Hospitality is defined as the ability to greet and welcome guests with generosity and friendliness. There is also a feeling of gratification that goes along with making others happy. It is this desire that inspired Raafat Rohaiem to pursue a career in hotel management.

For the past ten years he has been with the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group and is currently the director of rooms at the Mandarin Oriental in Doha, Qatar. In this role, he is responsible for managing the Rooms division which includes the front office, concierge, doorman, housekeeping, valet, security, guest relations, and the business center. Although this may seem like it can be an overwhelming amount of responsibilities, it’s the people he works with that make his job so enjoyable.

“What I like most about this job is the people. I have to deal with people on a daily basis, such as guests and colleagues,” he says, “I tried working in sales and marketing once, but I didn’t like it, because I didn’t have the same opportunity to work with people that I have in operations.”

Rohaiem found his love for the hospitality industry while studying at NYIT. He expanded his knowledge of the industry and found comfort in books. Even though his studies are a key part of his success, he explains that it was also the school’s culture that inspired him.

“NYIT taught me teamwork,” says Rohaiem. “The diversity of the school prepared me to be able to approach and work with people from all over the world.”

NYIT may have put him on the path to success, but the journey wasn’t always easy. He faced normal speed bumps along the way, such as nerves and challenging classes. However, he was also faced with a language barrier. Rohaiem was born in Egypt, and after he finished high school, he moved to the United States. He credits his professors for helping him to overcome these obstacles and recalls how Robert Koenig, associate professor at NYIT School of Management, took him under his wing.

“I will never forget coming to school on the first day and being so nervous,” says Rohaiem. “Dr. Koenig was very welcoming and made me feel comfortable. My English was not that great, and I would sometimes have a hard time in my Business Law and Accounting classes. I explained my situation to him, as well as to two other professors, and they were all very supportive and helpful.”

NYIT may have helped Rohaiem obtain his professional goal, but it is his love for hospitality and desire to work with people that affords him continued success.

“Education is very important, especially in this field. Without your education you will never move up,” Rohaiem says. “But every once in a while, evaluate yourself. Hospitality is about personality. You have to like people, help them, deal with issues, and turn a problem into a smile. You can teach someone how to use the computer, but you cannot teach anyone how to smile.”