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Since his high school years, Rohan Ivaan had an interest in business and management. However, he felt a regular business degree wouldn’t be enough to satisfy his curiosity. He wanted a practical education – something that would allow him to call the shots and cater to real customers.
He eventually found his answer in his senior year. A marketing representative from the Pacific International Hotel Management School (PIHMS) came to his school to deliver a presentation, which piqued his interest. Soon after, he attended a career week at the school and met with students and faculty — that’s when Ivaan knew he had found the community he was meant to be part of.
“They talked about how PIHMS has placements within their programmes, and it’s not all about studying theory; that’s what got me interested,” he says. “It’s all about going out and experiencing what you learn, rather than just learning it on its own – that’s why I decided to come to PIHMS.”
PIHMS students apply knowledge in all operational departments across 20-week semesters. Source: Pacific International Hotel Management School
A vocational hotel management education
Like Ivaan, most students join PIHMS for its experiential focus. Here, that’s what authentic vocational education is all about — integrating industry input into course development and providing pathways for successful employment. PIHMS believes it’s important that each student understands the inner workings of a business rather than just relying on developing operational skills and academic theory.
Hence, real-world experience isn’t confined to the end of the course or graduation – you’ll begin in your first year. “PIHMS runs exactly like a hotel, and all students here are trained at a five-star level,” explains Ivaan, who chose to pursue the Bachelor of Hotel Management.
PIHMS is the only institute in New Zealand that offers practical lessons in a simulated hotel setting. Learning here means being stationed at the PIHMS Hotel Campus, a fully functional hotel that can train you in food and beverage, kitchen, front office, and housekeeping. You’ll also undergo two fully paid, guaranteed hotel placements — these opportunities entail working in three to five-star hotels locally or internationally. PIHMS’s network of over 500 partner hotels across five countries and 50 cities makes this possible.
Ivaan worked at Crowne Plaza Hotel in Melbourne for his first placement and Rydges Resort Hunter Valley for his second. “I worked as a food and beverage attendant at Crowne Plaza, and we’d have many business people come in for conferences,” recounts Ivaan. “I was a bit nervous when I first went there because I didn’t know what to expect. But before I left, they actually offered me a supervisor role that I had to turn down, as I wanted to finish my degree.”
Others receive similar employment offers. 96% of PIHMS students secured positions within the first six months of graduating, with 85% receiving a promotion within their first year. This explains why PIHMS is an approved New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) Category 1 provider – status that places the school among the world’s top approved training providers. It also assures your degree will be recognised locally and internationally.
“Employers nowadays, even in New Zealand — if they see PIHMS on your CV, they tend to call you for an interview first,” says Ivaan. “You can always pick out PIHMS students purely based on their knowledge; they’ve got that professionalism that makes them stand out.”
Interested in following in their footsteps? At PIHMS, you’ll have everything you need to begin a successful career in the hotel management industry or advance your existing career. Here, all programmes lead to outstanding outcomes.
The Bachelor of Applied Hotel Management can prepare you for managerial roles within tourism, hospitality, or the hotel industry. You’ll learn to assess real-life situations and make decisions effectively, ensuring your customers receive the best possible experience.
If you have an existing degree in hotel management, consider the Postgraduate Diploma in Hotel Management. On this route, you’ll gain the skills and work experience required for fast-tracking your journey into upper managerial roles. Learn the latest business practices and nurture your key skills in leadership, communication, critical thinking, analytics, and marketing.
Meanwhile, the Master of Hotel Management can utilise your skills and knowledge from previous degrees and work experience to take your career to the next level. This qualification will enable you to specialise in areas such as marketing, management, human resources, food and beverage, and more.
All routes cover the basics of business management theory while exploring the ins and outs of operational training. “Everything we learn here is beneficial,” Ivaan says. “Even if someday, you go on to become a hotel’s general manager, you should still be able to make a bed or deliver a cup of coffee. All these skills come in handy.”
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