Author: crowninstitute

Posted on by — Leave a comment

5 Skills You Learn (And Keep) While Working Hospitality

working-hospitality-skills
Hospitality courses are meant to prepare you for the demands of the industry, but having the actual experience of working will teach you many things – how to adapt to change, how to handle the needs of the customer, how to effectively communicate, and more. The world of hospitality is both vast and challenging, but it’s nothing to be scared of. The industry offers a lot of opportunities for you to explore your skills, and learn new ones; whether you’re interested in cooking, planning, hosting, or bartending, you’ll learn and acquire essential life skills that you can apply everywhere, even outside work!

Communication skills

Hospitality work will require a lot of communication between customers, staff, co-workers, and management to get tasks done effectively. In such a fast-paced environment, everything needs to run smoothly and according to schedule. To ensure this, effective communication must be executed, but don’t worry, you’ll learn how to cope under pressure, and eventually be able to communicate with different kinds of people from different backgrounds time and time again.

 

Problem-solving skills

When you work in the hospitality industry, you become a situational problem-solver. That’s great news, because problem-solving is a universal skill that applies to any job, any industry, or life situation.

As you work, you learn the proper process of handling various challenges, and become better at effectively finding solutions that fit a certain situation. You will learn how to acknowledge the problem, how to listen, how to take responsibility, how to settle on a solution, and how to follow up. Remember that a happy guest or customer who enjoyed their stay has more chances of coming back to your restaurant, hotel, bar, etc. How you deal with the challenges in the workplace will ultimately become a determining factor in how successful you are in your working life.

 

Self-confidence

Once you get into the hospitality industry, you should expect that your work will involve facing and talking to a lot of people. The job involves turning on the charm, getting along with managers, and using your self-confidence to ensure that guests are entertained and having a good time. A healthy amount of self-confidence is a skill that you can apply in all spheres of life, more specifically to your own social life. Once you’ve tapped it, nothing can stop you.

 

Resilience

Almost every job in hospitality will teach you a thing or two about resilience. In a typical day, you may be handed a lot of different challenges that will certainly require you to step outside your comfort zone. This may be in the form of juggling several tasks while remaining personable and organized, or it can be handling hundreds of customers and other responsibilities simultaneously. This is where you’ll learn how to become resilient. In the face of work-related difficulties and unexpected situations, you will learn that knowing how to adapt is the key to being resilient. When you know how to adapt, you also become a versatile worker, and this will make you invaluable to your employers.

 

Teamwork

Learning to be a team player at work will enable you to prosper in any group setting outside your work. When you’re able to support other team members, you can work together harmoniously. When you know how to work with a team, it means you know how to understand other people, respect differences, and pull each other up to achieve a common goal.

 

Ace Your Work, and Your Life!

Crown Institute of Studies has some of the best hospitality courses New Zealand provides. The hospitality industry will teach you numerous skills that will allow you to thrive and prosper not just in work, but also in life. When you learn with us, we can help you prepare for the next big opportunity in the hospitality industry.

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Top Winter Break Destinations in New Zealand

Top-winter-break-destinations-new-zealand

New Zealand is positioned right at the bottom of the world, and as the closest country to Antarctica, you had better believe this tiny trans-Atlantic nation has got some of the best winter getaway spots in the whole world.

Education can take you all over the world, and if you study at a New Zealand school of tourism, exploring New Zealand while you can is a great opportunity. During full time study, the year is split up by a number of study breaks, giving you a valuable chance to gain real life experiences by getting out there and visiting New Zealand.

Mt Ruapehu

For snow sports enthusiasts and amateurs alike, the nearest place to Auckland to see the snow is the beautiful Mt Ruapehu. Just a 4-hour drive from the big city, you’ll venture into a different world – and you’ll definitely want to bring all your woolly warmers with you. Stay in the small mountainside towns of Whakapapa or Turoa, or in Ohakune township if you want to be closer to the shops.

