5 years ago, Yaam left his hometown Nepal and came to Australia with his family for a better life. After many years working in the front of house in different national and international chain hotels and restaurants, Yaam is now driven to nurture our future Hospitality Superstars.

Why did you choose to work in the hospitality industry?

 I have always been passionate about working in the hospitality industry. My dad owned a restaurant. He inspired me a lot and taught me different skills and knowledge of the industry. After graduating from the hospitality school in Nepal with a hospitality degree, I started my first job in Four Seasons Hotel as a front of house staff. Then I travelled to Dubai and worked in a restaurant there. After a few years, I returned to Nepal and opened my own restaurant before I came to Australia. I have been working in the hospitality industry all my life because I love it.

What are the challenges in working in hospitality?

Working in hospitality means no two days are exactly the same. Every day we have to meet different customers and each customer is different. We need to put ourselves into customers’ shoes and think from their perspective. As a front of house, we need to be prepared and ready to go extra miles to wow and impress our customers. We have to solve problems that we may not have come across before and handle new challenges.

What attracted you to Darwin?

I was in Sydney before settling down here in Darwin. I moved to Darwin for a better quality of life. I can spend more time with my family and enjoy a more relaxing lifestyle here. I also like the weather in Darwin.

Why did you want to be a teacher?

After working in managing positions for a long time, I find that a big chunk of people want to work in the hospitality industry. However, they don’t have the skills. I trained staff while I was working in the industry. I enjoyed training them as much as they enjoyed being trained by me. So I thought why not train people properly so that they can provide quality hospitality and wonderful experience to customers.

What do you enjoy most being a teacher?

I enjoy sharing my knowledge and experience to students so that they understand the practical aspects of the industry, focus more towards the same standard and procedures in the industry, and get an idea of what it is really like in real situation. Being a teacher is challenging but fun. Sometimes there is language barrier between us as students are from different countries. However, there are 2-way learning as well. While I share my expertise and experience with my students, they share their experience with me too. We work together and learn from each other.

Do you have any advice to your students who want to succeed in hospitality industry?

Always remember that customers are at the heart of the hospitality industry. It is important to maintain a good relationship with customers. To do that, we need to know the customers by their names, talk to them and know that with heart, offer personalised experience for them. Being a front of house is not just a job.

Also don’t hesitate to ask if you have anything you don’t know. Don’t pretend that you know it while you don’t. Take the risks and don’t be afraid to make mistakes.