15/05/2019

INTERVIEW: Jacqueline Lutz, head of the Career and Internship Department

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Founded in 1962, Glion Institute of Higher Education is a private Swiss institution offering bachelor’s and master’s degrees in hospitality, luxury and finance to an international student body across three campuses in Switzerland and London, UK. Glion also offers a dual-degree MBA and MSc programme in partnership with Grenoble Ecole de Management.

Part of Sommet Education, Glion is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE). Glion is ranked number four of the world’s top institutions for hospitality and leisure management by QS World University Rankings by Subject 2019.

Jacqueline Lutz, head of the Career and Internship Department, talks to Vendom about the academic offer – including three new master’s programs starting in September 2019 – and the high placement rate of graduates thanks to close ties with recruiters and the development of interpersonal qualities required by the industry.

Vendomjobs.ch – Could you describe your function within the Glion Institute of Higher Education?

Jacqueline Lutz – I am the Head of the Career and Internship Department. With eight team members based on our three campuses in Montreux, Bulle and London, our main task is to ensure that all our students are prepared for their internships and their job after graduation. Our daily mission is to guarantee the employability of our students; in other words, ensuring that they enter the workplace fully prepared and with the best possible qualities.

To that end, we work very closely with students throughout their studies in Glion, providing a personalized service while keeping close ties with the hospitality, luxury and finance industries, to name a few. Hence, our department plays a central role in establishing and nurturing connections between the industry and the school in general, and between employers and students in particular. For example, we help students prepare their CV and assist them with the preparation of interviews. Our main task is to support students choose between different jobs opportunities and places of work.

V. J. – What are your students’ first steps in school?

J. L. – The bachelor’s program in Glion follows the Swiss model of education and combines practical training with theoretical and general management courses. All our students begin their studies with a first semester focusing on the fundamentals of practical arts on our Glion campus: Students deepen their knowledge in the five following four-week modules: Learn from the Best, Gain a Luxury Hospitality Experience, Develop Guest Experience, Discover the Universe of F&B, Experience the World of Gastronomy. Overseen by instructors and by our “Meilleurs Ouvriers de France”, students learn the art of hospitality – a warm welcome, exceptional service, rigour and exemplary presentation – over the course of the semester. In our training restaurants Bellevue and Fresh which are open to the public, students come face-to-face with real customers right from the start of their studies.

Glion campus

V. J. – Their integration in the business world takes place very early. What are the various steps of this process?

J. L. – In the bachelor program, students are required to complete two internship semesters, where they apply the knowledge and expertise acquired in class. In this way, students gain confidence and professional experience already during their studies and will be ready to emerge as real professionals and pursue a career upon graduation. At the beginning of their first semester, students start looking for their first internship, which takes place during the second semester. Generally, the first internship is at an operational level in Food & Beverage or Rooms Division where students test and develop their skills acquired during the first semester.

After this first internship and two more semesters of academic study on campus, students complete a second internship in a more administrative internship, for example in finance, marketing, sales, human resources, or on the management side of F&B or front desk. Both internships last twenty-four weeks each. By the time students complete their degree after two more academic semesters, they can build on their professional experience and network.

Our students have various tools at their disposal, the main one being our careers portal for students and recruiters, containing all our students’ CVs and the profiles of all employers who regularly post internship and job offers. In 2018, we posted around 10,000 job offers across all categories and students completed internships in 63 different countries.

V. J. – What is the raison d’être of the “ambassador students” in and out of school?

J. L. – Our students can become school ambassadors and are selected based on their professional and personal skills. Through this program, students gain experience and confidence, as well as leadership skills and add value to their CV. Their role is to improve student life by offering peer-to-peer assistance, organizing campus activities and representing the school during events and visits.

V. J. – What are the selected criteria in the training of educational teams?

J. L. – All professional and practical skills are taught by industry professionals, including three “Meilleurs Ouvriers de France”. On the academic side, the majority of our teachers have a background in the hospitality and service industries, with an average of 13 years of professional experience and 12 years of teaching experience. We are happy to count 74 professors and instructors from 17 different countries within our teaching community which is a perfect reflection of the diversity of our student body and the international campus environment. 79% of our faculty members hold a master or doctorate degree and are well prepared to train the professionals of tomorrow.

Bellevue restaurant

V. J. – Glion is internationally renowned as one of the best higher education establishments in the hospitality sector. How do you maintain these high-quality standards?

J. L. – We offer a unique education model based on a transformative education process, which focuses on developing the full professional and personal potential of a student, based on six main fields of development: international environment, practical arts, professional internships, progressive training, interpersonal aptitudes and strong employability.

V. J. – Which qualities do you expect your students to master at the end of the curriculum?

J. L. – At the end of their studies, students will not only have acquired an excellent training in hospitality, but also possess unequalled management skills, an excellent service approach, an understanding of teamwork and problem-solving abilities, as well as solid professional aptitudes and attitudes through real-life working experience. An invaluable cultural heritage, a vast professional network and countless friendships throughout the world are some additional assets that students take away with them as they launch their professional careers.

V. J. – Can you tell us more about your new masters? How are they included in the teaching development of the institute and how do they address the sector’s new stakes regarding entrepreneurship, client experience, etc.?

J. L. – Glion offers the three following new masters:

  • Master of Science (MSc) in Luxury Management and Guest Experience (in Switzerland)
  • MSc in Hospitality, Entrepreneurship and Innovation (in Switzerland)
  • MSc in Finance, Real Estate and Hotel Development (in the United Kingdom)

The development of this new academic offer follows the successful launch in 2018 of the double master (MBA and MSc) in International Hotel Management, introduced in partnership with Grenoble École de Management (GEM). Each of these programs incorporates two academic semesters and a six-month internship, consisting of rigorous theoretical education and a practical training including field-trips, case studies and projects.

These new master’s programs allow Glion to reach a new audience of students who have already gained some professional experience or find themselves in career transition. The master’s programs are based on the same unique educational model and standards of excellence, combining theory and practice to prepare students to increase their opportunities and advance their careers upon graduation.

V. J. – Can you describe a typical recruitment day?

J. L. – “Recruitment Days,” taking place every semester on one of our Swiss campuses and on our London campus, are attended by employers from the hospitality and other sectors. Recruiters meet with students, present their company and interview candidates for internships, management training programs and first job opportunities. In October 2018, more than 100 companies participated in our Recruitment Day in Switzerland and nearly one fourth of our students looking for internships at the time found their placement during the event.

V. J. – A number of former Glion students evolve in sectors outside hospitality or gastronomy. Which are those other career sectors?

J. L. – Our figures show that about 51% of our students remain in the field of hospitality after their studies. The rest mainly join related fields: consumer goods, luxury products and services, events, banking and finance. We are happy to see that our graduates generally evolve more rapidly than others, and often secure a management position in less than five years.

 

Glion Institute of Higher Education

www.glion.edu

Photo credits: Glion Institute of Higher Education

Photo credits: Glion Institute of Higher Education

 

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