Taking the Pressure Off – Advice for your career in tourism with Ronae Jennings

Ronae Jennings has found herself in many sectors of the tourism industry in Australia over the years. She started in hospitality in bar, gaming and TAB work then moved to a blackjack dealer at Crown Casino, had a stint in a contact centre for Qantas Holidays along with a slew of other roles representing the Qantas brand including in Sales and Airports, before commencing at the Department of Job Skills Industry and Regions in the Aboriginal Economic Development Branch, as the Aboriginal Tourism Adviser. 

As a result, Ronae understands first-hand how difficult mapping out your entire career at a young age can be. Throughout her diverse and well-traveled career, she has picked up some pieces of advice that she shared with us when we sat down with her. Throughout the interview, Ronae kept coming back to one main idea: 

“You don’t have to have just one career. You don’t have to just study one thing. You don’t have to just live in one place. There are no rules. So try things and pause things if you need to. If you’re a little bit confused, speak to people. Take the pressure off. Life is for a long time, and we don’t have to get it right when we’re so young.” 

So, let’s look at those ideas in more depth, because saying it is one thing – putting it into action is another story. 

1. Find what you enjoy to discover what you want to do. 

“How on earth do you know what you’re going to be working in for the rest of your life?” 

Ronae is a big advocate for young people not knowing what they want to do. Yep, you read that right, not knowing. 

“There’s always potential to go back to something if you feel that you’ve gone down a different path, and perhaps you’d like to go back to where you thought you were going in the first place. You don’t need to have it all figured out.”

Ronae explains how she traversed a range of jobs before having even an inkling of an idea of what she wanted to do long-term. From being a blackjack dealer at Crown Casino to managing Airport operations, Ronae saw all sides of the tourism industry, and while they might not have been her forever jobs, she found that the most enjoyable common denominator was the people. 

“What I’ve learned is that a desk job is not where my enjoyment sits, it’s not my strong suit. But anything that means working with people, talking to people, dealing with people is what I enjoy the most and what I get the most personal satisfaction out of.” 

From this learning, Ronae prioritised finding roles that she thrives in and jobs that allow her to work with people in a fulfilling way. You don’t have to limit yourself to a career you think you will like, but instead, let your past experience of things you enjoy lead you on your journey to finding the perfect job for you. 

2. You don’t have to live in one place. 

When we asked Ronae what advice she would give to young people thinking about relocating, this is what she had to say: 

“Do it. It’s really simple. If you don’t like it, you can go back. If you move away from home, you can generally go home.”

While making the leap might not feel that easy, Ronae says the key is to embrace being a bit ‘brash’ about it. There is a whole world of experiences at your fingertips if you’re willing to look for opportunities to explore. Saying yes to relocating may be the best decision you can make for yourself, Ronae encourages. 

“I’m a big advocate for moving for a job and giving it a go. I haven’t done the overseas gig, but who knows what’s in the future? I’ve lived in some beautiful places with some amazing communities, and if you say no, you’re missing out on so much.”

Ronae points out that it is important for young people to take the pressure of the unknown off themselves. Being a young adult is fun, and it is your time to explore the world as you get to know yourself. 

“Take a break, do some travelling, do some studying. Maybe even go and volunteer, just have a little bit of exposure to different things and really take the pressure off. It sounds really easy to say that, I know. You’ve got pressures as well, but [you also have] a really long time to figure out what you want to do when you grow up.”

3. Speak to people (Network)

Throughout our chat, Ronae brought up the importance of community and leaning on your network to guide you when needed. She pointed out that people often limit their networking opportunities to those who are on the same career path when sometimes it’s people with an outside view who can help you the most. 

“Consider networking outside of the industry that you’re in. I lived in Alice Springs and I networked with a lot of people outside of tourism. I didn’t consider them in the beginning because they were doing something quite different to what I was,” Ronae says. 

“But it’s all a community, and everybody was working for a visitor economy in the community. So when you are networking, don’t think about what’s just in your industry. You think really holistically about the job that you’re doing, the place that you’re in, the people that you’re trying to reach.”

4. So what’s next?

Since Ronae has seen many sides of the tourism industry and is now working as an Aboriginal Tourism Adviser, we asked her what her hopes were for the future of tourism. She told us that she simply wishes for more people, and particularly First Peoples, to choose the tourism, hospitality and events industry as a career. 

“I love it, I wished I’d fallen into it sooner,” she shares. “We’ve done some community engagement with the tourism and events team, to talk to business owners, traditional owners, and entrepreneurs about what First Peoples tourism should look like. [We want to know] how Victoria can make it their own, how Victoria can change perceptions of what First Peoples tourism is and provide some history and knowledge to really grow that industry.”

Ronae is passionate about sharing her love for this industry, and asks those already in it to be more intentional about the ways they mentor and introduce the younger generations to jobs in tourism. 

“It’s about showing them everything. I know that takes time from your own role, and I know that that takes time from a budget perspective and all of those corporate things. But they’re going to happen anyway. And it is really important that we really take time, because if we’re not showing how great and how fun the industry is, how can we expect other people to see it if they’re still looking from the outside in?”

So if you’ve been thinking about jumping into the tourism industry, a new career, or relocating for a job, consider Ronae’s advice. Sometimes, you just have to ‘do it’

If you would like to hear more about Ronae’s journey, come along to our Diverse Tourism Careers panel on Wednesday 31 July 2024.

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