QRC Hospitality Management graduate Sophia Humphries grew up with her family running a motel business in New Zealand, developing a passion for hospitality and guest experiences from an early age. After completing her diploma, Sophia was eager to take her hospitality career further.
She embraced change and applied for roles with Discovery Parks, saying ‘yes’ to an opportunity at Kings Canyon in Australia’s Northern Territory. Today, she’s building her hospitality career in one of the most remote tourism destinations – proof that the best adventures in hospitality often come from saying “yes” to the unexpected.
Why did you choose to study Hospitality Management?
- I chose to study Hospitality Management so that I could experience working around the world. So far, I’ve worked in three countries.
What was the most memorable part of your time at QRC?
- The most memorable part of QRC are the lifelong friends I gained from the course.
Where did you complete your internship?
- I completed my Internship in Melbourne at the RACV City Club Bistro as a Food and Beverage attendant.
Tell us about your journey post QRC – Where have you worked, travelled, studied? What have you been doing since QRC?
- I have worked in hotels across three countries (New Zealand, UK and Australia). When covid hit, I was in the UK, so I returned to New Zealand sooner than planned, but this helped me grow in the industry to a Duty Manager at QT in Wellington. I moved across to Australia to join the pre-opening team at QT Newcastle before moving to the Hyatt Centric team in Melbourne as an Assistant Front Office Manager. Working in hotels has allowed me to travel regularly, giving me the opportunity to experience beautiful hotels around the world.
Where are you working now?
- Currently I am working as the Front Office Manager at Discovery Resorts – Kings Canyon. This is a remote place, 3 hours from the closest village, and 5 hours from the closest town, Alice Springs. It’s been a big change after being in one of the largest Australian cities for 3 years, but the remoteness is a nice change of pace.
Can you share a proud moment or significant achievement from your career?
- My proud moments are mostly team orientated, creating a positive work environment where the team thrives and enjoy coming to work.
How did QRC prepare you for the challenges of your career?
- The experience gained across all areas of the hotel has helped the most. Understanding how different hotel departments work together has been invaluable. Each department, whether guest-facing or behind the scenes, plays a fundamental role in the hotel’s operations.
What do you love most about working in the Hospitality industry?
- I love being a part of people’s holidays – being able to assist to make it as memorable as possible as well as meeting so many people from around the world with such interesting stories.
What excites you about the future of Hospitality?
- I’ve noticed that hotels are adopting “fun” lifestyle brands in their chains, where uniforms aren’t always the standard, staff can display tattoos and piercings, and the personalities of the whole team are shown through. While maintaining their high service standards, the hospitality industry has become remarkably more flexible compared to just five years ago.
Do you have any advice for prospective students considering QRC?
- The skills you gain from QRC are invaluable. Even if you don’t stay in hospitality, all of the skills gained are transferable to almost any industry and prepares you for the working world.
What advice would you give current QRC students?
- Even if there are classes that don’t interest you, it is worth focusing on them as you never know when the knowledge will serve a purpose again – it may be sooner than you think.
Any exciting plans for the future?
- I don’t want to speak too soon, but I’m hoping for another working holiday visa to kick another country off my “work in” dream list.
Learn more about our Adventure Tourism Management and Hospitality Management Diplomas.
