A banqueting manager needs to be comfortable interacting with a variety of clients - a part of the job that Ben loves. Read on for more information about his career in the hospitality industry.
Ben Ngubesilo works for a popular wine farm in Stellenbosch, Western Cape. He gave us an inside look into job as a banqueting manager so we could learn more about his career in the hospitality industry.
“I’ve been working in the hospitality industry for the past 15 years,” Ben tells us. Ben’s career began in 2002. At the time, he had no background or knowledge about his current employer. “My sister had told me about the job opportunity at Spier, and so I joined the Spier Conference Centre as a runner and we were given 3 days of training.”
During this time, Ben says he became interested in learning about the operational side of the business – and that’s where he decided to chat to his manager. “I discussed my computer skills with my manager because I wanted to learn more about what the operations team was doing.” Ben’s manager was happy to have him on board, and as he started learning more about the hospitality industry, he says that his leadership skills became stronger.
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Ben has since worked his way up to being a banqueting manager at Spier; a role he says he thoroughly enjoys. Banqueting managers are involved in various levels of decision-making of a business, from marketing and selling the banquet space, to making sure that every event hosted runs smoothly.
Banqueting managers also manage a food and beverage team, ensuring that the team meets the needs of a client. They need to be very comfortable with interacting with people from diverse backgrounds – a part of the job that Ben says he loves the most.
“I love meeting different people all the time. We host a variety of events, from weddings to conferences and intimate private dinners, which allows me to interact with people from all kinds of diverse backgrounds as well as with people from different parts of the world,” explains Ben.
“I also enjoy sharing my knowledge and I am patient in teaching people until they understand,” he adds.
If this sounds like job for you, browse and apply for banqueting manager jobs here.
In order to be successful as a banqueting manager, Ben emphasizes the importance of going for what you want. “Acquiring new skills never falls from the trees,” Ben says. “You need to identify new opportunities for learning and let people know what you want to learn. Do not wait for the information to come to you.
Have a positive attitude and you will learn and grow in your career,” he concludes.
If, like Ben, you would like to share your pride in your career, send a mail to editor@careers24.com, telling us about yourself and your awesome job, and we’ll be in touch.
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