with a vibrant campus and social life.
Each semester, departments such as Student Affairs and Student Committee, where I serve as the director of operations and logistics, will organize diverse events and social activities, as well as facilitate interest groups.
While I have relished the advantages of an EHL education on home ground the past years, I am equally as excited to be heading to the Lausanne campus during my last semester at EHL (BOSC 6) to meet the greater EHL community. As much as I love the smaller student-to-lecturer ratio, the tight-knit community, and deep friendships that I have fostered; I am ready to dive straight into my new experiences: living independently abroad and engaging in new living and working cultures and environments.
Dreaming big, casting the net wide
My pipeline dream is still that of a General Manager of hospitality brands such as Marriott or Hilton, and I have utmost confidence that my EHL education will serve me well on that journey, but also if I choose to transition to other industries - be it Luxury Retail or even Finance. I am a personal testament to how an EHL education enables, rather than limits our opportunities.
Opportunity is where you seek it: and grab it!
While EHL offers a robust alumni network that is ever generous with their guidance of each new generation of undergraduates, I believe that you have to be equally as proactive. That means to look beyond academics and at other student interest groups and resources.
Personally, at EHL’s Entrepreneurship and Innovation Lab, I have had the opportunity to engage in panel discussions with entrepreneurs such as the CEO of Swiss start-up CleanGreens Solutions Bruno Cheval, and gain a deeper understanding of business dynamics. Further, as part of the EHL Student Consultancy Singapore, a student-led consultancy that provides innovative solutions to hospitality business challenges, I sharpened my business proposal skills on projects like Mandarin Oriental Singapore’s refurbishment. These opportunities allowed me to apply theoretical knowledge in practical situations and molded me into a well-rounded individual - ready for real-world environments.
