How Placements at Sydney’s Top Hotels Shaped a Hospitality Dream

Ngoc Mai Thy Truong (Thy) moved from Vietnam to Sydney knowing almost nothing would feel familiar. New country, new education system, new language. What she found at ICMS, over time, was a community that stood behind her and a career direction she now feels sure about. 

For Thy, finding her feet took time, but the community and support she experienced at ICMS helped make the transition easier. 

A hard start in a new country

Thy grew up in Vietnam and began her ICMS journey on the Foundation Pathway through Aspire Institute, before moving into her Bachelor of Hospitality Management degree in August 2024.  

Starting over, she says, meant more than adjusting to study. 

“The hardest part wasn’t the study. It was the ordinary moments,” she said. 

The quiet walk home from the bus stop. A weekend night with no plans. She had not made many friends yet, and her world shrank to a small loop between campus, home, and the beach. 

Looking back, Thy says those difficult early experiences were part of finding her feet in a new country, and things gradually became easier for her. 

Finding community, one step at a time

Things turned around gradually rather than all at once. She opened the check-in emails she received, volunteering got her talking to new people, and support from the WIL team helped connect her with placement opportunities.  

ICMS, she says, is small enough that people notice you. 

“Lecturers know your name and your goals, not just your student number,” she said. 

Her community came together piece by piece. Some of it grew from classmates she was paired with on group assessments. Some came from volunteering. For Thy, those different experiences gradually helped her find her own community. 

A subject that made it click

That sense of support carried into her studies, too. Thy’s favourite subjects are the ones that allow her to apply what she is learning to industry-focused scenarios. 

The subject that hooked her included an assessment where she designed a luxury brand activation concept for Moët & Chandon, set at Cannes.  

What she loved was the freedom to mix ideas, build the whole experience, and design it for the luxury hospitality segment. 

“That was the first time it clicked: I wasn’t just studying the industry, I was being asked to design for it. And I was good at it,” she said. 

Where it got real

The placements were where hospitality came to life for Thy.  

She has worked at the Shangri-La Sydney, and she now works as a Guest Services Agent at the Grace Hotel, a role she started as an ICMS placement and chose to stay in. 

Her ‘aha’ moment came during her internship. She recommended a restaurant to an older couple staying at the hotel. A few days later they returned to tell her how much they loved it, and left a thank you note before checking out. 

“I realised that’s all it takes to make a guest’s experience genuinely more meaningful, and that this was exactly the part of hospitality I wanted to build a career in,” she said. 

Along the way, Thy was nominated for Young Volunteer of the Year 2025.  

She was also recognised on the Dean’s List for two consecutive terms, an achievement she is proud of given how much she was juggling. 

Effort over a flashy resume

Thy is upfront about where she started. No big-name luxury brands on her resume, no impressive placements lined up before she walked in the door. Just consistent effort, showing up, and saying yes to the opportunities in front of her. 

“You don’t need a flashy resume to stand out here. You need to be someone who follows through,” she said. 

Long term, Thy wants to build a career in luxury hospitality leadership, focused on guest experience and concierge work.  

She would love to work toward becoming a member of Les Clefs d’Or, the international association of hotel concierges. 

Her advice to anyone starting out reflects what made a difference in her own experience: look for opportunities, make use of the support around you, and give yourself time to find your feet. 

Disclaimer: The views and experiences expressed in this article are those of the student and reflect their individual experience at ICMS. Results and experiences may vary.