Piers worked in the Westin Hotel at Boston's Copley Place, holding several entry-level jobs in their restaurant, The Brasserie, over the course of his six-month stay.

When he went back to England to complete his university studies, he continued working in hotels near Brighton, most notably The Grand, a luxury hotel in Eastbourne.

Piers stayed in contact with the Westin after he graduated, and got the opportunity to participate in an 18-month training program back in Boston. Shortly after finishing his final university exam, Piers travelled to America again for a food and beverage management training program.

Piers worked in the hotel's kitchen and restaurant, and also worked in accounting, during banquets, and eventually in the lobby lounge as a supervisor. He wanted to extend his stay, but Visa restrictions didn't allow this to happen.

Back in England, Piers stayed with his parents and applied for hotel jobs in the UK. He ended up deciding between a small, high-end hotel in the Lake District or large London hotel called the Tower Thistle; he opted to move to London to live near friends.

He worked at Tower Thistle for about a year with tough hours, living in Stepney Green and Wapping. He landed a job at the Royal Air Force Club as a conference manager, living with his close friend Lynn in Richmond during this time.

Piers was living off 50 pounds per week in London, as he had to pay off debt he accrued while in America. He recalls having to use "220 pence [British pennies] to pay for public transportation one time." To help ease this financial burden, he also worked as a bartender at the Old Orleans restaurant in Richmond.

Piers found out about the Morrison Visa Program, which would enable him to return to America; he applied as soon as it started, during the summer of 1992. For an entire year he didn't hear back, despite calling the American Embassy numerous times.

Finally, in August 1993, Piers was notified that he had been accepted, pending medical examinations (including an AIDs test, which was a large issue at the time) and having a job and place of residency lined up. He was required to be in America by the middle of October!

He got offered a job as an assistant restaurant manager back at the Westin, and stayed with his old manager at his Charlesbank Road apartment in Newton.

In the autumn of 1993, Piers moved to Boston (again) on a temporary visa. He worked at the Westin until 1998, ending up as the hotel's banquet captain. During this time, he purchased his first home in America, an apartment in Jamaica Plain. He has lived in the Greater Boston Area ever since!