When Symon moved from Bangladesh to the Maldives, he had never lived outside his home country. He started in stewarding at the associate canteen at Le Méridien Maldives Resort & Spa, with no previous experience in Food & Beverage or guest service. A few months later, a position opened on the Food & Beverage team; his manager gave him a chance and two weeks to prove himself. 

Symon took responsibility for the beach area, learning through his colleagues, weekly coaching, and direct feedback. Of course he didn’t get everything right at first. There was a moment when a guest asked him a question about champagne that he wasn’t able to answer. His reaction? He took it as motivation to learn more than 30 brands. Over time, guests began remembering him and mentioning him by name in their feedback. 

“Seeing guests remember me and mention me by name showed me that I can make a difference,” he says. 

→ Could this be the start of an unexpected career path for you? Discover Food & Beverage opportunities at Marriott 

Learning a New Kind of Service 

For Mac, the unfamiliar territory was not a new country, but an entirely different kind of service. Before he started working as a server at the Penang Marriott Hotel, Mac had experience at Starbucks and independent coffee shops. Suddenly at the hotel, he found himself learning all about Italian cuisine, wine and a new approach to anticipating what guests needed.  

There was a lot to take in, but Mac kept learning. Now, when returning guests seek out his recommendations, he is reminded of how far he’s come.  

Still, his favorite part of working in F&B is connecting with guests. “It reminds me that hospitality is about creating genuine connections that guests remember long after their stay.”

When One Opportunity Leads to Another 

Jenny got her Marriott start as a Food & Beverage Service Associate at Sydney Harbour Marriott. Her career later took her across Australia, Korea and Vietnam, and today she is the Director of Food & Beverage at the Sheraton Hai Phong. Looking back, she can now see how the skills she learned at her first frontline role helped her, little by little, get to the leadership role she’s in today.  

“My early frontline experiences taught me to pay attention to the smallest details, work closely with others, and develop a proactive approach to service,” Jenny recalls. “As I progressed, I learnt that great leadership is about people: building strong teams, developing others and creating a positive environment where everyone can succeed.” 

After working in some of Bangkok’s best-known cocktail bars, Golf, Head Mixologist at Bar Sathorn in the W Bangkok and a 2025 APEC Sustainable Rising Star, already knew the craft of bartending when he joined Marriott. What surprised him in the beginning was how much more there was to learn beyond the bar itself: business operations, collaboration across departments and the responsibility of helping other people get better at their craft too. 

This was an unexpected lesson that changed his mindset: “I shifted from focusing only on my own performance to becoming a leader who supports, develops and empowers others to grow.” 

More Than Food and Drinks 

None of these careers followed the same formula. Symon discovered an ability to connect with guests he didn’t know he had. Jenny carried the lessons of those early days in frontline roles to become a great leader. Mac turned unfamiliar subjects into new areas of expertise. Golf took his craft to new levels and transformed it into a broader understanding of the business. 

Their stories show that a career in Food & Beverage does not require you to know exactly where it will take you before you begin. Sometimes it starts with a move, a difficult request, a new subject to master or a manager willing to offer you a chance. What comes next?  It’s up to you.  

If there’s something these associates agree on, it is that Food & Beverage is about more than serving what is on the menu; it’s about connecting with people, gaining someone’s trust, sharing knowledge, and creating the kind of experience guests remember long after they leave. The first opportunity may be small. Where it leads might not be. 

→ Bring your curiosity, creativity and appetite to learn. Find your next F&B opportunity to see where a career at Marriott could take you?