The mountain itself has options for everyone. Beginners can rent ski or snowboard gear and start off with a lesson from one of their instructors; Happy Valley is a fun and easy ski slope on Whakapapa. As New Zealand’s largest ski range, Ruapehu has plenty to offer more experienced skiiers too. All you have to do is rent a chairlift pass, and up you go!

Auckland’s West Coast

For those who don’t have the time, or are on a student budget, there are some beautiful destination spots within the boundaries of Auckland itself. All you need is a few friends, a car and the day to spare, and you’ve got yourself a west coast road trip. If you’re interested in Auckland tourism, this is a top spot to visit.

West Coast beaches such as Piha, Muriwai, Bethells and many more in between are incredibly popular spots in summer, but have unique qualities that not many get to see when the seasons get colder. On a fine winters day, the beaches are a serene place to go for a walk, and there are some absolutely stunning Airbnb’s which are rarely booked out in the colder months, if you want to stay for a few days.

Rotorua

If you can’t stand the thought of being near the icy seas anytime outside of peak summer, Rotorua is the getaway spot for you. This town is pretty well known for its sulfuric smell, but there’s a good reason for it. We won’t get too into the science of it all, but there’s something in the water in Rotorua, and it is unlike anywhere else in the world.

The thermal springs in Rotorua have been around for centuries. More recently, they have been utilised for their wellness and relaxation, and there are a huge range of spa options in Rotorua that use these minerals and thermal techniques to renew and replenish your body and soul.

Windy Wellington

They say you can’t beat Welly on a good day. There’s no denying that it can tend to get a little windy down there in the winter, but it’s still worth it for the crisp sunshine that peeks through.

For those Aucklander’s who crave the hustle and bustle even on a getaway, Wellington is the only real decision. There is plenty to see and do in Wellington, from visiting Te Papa museum, to shopping the vintage stores along Cuba Street. Wellington has plenty of delicious, world class food to eat too, not to mention places to catch up with friends for a drink.

Northland

For those who seek to get away from the cold of winter as much as possible, North of Auckland is a great place to retreat to. Usually a bustling tourist spot in Summer, the Bay of Islands and the surrounding towns are just as vibrant and exciting in the off season, although without the masses of people.

Escaping to Northland in the winter can feel like your own private getaway in the sun. Northland has a subtropical microclimate, meaning it benefits from warmer weather throughout most of the winter months. Not many people know about this, so tourist season doesn’t extend much further than April.

 

See the world!

New Zealand has so much to offer when it comes to tourism – we’ve only just scratched the surface. If you’ve got an inner travel bug, Crown Institutes travel and tourism courses are world class, and can take you around New Zealand and the world toward your dream career. Contact us to discuss what course is right for you today.

 

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Soft Skills That Make You Employable in Any Industry

soft-skills-that-make-you-employable-in-any-industry

During the course of your job hunting, you’ll find that the employment process can be tough especially when there’s a lot of competition. It’s best that you know which assets to emphasise during your applications – of which there are two types hard skills and soft skills.

What’s the difference between hard skills and soft skills?

Hard skills or technical skills are teachable and measurable abilities that you learn and regularly practice within your industry, such as writing, reading, or how well you use Microsoft Office applications. Soft skills, on the other hand, are traits that make you a good employee outside of what you can objectively do, such as work ethic, communication, being able to work well in a team, and so on.
While employers will look at how well you can potentially do the job, they will, most of the time, put more weight on your personality trains and soft skills. They are especially judged during the interview or reference check phase. The fact is: your professional expertise and certificates amount to little when you don’t know how to work well with others or if you’re not “the right fit” for the company. Discussing soft skills as well as your hard skills in job applications can give your resume a unique edge.
Let’s dive into some of the most valuable soft skills you can develop that will make you more employable, and how you can develop these soft skills through gaining work experience and in your daily life.

