Luke Hassan Balances PIHMS Study and Javelin

The PIHMS journey  

My time at PIHMS has been incredible – a real eye-opener into the industry, and has shown me what to expect once we are let out into the world. At PIHMS we get to see all aspects of the the Hotel and Hospitality Industry, and this separates it from other universities.  

Career Week was my first opportunity to get a glimpse into the PIHMS lifestyle. The enthusiasm and opportunities they gave us mirrored the day-to-day lives of the students during the week, and I was convinced enough to enrol just a few weeks later! (Not to mention I met my best mate during my Career Week).  

My Industry Placements were my maiden experience in real hotel work. I was fortunate enough to complete both placements at The Devon Hotel where I was able to have a thorough experience in most departments spanning from F&B; to functions; to conferencing and even portering. This Industry Placement experience really helped me in narrowing my intentions for future roles and favoured departments for when I finish my degree at PIHMS.

The Industry was my calling from the very beginning 

The industry has been an interest of mine since high school. Food and Hospitality class was always the subject I had the most interest in at Nelson College, and was the subject I believed I would take the farthest. In 2019, the year prior to me enrolling at PIHMS, my Food and Hospitality teacher always spoke very highly of me, noting my excellence in making coffee – and recommended I speak to the PIHMS marketing team at the Nelson Career Roadshow. From here I learnt about PIHMS and Career Week and decided to enrol without a second thought. 

The balancing act! 

Being able to balance my sport and PIHMS study has been more of a challenge than expected. My current training requires between 4-5 intense training sessions every week alongside the study hours I am putting into assessments. It’s a good balance as I’m able to train as a form of a break from study and likewise, study can sometimes prove to be a good break from training. 

I placed 4th at NZ Athletics Champs this year. I am currently ranked in the top 10 in New Zealand and aspiring to be in Top 5 by end of 2022. Exciting news to add is that I will be working with a specialist Javelin coach in addition to hotel work after completing study next year.

Tips and tricks for the industry  

Don’t be afraid to share ideas which could improve the hotel or how it operates, at the very least it will show initiative and creative thinking – managers look for this in employees.