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I CONFERENCE OF TOURISM GRADUATES: THE END IS ONLY THE BEGINNING

FloorLast Tuesday, March 13, it took place in the hall of degrees of the Madrid campus (Vicálvaro), in the Faculty of CC. Social and Legal, the first edition of the Rey Juan Carlos University Tourism Graduate Conference.

Under the motto: The end is just the beginning, was intended to show students the various job opportunities, the dynamism and the economic potential that characterize the tourism sector today, both in Spain and throughout the world. And judging by the number of attendees, the intensity of the discussions and the feedback from the students, it was largely achieved and the event turned out to be a success.

The organization of the Conference was carried out by students of the Degree in Tourism, in collaboration with the Coordination of the Degree -M. Teresa Villacé and Mª Dolores Flecha-, CETUR and the Graduates Office.

At ten o'clock in the morning, the Vice-Rector for Students, Ms. María Angustias Palomar, inaugurated the Conference accompanied by the Vice-Dean of Students of the FCJS, Mr. Rogelio Fernández. Both have positively valued the initiative, thanked the speakers for their participation and addressed the students, inviting them to make the most of the event, as well as the rest of the services that the university makes available to them.

Next, Pilar Serrano, coordinator of the URJC Alumni Office, was in charge of presenting the office, indicating to the students the benefits associated with the Alumni Card and the Job Placement Program, designed to improve the employability of graduates.

Next, Mr. Carlos Vogeler, Full Professor at the URJC and Former Executive Director of Relations with Members of the World Tourism Organization (WTO), gave the conference: Job opportunities in the tourism sector.

Subsequently, two round tables moderated by Tourism students were held. One of them dedicated to the beginnings and another, to the development of the labor career in the tourism sector.

In the first, young graduates who currently work in different areas of tourism (Hotel Management, Tourism Consulting, Ifema Marketing, etc.) took part and who aroused the interest of the many students who attended the Conference. These young graduates recounting in the first person, the advantages and disadvantages they have encountered since they finished their studies, the importance of continuing to train and the need to know how to adapt to the demands of each position, to learn and take advantage of every opportunity.

In the second table, professionals with positions of high level of responsibility and extensive experience in the sector participated, such as: D. Jonathan Gómez Punzón Tourism for SGDs Platform' Project Coordinator. Communications and Publications UNWTO; Ms. Susana Grande Former Recruitment Senior Manager at Amadeus; Ms. Rocío Alhambra 2nd Head Chef at NH Collection Eurobuilding and Ms. Valeria Juste Saenz de Tejada, Director of Sales, Distribution & Revenue at Paradores. Despite their different positions and personal backgrounds, all of them insisted on two key factors for working in Tourism: having a clear professional objective (field of intervention), and maintaining enthusiasm and passion in carrying out the task, if not, better change position, company or occupation, as far as possible.

To conclude, the session was closed by Cristina Martínez Solá, head of the URJC Employment Exchange, who has worked for almost thirty years managing internships and career guidance for the Tourism degree and who is currently in charge of the information and labor orientation of all the registered graduates, the organization of the Labor Days and Meetings and the management of the platform of the Employment Exchange service.