Change Plan

An sms sent by mom woke me up at 5am Bahrain time, “Iq, we are now watching a news about bomb blast at JW Marriott Jakarta.” Couple minutes later, my wife sent me an sms, “My dear, Ritz Carlton has been bombed.” Her next sms, “I am watching the news on tv.” Then Marcia Ardini, one of my friends currently working for the Gulf Hotel called me to inform the same news.

I was so surprised and I can’t believe it. God, it happened again? Why Marriott? At a glance, I recalled our plan to move or transfer my job to JW Marriott once I completed two years working with Marriott Executive Apartments Manama, Bahrain.

Marcia implicitly asked, whether I still have the plan, to work at the JW Marriott Jakarta. I just couldn't answer.

Then I remembered a conversation with my Director of Sales about transferring job to JW Marriott Jakarta or Ritz Carlton Jakarta. I told him that I had a vision, I can see myself, where I would be within next couple years. “I’ll definitely remain with the company (Marriott International). I like the company and I will be working with any Marriott properties in Jakarta. I can picture myself as a hotel sales or pr manager.

My director asked, whether I planned to grow my career in the Middle East or somewhere in the Europe. I told him, that dream would be difficult to implement since I am a father now and I have to be with my family, and live in my country. I have no problem to work in Malaysia or Singapore where there is possibility to travel home in weekly basis, not like in the Middle East where you'll spend 12 hours to fly home. He understood and promised to help me to transfer once I have completed 18 months working with the group.

But now, seems there is no more that dream and I don’t know what the next plan is. My wife called and she does not want me to work at the JW Marriott Jakarta. “It’s the second bomb and I want to see the third one happen again where my husband around, please…” she begged.

Well, it’s pretty difficult to find a hotel job nowadays in Jakarta, particularly in a 5 star international chain hotel. And after this horrible incident, I am sure the hotel operation will remain close for couple of months. The occupancy will drop drastically not only in those two properties but also other hotel brands throughout Jakarta. I guess, it takes at least a semester to recover and achieve the ideal occupancy.

This means, there will be difficulties for hotel’s management to open new hiring and accordingly there will be little chance for me to transfer to Jakarta. So, I had better shift to plan B.