Career Ladders: Eyeing a sky-high career

When Sands Macao opened its doors in 2004, it was the first U.S.-owned casino in Macau. Many local workers were eager to join the company because they believed this renowned company would bring to the city international standards and, hence, wider career exposure and opportunities for its staff.

Bonnie Chan and Bel Chung were among many with high hopes for Sands Macao, when they joined the Security department of the company. Eight years on, their expectations have proved realistic.
“I expected a U.S. company would provide equal opportunities and good promotion prospects for female workers like me,” says Chan, who joined Sands Macao as a Security Officer. She earned five promotions in eight years and is now Senior Operations Manager of the Security department at Sands Cotai Central which opened in April.

With no background experience in security work, Chan had to learn everything from scratch, and she quickly realized that the job duties were broader than she had anticipated.

“We guard the gate,” she says, “but our main duty is to ensure the safety and security of our guests, our team members, and the company’s assets. We perform that duty in a wide variety of ways because the security needs are different for catering, shopping mall, exhibition, hotel, and gaming.”

For example, the Security department is responsible for handling the flow of crowds during special events such as concerts, exhibitions, job fairs and more. The department helps shoppers in the retail areas and reminds guests with minors not to enter the gaming areas. “We also need to protect the privacy of our VIPs,” she adds.

Chan’s current role in the Security department involves supervising and monitoring day-to-day operations, team-building, and keeping an eye on the staff’s working environment and career development.

“It is important that close ties and trust are maintained among our team members. I am always ready to listen to their suggestions and adopt their ideas,” Chan says. “For newer staff members, I show extra patience, making sure they understand how the company operates so they can work and solve problems more effectively. I was once a green staff member myself and I understand that it takes time to grow from not knowing much to thorough understanding of the job.”

The Sands Cotai Central integrated resort features hotel brands Conrad, Sheraton, and Holiday Inn. Upon completion of additional phases of development in early 2013, it will offer nearly 6,000 hotel rooms, 1.2 million square feet of retail, entertainment and conference facilities, and more than 20 dining establishments.

The integrated resort has a few hundred security personnel, including frontline and backend. Chan is now preparing for the opening of the next hotel at the property. “The company’s recruitment drive has already started and we are participating in all the job fairs.”  

Based on a successful experience during the grand opening in April, Chan is positive that her team will work well together once again. “It is going to be challenging but with the support of the company, I am sure we are going to achieve our goals,” Chan says.

Sands China Ltd. requires a large security team to support each of its properties – Sands Macao, The Venetian Macao, The Plaza Macao and Sands Cotai Central. In fact, its security team is the largest in Macao, providing comprehensive security services for its four properties, including its hotel partners within Sands Cotai Central.

Bel Chung, another 2004 new-hire, joined the company as an Administrator and is now a Senior Administration Manager in the Security department of Venetian Macau Limited. She is mainly responsible for overseeing the manpower needs within her department, coordinating the necessary training and development for her team and working closely with the Human Resources department for recruitment and human resources management across the four properties of Sands China Ltd.

“I was the first staff member in the Security department at Sands Macao when it opened in 2004,” Chung recalls. “I saw great prospects in the gaming industry and I believed I could better apply my education background in management and my work experience at big corporations.”

Her current role requires her to provide day-to-day operational and administrative support to frontline security staff, so they can better perform their roles. But her main duty is to work closely with Human Resources on hiring, coordinating training and retaining talent.

“Coordinating with Human Resources takes up a large portion of my job since our company has never stopped expanding,” Chung says. She believes that being mission-oriented and maintaining a positive work attitude is crucial because hiring suitable and sufficient talent is always a challenge in Macau, given the current labor shortage.

“Macau has become a very competitive market, in terms of recruitment,” Chung says. But her experience and achievements, as well as the evident trust the company has in her, give her the confidence that she needs to meet the challenges ahead. “Partnering with Human Resources to continue identifying local talent for our department has been very challenging in the current market. But in the end, we did it,” she says.

Chung has a more wondrous take on the matter. “I would say watching how The Venetian Macao expanded over the years is inconceivable,” she says. “In fact, The Venetian Macao being in Macao is just incredible.”

Want to learn about job opportunities with Venetian?
Visit http://hotels.macauhr.com/venetian

Keyword:  Career, Job, Sands Cotai Central, MacauHR, Security