Careers in Beverage - Webinar held at WGSHA by Mr. Ajit Balgi

‘Every great dream begins with a passionate dreamer’. WGSHA organized yet another fruitful webinar on career prospects in beverage industry on 13^th July 2020 by one such dreamer, a proud Alumni, who has achieved immense success by hard work and passion, Mr. Ajit Balgi. The webinar centered around the different opportunities available for students and how they can prepare themselves better for it. The session began with a brief introduction of the guest and his career path, which was very inspiring. Being from a nation where the beverage industry is a less discussed topic, the session gave deep insights about the working conditions and growth, in India and overseas. 

Beverages, an important aspects of a meal, is a vast subject on its own. Be it beer, wine or any other beverage, a bartender must have in-depth knowledge to influence buying. Hotels are in a lookout for exclusive bartenders who can manage and put up a great show. The whole culture of pairing food with a beverage is gaining popularity, thus increasing the demand.

The speaker pointed out the human behaviour of looking into short-term results. He rightly said that money and reputation only come with sacrifice and taking risks. With the current pandemic spreading exponentially, he also stressed upon utilizing the time on hand for personal and personality development. From simply following the news, taking up basic online courses and learning a new language, one can acquire skills which will be helpful in the future. Cruise liners, one where most of us dream to work, comes with a cost. Though the income is high, the working conditions are equally challenging. This simply supports the idea that one must work hard to achieve success.

Mr. Balgi also highlighted ancillary branches to the hospitality industry, luxury sales. A person must always imbibe a spirit of salesmanship in order to attract, engage and retain loyal customers. He also spoke on improving writing ability by engaging in food journalism. For students, he rightly stressed upon the importance of having a strong resume to stand out from the crowd. Be it working small shifts at a nearby restaurant or engaging in social media, one must always have something to engage themselves and hone their skills.

All in all, the session was very informative and inspiring to all the participants. Students were able to grasp all the important aspects of the webinar which will definitely help them prepare better for future.