Communication

Being an effective communicator does not only mean being excellent at speeches or having impeccable grammar for e-mails or articles. Communication is also about having the ability to connect with people on a personal level right from the get-go. And because communication is a two-way street, this means being an effective listener. You don’t have to do all the talking! Listening is also an integral part of effective communication. When you listen, you begin to understand. When you understand, you begin to create affinity. When you have affinity, you build rapport amongst your group.

Employers look for effective communicators and those who have better “people skills” because it improves work efficiency and helps create a better work environment built on strong relationships.

Teamwork

Working within a group teaches you the importance of teamwork. This is an important soft skill, because it teaches you to value the skills that other people possess. When employees can combine varied talents and skills, everyone wins!

Being a good team player and having good interpersonal skills also makes you receptive to the needs of others. It’s all about wanting to push each member of the team forward and helping each other thrive. Employers are always looking for staff who can be empathetic towards their team’s needs. A friendly working environment and collaborative office culture helps retain more employees and pull top talent.

Problem Solving

It’s not as simple as being analytical in solving a problem. Of course, that’s important too, but you also need to work on approaching problems with a level-headed mindset. If you are more calm and sensible in tackling problems, you’ll be more equipped in delivering efficient solutions. Companies rely on problem solvers to navigate unforeseen trials especially in urgent situations.

Adaptability

Most employers are not looking for those who love to stay in their comfort zones. They are keener to hiring applicants that are flexible and know how to adapt.

In all areas of life including work situations, things won’t always go as planned. However, if you know how to adapt, you’ll be able to pivot and find alternate solutions. It’s an important soft skill as it demonstrates your openness to new challenges and conquer them with a positive attitude.

Leadership

Leadership is a combination of several soft skills. You can show leadership through having a positive attitude, being motivating for yourself and others, and being able to communicate effectively. Displaying leadership skills can make you more noticeable and help you gain more opportunities for career growth. Employers will always seek out staff who possess great leadership skills, as they have the potential to grow and thrive within the company.

Stand out in your application!

Now that you have an idea of what soft skills employees are looking for, what are you waiting for? Start making a conscious effort to develop these skills and you’ll notice a significant difference in your employability. You can develop soft skills in your daily life – in social situations or when you are around family. Any time you have to coexist with other people are times in your life you can be developing soft skills.

Another way to develop soft skills is through work experience. If you’re looking to develop your soft skills in a real work environment, Crown Institute can help. We provide some of the best short courses Auckland can offer and have excellent relationships with a huge range of partners in industries where our students can gain work experience. You’ll get the adequate training you need to develop multiple skills and become a leading candidate in your job applications.

Contact Crown Institute today to discuss enrolling in a course and gaining hard and soft skills to make you employable.

 

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Five Tips to Balancing a Part-Time Job While Studying

Girl sitting on the floor studying and writing notes

While you’re studying, you may find yourself wanting or needing to get a part-time job. Most students work part-time when they are studying, whether it be to earn some extra cash, or to gain relevant work experience. If you’re working part-time while studying at university, we’ve got 5 tips to share with you that can make having a job and balancing your studies more manageable. Let’s dive right in!

Be Realistic About Your Availability

Depending on what and where you study, you may only be required to be in classes or lectures for half of the week. Looking at the blank spaces in our uni timetables, it can be easy to think that we have all the spare time in the world. This can give us the illusion that we have more time to spend working than we think! Unfortunately, this can backfire badly when we’re applying for jobs.

Be realistic – you need to know how much time you’re going to need for studying and doing assignments outside of just attending lectures. If you are studying full-time, think of your studies as a 40-hour work week, just like any other full-time job. You can then be realistic at what hours you have left over in the week to spend time working.

Be upfront about this when you apply for jobs and go to interviews, so that your employer is aware of your schedule and can’t add you to extra shifts. You can quickly overwork and burn out, which is not a good thing for you or your employer. If you think you may have more time to work earlier in the semester than later on when things start to get hectic, be upfront about this as well and give dates to potential employers so that they are fully aware of your availability.

