The nexus between a job and a career is a significant point for Katy. “I don’t think that you have to be in a supervisory or management role to have a career in tourism or hospitality. It gives a lot of flexibility to people to work seasonal, but year-round. You have a lot of work in the summertime and things quieten down in the winter. For us, that gives you opportunities to travel or have some downtime with your family.” However, Katy is also very encouraging for those that want to move up and into supervisory or management roles. “There’s so much opportunity in Tasmania, probably more so than other places. There’s a lot of support around. There’s a lot of places who are willing to put in the training and the effort to get your leadership skills up. So I think there’s something for everyone.” For people who think that some tourism and hospitality roles can be a bit monotonous day by day, Katy has some key reflections. “There’s no average day. My main role at the railway is to ensure that guests get the best experience no matter what they come in for – whether that’s through our cafes, our gift shops, or coming onto the train. So it is different every day. My favourite part of the job and the favourite part of every day is seeing guests go out on the train and then coming back happy and being excited. And we’ve shown them something that they’ve not been able to get anywhere else. I love it.”
Coast’s history, people, community and culture into the guest experience. “I manage to have a lot of creativity in my role. A lot of research goes into that, creating the experience in the storyline and working very closely with the team to ensure that guests feel there is a story when they come through our buildings, our museums or on the train. The things they saw, heard, smelled or tasted throughout the day are really important to their experiences. It fills me with pride to see that guests can go away and think, ‘Wow, that was something I never thought I would find on the West Coast (of Tasmania)’.” In reflecting on careers in tourism and hospitality, Katy says: “Tourism has the potential as a career to be rewarding and have longevity because it’s ever- changing and people’s needs are ever-changing. It’s also a stable job nowadays. It’s not something that’s fluctuating. There is enough work around for you to really build a life around a career in tourism.”
Katy also loves the way she has been able to incorporate what she has learnt about the West
21 Tasmanian Hospitality Review June/July Edition
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