INSTANT ALUMNI – "The taste for excellence applies to all sectors" Justine Brenkel (2014)

Live from the TripAdvisor headquarters in Barcelona on Monday 24 January, Justine Brenkel gave a candid account of her professional and personal career to the 3rd year Bachelor Hospitality Management students. From luxury hotels to the tech industry, Justine is happy with her career choice in Sales.

During her studies at Institut Paul Bocuse, Justine did a first internship in the dining room at the Terrasses d'Uriage (2*), then at the Ritz Carlton Barcelona in the 2nd year in the Guest Relations department, and finally in the 3rd year as a Sales Assistant. Her career path was all mapped out at the Ritz Carlton, and yet... After much soul-searching at the end of her studies, Justine decided to do a master's apprenticeship degree in hospitality, which enabled her to experience a completely different world, going from managing a 450-room hotel to 50 rooms. The Saint James Paris (5*) opened Justine the doors to the sales and marketing profession at Relais & Châteaux.

"I enjoyed working both in a large hotel group where I learned to be rigorous and follow well-defined processes, and in a small establishment where I learned to prioritise, be more versatile and autonomous”.

These initial professional experiences led her to the Jiva Hill Resort (5*), at the time a luxury hotel with 30 rooms located in a leafy private domain at the gates of Geneva. In the role of sales assistant, Justine worked hard during the year when the resort was closed for expansion work, among her many tasks: redesigning the website and its referencing, decoration, amenities, e-distribution, community management, prospecting... A job that was even more intense when the hotel reopened, but so gratifying to see it through to completion!

For family reasons, Justine moved to Barcelona. She was attracted to the tech industry and joined the teams of the world's largest travel platform. Her position as Sales Business Development Executive at the European headquarters allows her to work fewer hours than in the hotel industry and to be better paid, but she is under constant pressure from her superiors.

"The lifestyle in Barcelona makes it easy to let off steam, it's easy to have a drink with friends after work. And, as a young mother, I also need to disconnect from my computer and phone at the end of the day. I no longer spend my evenings working at home. Life is simple and idyllic; I can still see myself as an expat for a few years.

All I can advise you is to give 200% at the beginning of your career, show your investment and reliability to your employer, you will see that afterwards you will be able to negotiate new conditions more easily. And don't take anything for granted, don't hesitate to ask for advice from alumni, mentors who can direct you to where you want to take your career.

Today, I know that I am not the best salesperson, but I know that I learn from top performers every day. I want to grow for another year in the TripAdvisor group, there are many opportunities to develop my sales skills so that I can be even better in my next position.”

What a pleasure to have attended this 'Alumni Moment' which, for sure, will have awakened the minds of the students and allowed them to project themselves into their future.

A huge THANK YOU to Justine! We look forward to seeing you at Institut Paul Bocuse, the next time you are in the region :-)