Try to Get a Job in Your Field Of Study

Unfortunately, you aren’t going to get your dream job in your field while you’re only half way through your degree. Everyone has to start somewhere! However, it is a good idea to apply for part-time work that’s within the industry or that links in with your field of study. This could be a paid internship, a tutoring role, or anything else that relates to your chosen field.

Having a part-time job that relates to your degree not only gives you an edge, but it can also be extremely valuable when it comes time to graduate and find a full-time role. You will already have some experience under your belt to add to your CV, giving you an edge on all the other graduates.

Some courses offer work experience papers within the degree. Ask your tutors or look online to see if your course has an industry lead paper. If your job can help you towards completing a paper, you can easily kill two birds with one stone and save yourself a lot of time and stress.

Finally, some courses may even have industry partnerships that will help you get a job. For example, at Crown Institute we offer a Study and Work programme. This allows students to work at one of our partnering companies in the travel and tourism industry, as well as other industries, to gain relevant work experience while they study. You can gain professional training in employment skills and your work experience is guaranteed to be paid.

Make the Most Out of Study Breaks

We’ve all been there – you want to relish your student life for as long as possible. We get it. After all, this is the last time in your life you will ever get two weeks off every 6 weeks and all of summer to go on holiday. However, study breaks are a good opportunity to get extra shifts where you can and work more hours. You will find yourself needing the extra cash for when your studies get stressful and you have to prioritise.

Christmas break is an especially good time to pick up extra shifts at your job, as it’s easily the busiest time of the year in most industries. If you put your hand up and offer yourself for more time during Christmas and other breaks, your employers will probably be more than happy to give you more shifts.

Plan Out Your Weeks

Planning is key to not falling behind, especially when it’s closer to exams or when assignments are due. There is nothing worse than thinking you have all the time in the week to study, only to leave it to the last minute and then be stressing out about exams and assignments while you’re at work.

Planning can help avoid this. Invest in a good weekly planner – whether it’s an app, a book or your online calendar. Block out hours each day when you have class and work, and then block out an efficient number of hours to study.

The next part about planning is sticking to your plan! This may sound obvious but is harder to do than you would think. Try to motivate yourself so that you don’t procrastinate, and you will feel less stressed overall.

Most Importantly: Don’t Forget that Your Studies Come First!

Once you get a job, it can be so easy to get excited about making money and forget to prioritise your studies. However, it’s important to understand that studying is your number one priority. This is what’s going to propel you into much better work opportunities in the future.

You don’t want to stay at the same level on the corporate ladder forever and getting a degree can leap you steps closer to getting your dream job. In order to get there, you can’t lose sight of the necessary steps towards reaching your career goals.

 

Gain Work Experience During Your Studies at Crown Institute

 

If you’re considering working while you study, our Study + Work programme may be the perfect fit for you. It offers professional training to prepare you for employment and customer service, and then sets you up for a guaranteed paid work experience at one of our many partnering companies. You’ll get to gain real-life experience in the workforce, while you finish your degree. Our partners understand the importance of your studies and will not only push you towards having the best working and studying balance available but will offer you experiences that can propel your learning.

 

To talk to us about applying for the Study and Work programme, contact us today.

 

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Exciting Jobs in Travel Right Now!

Exciting-jobs-in-travel-right-now
Thinking about taking up travel and tourism courses? Well, you’re in for a swell ride! The travel and tourism industry can give you the chance to experience one of the most exciting careers out there. This is because the industry allows you opportunities to travel, meet and interact with new people, and learn about different cultures. Although it still requires high levels of professionalism and hard-earned skills (as with all types of work), it also entails different experiences that will allow you to broaden your horizons and gain new perspectives.
More than just exciting opportunities, it is also important to consider the market demands for each type of profession and which work relates most to your interests. With many possible options, you may be wondering what kinds of jobs this industry offers that are both exciting and in-demand? Well, we’ve rounded up a list of just these kinds of jobs that you may want to check out if you’re looking to be successful in the travel and tourism industry. Let’s dive in!

