Finance Executive Turned Tourism Ambassador

Five years ago, Vany Ramakrishnan would never have dreamt of working in a resort. “I was working in a bank then and I loved the buzz in the finance world,” Vany recalled. “My job gave me lots of interesting exposure, but I wanted to do something where I could meet and connect with people on a face-to-face level.”

Encouraged by the opportunities and growth in the tourism industry, Vany explored her options for a career switch where she discovered the Professional Conversion Programme (PCP) – which helps professionals switch to new occupations in other industries. On the advice of the PCP consultants from the Tourism Management Institute of Singapore (TMIS), she took up the WSQ Diploma in Tourism to prepare herself for the tourism industry.

“I’m really glad I went through the diploma programme first,” Vany shared. “The course gave me a good understanding of the different facets of tourism and the areas I could work in. On top of that, I had the chance to have some hands-on industrial experience before making the switch. This really increased my confidence when I went for job interviews.”

Soaring On New Wings

After completing the WSQ Diploma in Tourism, Vany joined the Marina Bay Sands’ Mall Concierge team. With her newly acquired knowledge and skills, as well as her innate people management skills, she quickly rose through the ranks to her current role where she recruits, supervises, develops and implements the mall’s Guest Services Training Programme.

“I mentor and groom Ambassadors who will be the ‘face’ of the mall and the resort,” Vany shared. “Using a combination of classroom lessons and on-the-job-training, I guide them in handling enquires from mall and resort visitors, and in managing situations at the front desk.”

“Many of the things I learnt are very relevant in my work, in particular, the modules I took on team management, development and implementation of business strategies, training, recruitment and management of staff, and service operations. I can apply what my lecturers taught in my day-to-day operations, and when I need ideas for my projects, I can refer to material from my coursework as a good starting point.”

Challenges Ahead

Though she puts in long hours and has to work shifts, Vany is deeply passionate about her work. “I really enjoy meeting and working with people from all walks of life. I also get a great sense of satisfaction in helping to groom Ambassadors for our industry. But I also see many areas to improve on. For one, I need to brush up on my work processes since I have to work very closely with many internal departments in our guest services programme. Secondly, it is always a challenge to recruit service talents in hospitality and tourism.”

“Thus I am very thankful for the networks I built with my WSQ course mates and the contacts I made during the training. These have been a great help to me, especially in keeping updated on industry news and sharing of best work practices.”

The Professional Conversion Programme enables Professionals, Managers, Executives and Technicians (PMETs) to switch to a range of new occupations such as registered nurses, occupational therapists, preschool teachers, facility management executives, media and digital media professionals, workplace safety and health managers.

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