International Teaching at Swiss Hotel Management Schools
Switzerland, the pioneer of Hotel Management Education, is in many ways unique in the way it trains students. Whereas in other countries in the world, hospitality is offered as a program at Universities, alongside other courses, Switzerland has whole schools that are dedicated to the hospitality profession.
Hotel Schools are Institutes of Higher Education that specialise in training international students to work in the Hospitality and Tourism Industry. Diplomas, degrees and MA courses include practical and theoretical training in preparation for industrial internships and a professional dynamic career in the long term.
The schools in themselves run and function as hotels providing students with accommodation and a total hotel immersion experience. Offering management and academic components, they do more than simply train chefs and waiters.
To train at a recognised Hotel School, the student needs to either have a good level of English due to all courses being taught in English, French or German. These schools attract international students from all corners of the globe and in my experience are fun to work for.
Why Switzerland?
“Joining a Swiss Hotel School, means joining something like the United Nations of hoteliers.”
“The Swiss hotel schools became famous due to the mixture of practical and theoretical education and training, through their dedication to professionalism and discipline in a multicultural environment.”
Credentials:
The schools employ staff for a number of different positions ranging from lecturers and operational staff to librarians, internship co-ordinators, receptionists and security.
To work in the school in the operations and administration department i.e. working as a chef preparing meals for the in-house restaurants or as a duty manager etc, it is necessary to have experience in industry and references or a proven track record of training.
For lecturing there are two main categories: teaching languages (French, German, English)or hospitality subjects, such as front office, housekeeping, wine and spirits, service, food preparation, banqueting, accounting, communications etc. The normal requirement to teach is a degree in Hospitality or related subject, 3 years hospitality experience and 3 years training/teaching experience. Often Academic Deans will look at the bigger picture on your CV, so highlight contact and experience you have of leading groups, management/ supervisory roles undertaken, customer contact, working knowledge of industry systems, programs, technology, machinery etc.
What to expect:
Expect to teach 30 or more students in a class, lecture style for teaching a theory course. Practical classes are often smaller in numbers and assistants do help with prep. For lecturing, be prepared to teach from a course syllabus and be prepared to add to it/ write some new classes. The existing guides are usually just a guide. Be prepared to write and asses course work. For other positions, be prepared to follow the regulations and ask about provision of uniforms etc.
Class timetables are fixed for the semester, and generally working hours are between 8am and 6pm with only the occasional weekend duty. Effort is given to condense teaching hours and ensure hours promised are provided. Full time permanent positions are less available in some departments than part-time contract ones.
How to prepare to work in this kind of establishment:
Familiarity with the courses and nature of the particular school is helpful. Most have course handbooks which outline the syllabus and standard core subjects. Understanding how one subject or department supports another is the key to grasping the relevance of what you are doing or teaching. Reading key textbooks in your field of work, to up-grade theory knowledge is an advantage. As a lecturer the chances are you will be quoting theory as well as showing practice. Your industry experience and enthusiasm is invaluable to the students as it gives them real expectations and prepares them for their internships.
What are the rewards:
Salaries on average, for full time professional positions are between 4000 – 5000 Swiss Francs, per month. It is easily possible to pay tax, obligatory health insurance, live and put money in the bank on this income (depending on how extravagant lifestyle is). Part-time hourly rates are between 50-100 Swiss Francs, per hour.
A part from the prestige and the beauty of the surroundings, the are often possibility of staff development programs and studying for further qualifications. Other perks are eating at the in-house restaurants for free, car parking space, being near a form of public transport in many case, regular staff get-togethers and social activities.
Then of course there is just the fact of being in Switzerland. A trilingual country which is the home to numerous lakes and mountain ranges. If the idea of spending cold winters skiing and warm summers sailing on lakes doesn’t tempt you, then perhaps the easy access to the neighbouring countries, France, Italy, Germany and Austria, are a persuading factor.
Demands:
Depending on the job and contract as to the number of hours teaching or shifts expected. For Lecturers, office hours are 42 hours per week with an average of 25 hours contact time with the class. The rest of time is spent in tutorials, writing class notes, preparing lecturers, photocopying, preparing & grading exams, and attending meetings. One stress can be the grading of exams or assessments as it can be a time of pressure and tight deadlines. It is also fairly standard to have your class/teaching regularly watched by the academic dean and this can be a little daunting.
Other positions in operations do ask for weekend work and shift work but there are bonuses in pay and good regular salaries.
International Opportunities:
I’m sure it goes without saying, the longer the school has been established and the more well known it is, the better the organization, the happier the students and the better the working conditions. Whilst there are many schools in Switzerland not all are regulated and of international standard. It is worth working for a good one. There is a short list of 12 recognised well established schools in Switzerland – see the Swiss Hotel Schools Association (ASEH) website below for details.
A work permit or ‘B’ permit is obligatory to live and work in Switzerland. It is possible to visit Switzerland on a three month tourist visa to search for work but it isn’t worth the risk to work without the correct papers. To get a work permit it is necessary to secure a work contract. Hotel schools will advise and often organise these details on behalf of you.
Having worked at two hotel schools in Switzerland in the last four years, I found it best to apply direct to the Academic Dean. Schools generally have two semesters per year, September and February, so these are the good times to send your C.V.
Immersion in Swiss culture
The changes that can result from being immersed in Swiss culture are: a seasoned palette for all cuisines. This is a place to eat and taste your way around the world in one location. You may also find yourself developing a new appreciation of meal times, vineyards and local farmers markets. If really motivated it is a great opportunity to learn the local lingo with the comfort of working in your own language environment (if English is your language). Working alongside International colleagues can be interesting, it is a shared experience of being abroad together and in my experience people are more open to meet new people and get together. The Swiss mentality is that of order and good organization so if you find yourself becoming very efficient you know the local culture is influencing you.
With over 100 years of experience in Hospitality training, it’s not too surprising Switzerland has found a recipe for success. In my experience, it was well worth an international career move to work in one of these enriching schools.
Where to find more information
The Swiss Hotel schools Association: www.aseh.ch – is a quality assurance of Hotel schools in Switzerland and
lists the 12 principle schools.
www.ehotelier.com – has a full list of international hotel schools worldwide and the latest hospitality industry news.
Work experience/networking is the name of the game if you are already in Switzerland. For language teachers, the best way to meet other Language teachers of English is through the ETAS (English Teachers Association Switzerland) www.e-tas.ch.
www.xpatxchange.ch – Gives advice for English speaking expatriates living and doing business in Switzerland
www.swissemigant.ch/elias/en/schweizeu - for EU nationals wishing to find out more about the possibility of working permits.
