Irma Erdeji Corporate Hotel Manager

What inspired you to explore this career path?

I studied hotel management and had my first job in hospitality at a very early age. Along the way I kept on educating myself and, in 2018, got my PhD degree in Hotel Management. Working on the river ships inspired me to study how effective leadership and emotional intelligence motivates employees to perform better in their roles and demonstrate prosocial behaviors, useful for the hospitality industry. I found a way to combine theoretical knowledge and practical experiences.

Tell us about your journey with Uniworld. What do you love most about your job?

I still remember the first time I stepped onboard a Uniworld ship—the River Queen in Cochem, Germany—down to my outfit that day and who was the first person who welcomed me at the entrance!

That first year I worked as a waitress and almost every year I climbed the ladder. I loved that my passion for hospitality was instantly recognized and that I was given chances to grow and develop. I always felt recognized and valued and I was really lucky to gain incredible mentors and friends along the way.

Do you have any words of wisdom that have helped motivate you in your life or career?

Never give up, even when it seems hard. Keep the goal of forward momentum in mind with everything you do. Along that journey, never forget to have fun and joy because, at the end of the day, the journey itself is a destination already.

What advice would you give to other women who are pursuing careers in travel?

This is more than a job, it becomes a lifestyle, exciting and full of impressions. It can be overwhelming at times, so it is important to take time for yourself and to process, to keep the work-life balance and acknowledge all your needs as a human being.

This year's International Women's Day theme is #ChooseToChallenge. What are you doing, or will you do, in your role or in your life, to help create a gender equal world?

As homo sapiens we are all biased in one or another way. One of the common biases is that some of the job roles are seen as strictly meant to be performed by male and vice versa. I take every opportunity to talk about that in formal or informal sessions with my colleagues and to challenge those patterns of thinking. In my mindset there are no limits when it comes to gender. I strongly believe that we can become whomever we like and that we can perform in any role we choose, as far as we live our own truth and pursue our own dreams.