 

Adventure Tour Guide

Becoming a tour guide is one of the most prevalent career choices in the tourism and travel industry today. If you’re someone who loves to explore, converse, and learn about places and people, becoming an adventure tour guide may be for you!
Just like the name suggests, the position will involve plenty of adventures guiding tourists and travellers into specific places and activities. You can be a tour guide for anything from walking tours of historic sites, to museum tours, to safari tours. You can even be the kind of tour guide who provides incredibly niche tours around cities for things like sandwich shop tours, or a tour of a specific person’s life such as an American President.
Jumping into this profession feels a lot like running a school outside a school. It allows you to learn different languages, places, and an amazing amount of in-depth information, and then convey it to others. Learning never stops when you become a tour guide!
Excellent communication skills are necessary for this kind of work and some will also require a bilingual employee so that you can converse with different people in different countries.

 

Bartender Consultant

This is the perfect hospitality job for those who like to entertain while concocting delicious drinks. Bartender or barkeep consultants are responsible for formulating and serving alcoholic beverages behind a licensed bar establishment. This job can take you anywhere around the world as long as there’s a drinking culture. It’s an exciting role since you bring the vacation to work!
The work involves great communication skills, creativity, and a level of precision in order to create smashing drinks people will remember. The best bartenders are friendly and enthusiastic, and this is a role that can easily be made fun and creative. It’s also a hugely educational job, as there’s heaps to learn about people, flavours, and drink ingredients.

 

Cruise Ship Employee

Who doesn’t want to be on a cruise? One of the best career options in the industry right now, working on a cruise ship is an excellent way to earn good money while having the ability to journey different parts of the world! Plus, there’s plenty of job opportunities to be had – from working in cruise retail, being part of the cruise staff department, working in the entertainment or hospitality sectors, and more.
Working on a cruise ship is great way to build solid work experience, meet new people, and exchange amazing stories. The money is great, but the exposure and real-world experience is even better!

 

Theme Park Manager

What a way to relive childhood memories! Becoming a theme park manager means you are responsible for every aspect of the day-to-day running of a theme park. Though it doesn’t always involve fun and games, becoming a theme park manager allows you to demonstrate logic and creativity through strategizing the theme park’s planning and development, manage customer experience, monitor health and safety, and oversee the park’s finances; allowing great overall experience.
Plus, you get to hang out in theme parks all day, every day – who doesn’t want that?

 

What Job Excites You?

When all is said and done, it still boils down to focusing on your interests, skills, and the type of job which excites you the most. The travel and tourism industry will get you to work in dynamic workplaces with different challenges thrown at you on a daily! It’s safe to say, you will never be bored with your job! Lastly, it offers a variety of niches and a place for everyone to learn and see the world – you can even have fun while you’re at it!

 

Join New Zealand’s Largest Industry

Crown Institute of Studies offers a variety of travel and tourism courses where you will gain the necessary knowledge and skills necessary in industry. Here is a great chance for you to learn, travel the world and get paid to do it! The certificates we offer will give you an insight into the booming industry that will give you that edge in applying for the role you’re most interested in and suited for.
Contact us so we can help you get started!
Posted on by — Leave a comment

Top Eight Skills Employers are Looking For

Man prepares a beverage while working

The job market has changed a lot over the last couple of decades. The skills that employers look for now are centred around flexibility and adaptability, as jobs become more open-ended, and less prescribed. New technologies have also changed workplaces, so the ability to use them is a must. Because of these changes, so-called “soft” skills – those which are more personal qualities that allow employees to be able to pick new things up quickly or communicate well with people – are seeing an increase in demand. That being said, certain specific “hard” skills will always be needed. These eight skills are what employers are looking for when they’re recruiting. If these sound like you, you’re probably well on your way to getting employed.

