Graduates must be willing to start small to build careers – Ridge Royal MD

The Managing Director of Ridge Royal Hotel in Cape Coast, Sheila Adjetey-Anum, has urged graduates to be willing to start from entry-level positions and build their careers through hard work, practical experience and continuous learning.

She said the expectation among some graduates to secure managerial positions and earn high salaries immediately after leaving school was a mindset that needed to change.

Speaking in an exclusive interview on the sidelines of the iNTTA Expo at Ridge Royal Hotel on Thursday, October 22, she cited her own career progression as an example of the importance of starting small.

“I started as a housekeeping attendant and all that, with a degree. Yes, with a degree,” she said.

Ms Adjetey-Anum, who said she had worked in the industry for about 20 years, explained that she had progressed from an entry-level position to become the managing director of Ridge Royal Hotel, having previously managed several hotels.

She said graduates must be prepared to demonstrate their capabilities and prove their value to employers rather than focus solely on their academic qualifications.

“Everybody thinks after the degree, I should start with 5,000 (Cedis). I should start as a manager. But what are you bringing to the table?” she asked.

She stressed that career progression required a combination of education and work experience, adding that employees should be willing to learn and grow through the opportunities available to them.

“You need education plus work experience to be able to earn as much as you want,” she said.

Ms Adjetey-Anum also encouraged young people to exercise patience, manage their finances and give themselves time to achieve their career ambitions.

“Hard work always pays. They say smart work these days, but also hard work pays,” she said.

Her comments came on the sidelines of the iNTTA Expo in Cape Coast, which brought together tourism and hospitality stakeholders, businesses and investors to explore investment opportunities and discuss strategies for growing Ghana's tourism sector.

The expo's second day, held on Thursday, October 22, was themed “From Vision to Transactions” and featured discussions on investment opportunities in tourism, hospitality, energy infrastructure, agribusiness and health tourism.