Sena Kim

When it comes to the hospitality industry, Sena Kim is determined to make it to the top.

The 20 year old from Seoul is passionate about the industry in fact so passionate that she turned down an offer from Massey University to study to be a vet. Instead she's at NZMA learning everything from whipping up cocktails to rooms division management.

"I've always wanted to get a job which would enable me to travel around the world and work at the same time. The two fields I've been particularly interested in are becoming a flight attendant and working in hospitality," says Sena, who moved to New Zealand when she was 14 and went to high school at Auckland Girls Grammar.

Her agent suggested she check out NZMA.

"He said it was a very practical course and that lots of the graduates from NZMA have really good jobs."

And she's been impressed by what she's found.

Sena is two-thirds of the way through her National Diploma in Hospitality Management, a two year course which equips students with specialized knowledge of hospitality skills and food and beverage service operations. And for ten additional weeks of study, diploma graduates can also gain a National Diploma in Business a qualification that normally takes one year to complete.

"I think I've made a great choice. I'm very happy in fact 120 percent! The teachers are really nice, the facilities are good and everyone is very friendly.

"There's a strong focus on getting students to enter the hospitality competitions which I think is great. I'm generally a very lazy person but my tutor pushed me to enter the Auckland Junior Culinary Fare and the New Zealand Culinary Fare this year. I'm so glad because I won a bronze medal for Table Setting in the regionals and a silver medal for my Innovative Cocktail in the nationals! The tutors at NZMA let everybody know about everything that's going on in the industry so we can get involved in it. I think that's fantastic."

The other draw card for studying at NZMA is the strong employment focus. The company has Employment Advisors who are 100 percent committed to finding students and graduates relevant work. Sena said the Auckland Central Academy Employment Advisor Tom Newstead had been very helpful.

For the first year of her course Sena worked as a part-time waitress. Earlier this year she left her job so she could concentrate on her culinary fare training however she's now keen to get back into the workforce, preferably in one of Auckland's larger hotels.

"The school timetable fits in really well with a part-time hospitality job and it's really good to work while you study - it gives you a chance to put into practise what you are learning each day. I'm really keen to get a job in a big hotel because it looks good on your CV and also I really want to get permanent residency in New Zealand but in order to do that I need to have a job offer. I think that's more likely to happen if I'm working for a big hotel."

After six years of living Down Under, Auckland has become "home" for Sena.

"I really, really want to stay here and have a future here. I've built my life here now, all my friends are here. I also think there are more opportunities for career advancement in the hospitality industry in New Zealand than there is in Korea. I think in Korea it's very difficult to move up and since I want to eventually manage a hotel, that is something very important to me."

Sena is resolute about realizing her dream.

"I definitely plan to get right to the top of my field!"