 

Communication

Time and time again, employers tell us they’re looking for candidates who are good at listening and talking. This skill helps employees to understand what they need to do, solve problems with supervisors, and collaborate with teammates on projects. In New Zealand, it’s important to be able to communicate properly in English, and sometimes in Te Reo Maori or New Zealand Sign Language depending on the job. Communication is especially important in customer facing industries, which is why it’s a big part of our travel and tourism courses.

 

Leadership

Being able to organise and inspire people towards a common goal isn’t just for managerial roles. Increasingly, all employees are required to show leadership in certain situations, even if they’re small. Employers feel confident in candidates who they know can step up and lead when the time is right.

 

Literacy and numeracy

Every job requires reading and writing in some form. Sending emails, reading instructions and regulations, or writing reports are common ways literacy is needed. Mathematics helps employees deal with invoicing, measurements, tax – you name it, reading, writing and maths are absolutely everywhere.

 

Being able to drive

This doesn’t apply to all jobs, but a driver’s license is often a requirement for job candidates. Some jobs – forklift drivers or tourism operators for example – require specific extra classes of endorsements on their licenses, so it’s crucial to get these before applying, unless the job is willing to sponsor you to sit those tests.

 

Being computer savvy

As industries become increasingly digital, having good computing skills is a must. Not everyone needs to be a programmer, but knowing your way around basic software, as well as being familiar with mobile devices like phones and tablets, is a great suite of skills that lend themselves to virtually any job.

 

Industry-specific skills

Employers love general skills that make candidates adaptable, but in most industries, there is some level of industry-specific training that needs to be completed. For example, when taking a hospitality course, students learn specifically about how to handle food and beverages, manage establishments and serve customers. Along the way, they can pick up qualifications the government requires people to have to do certain jobs, like the Liquor Control Qualification for bar managers.

 

The ability to learn

Employers like to see candidates have completed an educational qualification, even if it’s not specifically related to their industry. This is because many jobs require employees to learn new skills and gain knowledge while they work, so a qualification is seen as evidence of a candidate’s ability to do that.

 

Problem solving skills

Managers are always busy, no matter what industry they’re in. Their favourite kind of employees are those who can solve problems on their own, since that lessens the burden on them. The ability to apply logic and focus to a problem to find solutions is widely applicable over a range of jobs – you’ll almost always come across unexpected problems, no matter what job you do, so being able to take them head on is a great skill to have.

Is your skill-set readily employable?

If you want to expand and enhance your skill set to get that job you really want, taking a course is a great option. Here at Crown Institute of Studies, we offer courses in a range of disciplines to suit your personality and strengths. Most importantly, you’ll get work experience while you study, so our courses are great for those who like to get out and experience things first hand. To hear about our options and talk about how our courses can work for you, contact us today.

 

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Taking a Gap Year in 2019? Here’s How to Make it Count!

Make-your-2019-gap-year-count

As a new season of study in New Zealand begins, many will opt instead for a gap year this year. If that’s the case for you, then it’s up to you to decide how to make your year both productive and enriching. In this post we’ll discuss some great ways to make the most out of your gap year, including learning a new language, experiencing the tourism New Zealand industry, and making your hobby a source of income.

Learn a new language

A gap year can be the perfect time to learn a new language, and it’s a very popular class among night schools. Learning a new language can be incredibly beneficial to you later in life. No matter what your career goals may be for the future, there’s a pretty high chance they have the possibility to send you overseas, and having a second language up your sleeve can open up so many opportunities.

 

Pick your language wisely: is there a part of the world you’ve always wanted to live in, or visit? Are you career driven and want to go to where the money is? The most common languages in the world right now are English and Mandarin, so these are both good options if they are not your natural language. It has also been predicted by Forbes Magazine that by 2050, French could be the most popular language in the world. Learning a popular second language can take you more places than ever before.

