Name: Pablo André Grütter
Nationality: Bolivian and Swiss
Age: 22
Program: Bachelor of Hospitality Management
Campus: Bulle
Self-described as energetic, competitive and open-minded, Glion student Pablo André Grütter recently put his traits to the test on an internship as part of his Bachelor’s degree. Fresh off the plane from Dubai, he took time out to explain the internship process and share his experience at the 5-Star Bulgari Hotel.
Real-world experience is an integral and essential part of all programs at Glion. It builds confidence, puts theory into practice and allows students to discover their ideal first career step in the diverse hospitality industry. As Pablo discovered.
“The F&B department in the hotel was really interesting, but through this experience I learned that I was really interested in the events department”, he said. “I always was interested in how they organize such big events like the Ferrari Cavalcade or how they managed to serve the Vice President of the United Arab Emirates.”
Multiple internship offers
Support from tutors, the internship team and personal connections made at on-campus Career Days means that most students receive a number of internship offers. Pablo received three, but one lit-up his love for travel.
“I have never visited a country in the Middle East or UAE before, so I decided to go to Dubai and learn more about their culture”, Pablo said. “The fact that I have heard many positive things about the Bulgari Hotel and learned about their reputation made me decide to work for them.”
“My internship was really good! Even if I worked 6 days a week, I really enjoyed working for the hotel. Bulgari Dubai helped me gain a lot of experience and knowledge about the operations of a hotel. I also had the opportunity to serve really important people like for example the Vice President of the United Arab Emirates, and also some football players who visited the hotel. All of that will help me boost my CV for future job applications.”
Heading into a real-world hospitality environment means facing challenges and testing knowledge gained in the classroom. Using both hard and soft skills, Pablo was able to turn these challenges into opportunities to both delight customers and advance his learning.
“I worked in the Food and Beverage department and my main role was to take the orders from the guests, make them feel warm and welcome, provide an excellent service, and also opening and closing the restaurant sometimes”, he said.
“The most challenging part of the job is that you always have to deal with different types of people and adapt to them. The guests can be rude or they can be really kind and happy, but you always have to stay professional and keep calm and try to resolve any problems in a calm manner.”
“The most enjoyable part of the internship was to work with various celebrities that came into the hotel, and also getting to know many different people that can be very important contacts for me in the future of my hospitality career.”
Learning and growing, as a professional and a person
Knowledge is only powerful when you put it to good use, and when you do – you learn even more. As Pablo found out.
“In just the first semester, Glion helped me learn practical things like taking orders, serving quickly and being efficient. It also helped me with some soft skills like knowing how to manage my time or choose the appropriate dress code, which is very important in the Bulgari Hotel”, he said.
“I learned that I can be very patient and that I can deliver the service quicker and better than I expected. I have learned that I am very lucky to be having the opportunity to work for such a great hotel, and I’ve learned to be grateful for the things I have and the people I have met.”
Shaping your career, while studying
A key benefit of completing internships throughout your course is that it fast tracks your career journey, allowing you to get your ambitions in place ready for graduation day.
“For the future, I would like to open up and successfully manage my own hotel chain that would have a very unique concept”, Pablo commented. “I would love to work in Australia or somewhere really exotic like Costa Rica.”
“I think my internship will really help me to find more and better jobs in the future. The Bulgari Hotel has taught me a lot of things that I can add to my CV and skills that I can use in my next internship and my future career.”
Thank you to Pablo for taking the time to share his internship experience. All of the knowledge and confidence gained at Bulgari Hotels will now go into his classroom studies, enhancing both his own learning and that of his classmates. That’s the power of a Glion internship.
