In Culture & People, Europe, Featured, HSMAI, HSMAI, News, News items, Talent, Travel>Hotels

This month we would like to introduce to you Milana Tepliakova, who is a 22-year-old student at EHL Hospitality Business and Hotel Management School in Lausanne, Switzerland. She is Russian and is currently in the final year of her Bachelor’s Degree.

During her time at EHL, she has explored hospitality from various angles by being a member of an Entrepreneurship Club, an Independent Event Organization entity, as well as a business development Intern at the Global Alliance & Partnership department, and an EHL Alliance Ambassador for the Swiss Luxury watch-maker: Jaquet Droz.

Milana has also been recently appointed Vice Chair of the HSMAI Europe Student Council.

Q: Why did you choose to study Hospitality Management?

Hospitality Management education provides students with a very broad scope of knowledge that allows us to have touchpoints with many industries. My favourite thing about hospitality is freedom. We are never tied down to just one place or just one field. Hospitality encourages us to travel, expand our horizons, meet great people and live our lives to the fullest, by being able to adapt to any environment while carrying our own values.

Q: Why are you passionate about hospitality? What makes this industry unique?

Ever since I was young, I had a passion for making things happen. I would come up with a solution to even the smallest technical problem. From there, I get my determination for perfection. To me, hospitality – is the ability to provide people with the perfect experience by exceeding their expectations. In other words – make them happy with a personalized approach and unique solutions.

Q: What are the biggest challenges as a student in hospitality?

Hospitality is a rapidly changing market that is easily affected by the economic, social, political, and other important spheres of the world. From the moment a student entered a Hospitality University to the moment they completed their studies – the understanding, trends and challenges of hospitality have already changed at least 10 times.
Moreover, the competition for entry-level jobs in hospitality is exceptionally high and it can be very difficult to prove your worth to the management without burning out.

Q: The hospitality industry – as many others – faces the challenge of attracting and retaining talent. Do you have any thoughts on this that you would like to share with us?

Employability from within. People these days need the assurance that they have room for career growth. By promising employees that good performance enables them to take a step further in their careers through a promotion – companies will be able to attract and retain more talent than ever.

Q: Why did you decide to join the HSMAI Europe Student Council?

As a young and passion-driven student, I believe that by bringing like-minded hospitality professionals together, HSMAI Europe Student Council can have an influential voice, and create change while helping each other grow personally and professionally.
When I was undergoing my internship in EHL Global Alliance & Partnership, my manager offered me to join HSMAI Europe Student Council and called it “Hospitality Enthusiasts who travel all around Europe together for summits and other projects”. Right away I thought: ”I have to be there”.
I am very proud to have become a Vice-Chair of the council this Fall and I cannot wait to see us thriving and expanding the horizons of hospitality together.

Q: How is HSMAI Europe Student Council helping your studies/students?

I find events organized by HSMAI very valuable. They encourage the members to gather together, deep dive into and debate about the trending hospitality topics, which always results in great conversations and plenty of acquired knowledge, that I frequently apply during my university’s classes and projects. Alongside the events, it’s the people who inspire me with their hard work and dedication.

Q: What is your dream job when you graduate?

I have always wanted to work on a perfect combination between luxury and hospitality, help brands develop a full 5-star experience for their customers to stand out from the competition.
However, the beauty of being a student in Hospitality is that there are no limits and many incredible opportunities arise along the way, and as I am still growing and discovering myself, I do not yet know what my absolute dream job would be.

Want to get in touch with Milana or other members of the HSMAI Europe Student Council? Don’t hesitate to reach out to studentcouncil@hsmai.eu!

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