Travel for your job

Once you’ve learnt a new language, your gap year is the perfect time to put it the language into practice and go jet setting. The key to getting the opportunity to do this is to set goals at the start of your year – so now is a good time. Figure out how much you need, and secure yourself some full-time work that will allow you to save. Budgeting and saving can be really difficult, but it will be worth it when you’re off exploring the world while all your friends are stuck in lectures all day long! Travelling is the best way to learn new things through different experiences, and being out of your comfort zone and away from the real world can really help you to figure out what you want to do with your life.

 

One way to travel the world is to break into the tourism industry. This is a great way to spend your gap year because you can be getting paid while you travel the world – which means you skip having to work all day and save all your money. Crown Institute of Studies offers some of the best courses in Tourism New Zealand has to offer, including short, 20 week courses that can get you out there in the world sooner than you’d ever think.

Turn your hobby into your side hustle

A gap year is a great time to pursue your hobbies, but painting all day for fun is unfortunately not a sustainable way to spend an entire year. But starting your own business and selling T-shirts with your paintings printed on them could be a heap of fun and make you a bit of cash on the side. Whether it’s painting, knitting, gardening or sewing, a good business model can help you turn your hobby into a real entrepreneurial venture. Taking a gap year could mean you have just the right amount of time to pull it off.

 

If you wouldn’t have the first clue about running your own business, Crown Institute of Studies has many business courses to help you out along the way. A New Zealand Certificate in Business takes only 20 weeks, and it can give you all the tools to get set up and start your exciting gap year venture right away.

 

Want to know more?

 

Whether you want to travel, to learn or to make money on your gap year, Crown Institute of Studies has all the tools to help you achieve your goals. If you’d like to study a short course or an extended study with us, get in touch today to discuss your options.

 

Posted on by — Leave a comment

New Year’s Resolutions for Boosting Your Career | Crown

new-years-resolutions-to-boost-your-career

It’s officially 2019, a new year! Is it time for a new ‘do? Or maybe a new you? If you’re a month into the year and still trying to figure out what your New Year’s resolutions are going to be and where you want to take your life this year, we’re here to help. We’ve put together some great goals that will help you boost your career and kickstart your year with courses in New Zealand to assist you along the way!

Find some inspiration

If you’re going into in the new year with a bit of a slump, a good resolution to have for the year is to let yourself be inspired within your industry. As much as your slump-demons may lead you to believe this is a hard task to achieve, it can be as easy as going on YouTube and looking up some TED talks, or following successful, relatable influencers on Instagram who (don’t forget) are people just like you.

Everyone experiences slumps – and looking to inspiration from people who are succeeding can help you to find your own promising ways for getting out of them! Maybe they’ll inspire you to create exciting content of your own, or maybe they’ll share some inspiring words that will resonate with you in just the right spots. Either way, you’ll be surprised at the change in attitude that can come out of being inspired, and your teachers and employers will notice this as well.

Expand your skill set

You’re never finished learning new things, so what better time to decide to make a serious effort to expand your skill set in your chosen career path than the new year? This is a sure-fire way to boost your career, as more and more opportunities become available to you when your skill set grows broader.

A promising way you can do this is to gain a certificate in an area that you may personally be lacking. Certificates can be obtained relatively easily, as they don’t take too long to complete. In fact, some courses in New Zealand will take less than a week. And as long as you give your workplace a significant notice period, they shouldn’t have a problem giving you the time you need to complete them so you can bring more value to the workplace.

For example, if you’re in hospitality as a wait staff and you want to expand your skill set within the hospitality industry, there are lots of options available. A short Barista course could help you build your knowledge in making delicious coffees, and a food and beverage certificate can help you to get one step further to working in the kitchen.

The great thing about certificates is that they’re a professionally recognised document, so as soon as you gain them, you’ll be a more valuable asset to your workplace.

