How I got here

Hazel Tan, sales and marketing manager, Rainforest Café, London

Hazel Tan's first experience of the hospitality industry came while at university in Sydney studying art. Working part-time on university administration during the day, she somehow found the energy to work evenings in the shop at the Planet Hollywood restaurant, and also train colleagues.

She then undertook a master of business administration in marketing and international marketing at the University of Technology between 1998 and 2000, also in Sydney.

But Tan wasn't about to stop working, and instead fitted her study around a full-time job at Planet Hollywood as marketing and public relations manager. Although she enjoyed the autonomy her role gave her, eventually it became too much and she decided the time was right to move on.

With hindsight, Tan believes she may have handled the situation differently now. "I think I'd stand my ground and negotiate for a fairer deal if I was in the same position again," she says.

"Some employers will exploit you unless you put your foot down."

By September 1999 Tan was marketing manager at the Restaurant & Catering Association of New South Wales. She quickly concluded that association life wasn't for her and became increasingly frustrated at the organisation's lack of dynamism.

Tan stepped out of the hospitality world in December 2000 when she took on the role of marketing and IT co-ordinator at Crown Resources' Oil-On-Line in London. But all was not lost, as she returned to the hospitality sector in April of last year as business development manager at Taj International, the Indian hotel company, working in London for its Bombay Brasserie and Quilon restaurant.

In need of a tropical vibe as an antidote to London's climate, Tan joined the Rainforest Café last November as marketing manager. She admits to being taken aback by the size of the restaurant, which can seat 360 people, when she went for her interview.

Her challenge for the new year is to entice more corporate customers to make use of the Shaftesbury Avenue venue by capitalising on its size.

And her tip: "Working in restaurants in sales and marketing you're always in the front line. Always make sure you're sensitive to the needs of the operation team."