Hanibal Meseret is currently completing an apprenticeship as a hotel specialist EFZ with the Weisse Arena Group. With his friendly and cheerful manner, he welcomes guests at the reception desk of the signinahotel. However, his responsibilities also include many other tasks, which makes his job very varied.
profile
Age: 23 years old
Place of residence: Trin
Hobbies: Soccer and fitness
The phone rings, guests check in and out, and there is a lot going on in the lobby of the traditional signinahotel. Hanibal Meseret stands behind the reception desk. He greets guests with a friendly smile, answers their questions, and explains everything there is to discover at the signinahotel and the surrounding rocksresort. The 23-year-old is training to become a hotel specialist EFZ. He is doing a shortened apprenticeship because he has already completed the EBA hotel employee qualification. "I wanted to develop further, so I decided to do another apprenticeship," he says.
As a hotel specialist, he has various tasks – all of which aim to make guests' stays as pleasant as possible. The work is very diverse, so he comes into contact with many people and guests. Before working at reception, he worked in service at the Camino restaurant. "If you like people, it's a really cool job," he says. He already learned about housekeeping and working in the laundry, or lingerie, during his first training program.
In his job, it is important to have good empathy skills, a friendly manner, and foreign language skills, he says. "The work is varied, and I really like that." However, it can also be hectic when lots of people want something at the same time. "Now I am very good at staying calm and taking things one at a time, which is something I also learned during my time in service."
Hotel professionals have irregular working hours. Hanibal worked in service from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and then from 5 p.m. to around 11 p.m. At reception, he works either from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. or from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. "You have to be aware of that, and it's not easy for everyone," he says. Working on weekends is also part of the job, which means that your private life has to be better planned and coordinated. "But I have the weekdays off and can meet my friends in the evening," says Hanibal Meseret.
Hanibal is currently focusing on his apprenticeship because he wants to do well. He hasn't made any plans for the future yet. However, he definitely wants to continue working with people, "because that's what motivates me every day at work and what I enjoy doing," says Hanibal Meseret.
5 questions, 5 answers
1. Summer or winter? – Summer
2. Valley or mountain? – Valley
3. Mountains or lakes? – Lakes
4. Laptop or phone? – Phone
5. Prosciutto pizza or picante pizza? – Picante pizza
Did you know?
The Weisse Arena Group in Laax trains apprentices in various exciting professional fields every year. Find out more about our training opportunities and become part of a unique team at the largest employer in the Surselva region.
