Meet Jack Fitzsimons. Jack is the Director of Sales & Marketing in The Heritage, a prestigious luxury hotel in Killenard, Laois. Jack comes from a family who thrived in hospitality and has experienced many sides. However, it’s his Transition Year work experience that really set him up for a successful future in the Tourism & Hospitality industry stating,

My TY Work experience shaped my decisions for a career in hospitality, allowing me to see the exceptional work and opportunities out there both in Ireland and abroad. It is the first opportunity I had which in turned led me to my current role of Director of Sales and Marketing.

Read Jack’s story about the courses he did and the work experience he gained along to way to be in the position he is today:  

Did you go straight into tourism after leaving school or studies? (What was your first job and/or course)

My first job in tourism came from my Transition Year work experience, where I worked in two small local restaurants in the kitchen, doing preparation work, this gave me an insight into the camaraderie and passion the industry has for providing guests with exceptional service and ultimately making their day better, it was very fulfilling to see how our combined efforts enhanced a guests day.

Why did you decide to work in tourism?  

My Grandfather, Bernard Hanratty was a hotelier, owning two hotels in Howth and one in Glengarriff in West Cork. Growing up surrounded by hospitality, my brother also studying culinary arts in TU Dublin, showed me various sides the industry. I considered culinary arts, hospitality and tourism management as courses at CAO Stage but ultimately wanted a broad understanding, so felt the four year BSc. In International Hospitality Management would give me that in DIT, Cathal Brugha Street (now TU Dublin).

Does your job allow you to have a lifestyle you are happy with?  

I am very happy in my current role as Director of Sales and Marketing at The Heritage, like anyone who has worked in this industry, there are stages when you work in operations and have to do long hours, but I feel that is where a barrier lies from the outside, is the perspective of hospitality being a job that does not allow a lifestyle, I have been fortunate to work in Food and Beverage, Front Office, Guest Relations and now in Sales and Marketing, so my former roles have given me a great appreciation for the operation, but equally now allows me a more structured work week to spend time with family and friends.

What aspects of your education have proven most important for your job?

I feel the practical experience, alongside the foundation in understanding consumer behaviour, these are the areas I found most interesting, was the psychological side of hospitality and ultimately how a guest feels, this is a skill you learn with experience and having been fortunate to work with prestigious hotels like The Dorchester, The Shelbourne and The Westbury, it set me up to be in an environment with the highest guest expectations, to challenge myself and craft skills in dealing with these types of guests, skills which I am very proud of and use daily.

The Everyday Job

What are the main tasks and responsibilities of your role? Describe a typical day

I would say my role is now more strategic, so I look at long term objectives and plans with the help of my team to build new business relationships from companies who have a national presence. Our location is very central to Ireland so we see people come to The Heritage to “Meet in The Middle” as we call it. There are various segments I manage from MICE (Meetings, Incentive, Conference and Events), Leisure, Spa, Groups to name a few and we build select marketing campaigns to bring our brand to life for guests, companies or agencies who have not worked with us before. My typical day is full of interactive meetings with cross-departmental involvement such as meeting with our Front of House Manager on Guest Experience projects or meeting with our Marketing Manager to discuss our new Public Relations (PR) Campaign.

I am fortunate to be surrounded by dedicated professionals in their field and our combined efforts make for excellent outcomes. I also spend a lot of time training my own team, giving them confidence in their roles and ensuring they are challenged to professionally grow in their role. I am not sure if there is a typical day in hospitality, as one minute you could be preparing a budget presentation, and then you could be down meeting a client who calls in to meet  you unexpectedly but that is what I love about this industry, is the curve-balls you get as it allows you to react better to any situation you are faced with.

What’s the best part of your job?

I really enjoy representing the hotel at trade events, collaborating with industry colleagues but equally working with my counterparts at FBD Hotels and Resorts, we learn so much from each other as to what is happening in the market, trends and how we are all performing.

What are the main challenges?

Over the past year, the main challenge but equally an opportunity, has been putting The Heritage back on the map for MICE business, our combined efforts have been successful but we still have more to cover moving forward in different locations such as the UK and Europe which we will be actively targeting next year.

What characteristics or skills can help you succeed in this role? 

I feel you need to be determined, curious and enjoy what you do. I find it one of the most important qualities, is that I love my job and this industry, its always evolving and you are always learning something new. You need to be empathetic and understanding also, as you are constantly dealing with people and need to show your human side. Finally, I would say to challenge the normal, strive for the exceptional and not to ever say its not possible.

What kinds of work experience would provide a good background for this position?

Hospitality and Retail are very closely linked in many ways, you are dealing with people, with high expectation based on different brands and providing a personalised service for that brand. I have always found people who work in customer facing roles do well in hospitality. I have also worked with people who studied law and decided to move into hospitality, and they work well in commercial roles where you have to be quite stringent in your work. This is the point I make, when I say hospitality is a lot more than being a waiter/waitress, you can work in HR, Finance, Sales, Procurement, Engineering. These are careers in themselves, but they are so transferable to the hospitality industry. You can also work with small boutique brands, family owned properties or for international brands like Marriott with a great ability to travel and learn about new cultures

What advice would you offer someone considering this job?

I would say, that nobody is perfect, we are always learning, asking curious questions and can only try our best but to progress, you need that inner determination to deliver exceptional service, be a leader rather than a manager, and bring your team along with you in your decisions that makes them feel involved. Always allow your interests to come through, show your personality and bring that to the table when discussing ideas. Do you research on your competitors and what the market trends are and finally, do what you enjoy and makes you happy as it’s a rewarding industry, but you have to love what you do!

Failte Ireland