Take more opportunities

Once you’ve expanded your skill set, don’t put them to waste by ignoring opportunities that come at you. A key way to train yourself to take opportunities outside of your comfort zone is to make an effort to say “YES” to more things. Whether they’re serious promotions, networking opportunities such as industry events, or just going out to lunch with your co-workers, you never know what might happen! So, just say yes and take as many opportunities as you can – you can figure out the smaller details as they come.

On that note, overthinking is a huge hindrance to professional gain, and it’s easy to let our anxieties get the best of us. But when it comes to saying yes to things that may be a bit out of our comfort zone, the best thing we can do to move up in our industry the fastest is to be known as a person who isn’t afraid to take opportunities and try new things. It is an incredibly valuable asset to have in a professional environment and you’ll find yourself growing in no time!

Need a career boost? Start now!

No matter what path you’re taking in your career, there’s always room for improvement to give yourself a boost. The first thing to do with any resolution is to start achieving it! Our courses in New Zealand are available for a wide range of industries and levels, so if you’re keen to start the year off with a bang, contact us to talk about your opportunities today.

 

 

Posted on by — Leave a comment

NCEA results are out! We have lots of course options available no matter what you achieved.

IMG_4651-190

NCEA results are out now. We hope you did as well as you expected and gained entrance in your chosen course.

Some of you may have not achieved University Entrance and this is OK! You still have many different options up your sleeve to get you to your career goals.

Crown may be able to help you reach your goals. We have a couple of stepping-stones, which can take you to where you want to be.

Certificate into a Diploma

If you are looking at getting into a management role in the Travel or Hospitality sector, you can start off studying a certificate and gain some practical and theoretical knowledge in your chosen industry.

Once you have gained all the necessary knowledge, you can step into one of our management diplomas. You can gain a certificate and diploma in Travel and Tourism in only two years or in Hospitality in two and a half years!

Certificate into a job

Want to start working in the industry as soon as possible? You can study a one-year certificate at Crown and, with the right work experience and attitude, step into a job in your chosen industry.

We have a dedicated Careers Advisor who works with you one-on-one to coach you into getting into your dream role.
We have many different options at Crown so why not come in and see what we can do for you?

Our travel & tourism and hospitality courses start in just over three weeks.  Click HERE to complete an enrolment form.

 

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Crown Institute of Studies are pleased to announce their NZQA-certified Diploma of Tourism and Travel, for 2019

CI_Classrooms17

According to Tourism New Zealand, two million holidaymakers visited our shores to enjoy what New Zealand had to offer in 2018. These visitors spent around 40 million dollars every day and this money was used back into our communities. The tourism industry plays a huge part in showcasing our corner of the world to the rest of the world and this is where we need people like you to join the tourism industry.

That’s why Crown Institute of Studies has recently announced their new Diploma in Tourism and Travel programme. The Diploma in Tourism and Travel is an innovative qualification and is now open for application. It is a great for people who are looking to immerse themselves in New Zealand’s thriving tourism industry and be a part of change that would lead to make New Zealand as one of the most visited countries in the world.

Tourism is an exciting career path. Many pursue tourism because it gives them a great opportunity to see the world. Whether you are playing your part 30,000 feet in the air, or taking a group of people for a tour through Hobbitton, the jobs available in the tourism industry are endless and this gives graduates a way of working while enjoying the many benefits tourism has to offer.

At Crown Institute of Studies, we have Travel and Tourism courses that will help you get into the tourism industry and ‘hit the ground running’. We have industry experts that help us design our courses and we can also provide you with work experiences in the industry while you study. Our advisory group are industry experts that help us keep our courses practical and relevant.

Whatever the reason maybe, apply at Crown and we will help you achieve an exciting career in an industry that is forever ‘woke’. Applications are currently being accepted for the first intake, starting 11 February 2019. For more inquiries, contact us on 0800 357 316 or click HERE to complete an enrolment form.