News for the Hospitality Executive |
Hospitality
Internship
Programs - A Student’s Perspective
By
Kathleen Hogan,
MBA
January 31, 2011 While visiting New York City for the 2010 International Hotel, Motel and Restaurant Show (IHM&RS), I was invited to attend a Reception held at the Waldorf=Astoria where I had the wonderful opportunity to speak with a number of hospitality students who were soon to be graduated. The students were poised, articulate and exhibited a high level of ease and confidence in this social networking arena. I was struck positively by their professionalism in dress, manner and conversation and asked for an interview with one of the students to gain their perspective on the internship program experience. My interview was with Brian
Becker, a graduating senior from Niagara University with a
major in
Hospitality Management. Our
conversation encompassed what drew him to a career in hospitality, what
different work assignments and positions he has experienced within
hospitality,
how the Niagara University internship program influenced his career,
and what
his short and long term career goals were for his future in the
hospitality
industry. Brian discovered, however, he still wanted to
pursue a career in
hospitality. He transferred to Trocaire
College in Buffalo where he earned his Associates Degree in Hospitality
Management and went on to enroll in Niagara University’s
College of Hospitality and Tourism Management
to earn a Bachelor’s Degree. He
participated in the internship program for hospitality students while
attending
Niagara University. One of his internship assignments was at The
Pierre Hotel in New
York City, where he shadowed guest services from Front Desk to the
Housekeeping
Department. While there he attended a
summer session at Fordham University’s Lincoln Center campus where he
enrolled
in a Career Development Class. The Pierre Hotel internship was one of three
standout
hospitality experiences Brian shared with me.
The second standout experience was the two years he spent
wearing many
hats on the Butler Staff for The Mansion on Delaware Avenue, a four
diamond
hotel in Buffalo, New York. The third
standout experience was his time spent
working at Salvatore’s Italian Gardens mentioned above. Brian voiced appreciation for the personalized
support he
received from the Niagara University professors, who he described as
true
mentors. He noted the caliber of
opportunities afforded the students in the hospitality internship
program,
which he attributed to Niagara University’s network of top hotel and
restaurant
affiliations. We discussed the importance of setting goals and
measuring your
progress, covering many of the points identified in my Growing Your
Career Up
articles. Brian listed one of his short
term and long term goals: attaining the
position of General Manager for a prestigious hotel and becoming the
CEO of a
global hospitality company respectively.
Since our conversation, Brian accepted an offer
from the
Waldorf=Astoria in New York City for their Management Development
Program where
he started in early 2011.
(Congratulations, Brian!) Kathleen
Hogan, MBA is Co-Founder and Publisher of HospitalityEducators.com.
She has a background in management, banking, and finance with a
Master’s
Degree concentration in Human Resources Management. In addition,
Kathleen is a hospice volunteer in Phoenix, Arizona, where she
currently
resides. [email protected]
|
Contact:
Kathleen Hogan, MBA |
Also See: | Growing
Your Hospitality Career Up - Part 2 of 2 / Kathleen Hogan / January
2011 |
Growing
Your Hospitality Career Up - Part 1 / Kathleen Hogan / November 2010 |
|
From
the Chalkboard to the Front Line - Blending Academics with Hospitality
Internship Programs / Kathleen Hogan / October 2010 |
|
Luxury Hotels on Italy's Lake Como Provide Intensive 3 Month Internships for Niagara University College of Hospitality and Tourism Management Students / January 2007 | |
Test Driving” New Co-Workers Through Internships / Denise Moretti and Kathryn Phelps / February 2006 | |
The University of Houston Conrad N. Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Management Provides Students with Intership Opportunities All Over the World; Gives Students Advantage When it Comes to Competing for Industry Jobs / August 2007 |
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