A bright, enthusiastic, hospitality school student may appear to be more interested in getting credit toward their degree than in cash. This bright, eager-to-please student will also be thankful that an internship will add that extra pop to a resume and glean the interest of a future employer.
As a hotel struggling for summer help, this may also appear to be just the solution to your labor woes when you lack the local labor pool or the money to hire. But we should not treat interns as a bargain.
First of all, Interns are not without cost-and not only in terms of stipends, salary or lodging. You must first find the right Intern. Finding, training, and managing an intern, who not only has the field of study for which you are recruiting, but who may consider you as a future employer takes time and effort. Do it right and you'll have an enthusiastic helper-as well as a future star performer for your team. Get it wrong-and it is amazing how many hotel companies do just that-and an intern can be just another kink in your chain of daily operations. The entire internship will be waste of your time and effort and sadly a waste of time and effort for the student.
I don't believe our company has a magic formula. Our program is only three years old and has evolved each year with input from our Interns and our Managers. We have designed a very effective recruiting process to find the right intern for us. Yes, we look for the bright, enthusiastic, eager-to-please student. We also seek students who will look to us as a future employer. Therefore, it is equally important that these students have worked in the industry. Working part-time in a restaurant, on a hotel front desk or in a housekeeping department will put the student at the top of our intern lists. While it is admirable to focus on scholastics while pursuing a hotel degree, a large part of education is experience. When a student comes to us without ever having stepped behind a front desk, seen or worked in a commercial kitchen or served the first restaurant meal the learning curve is much greater when they enter the work force. Hotel degree or not!
Second of all, let's not forget the needs of the student. The student expects to actually get something out of the internship, not spend their summer working in housekeeping, the front office or purging sales files. Credits are one thing; a worthwhile learning experience is something else entirely. Our company has designed a basic internship that can be customized for the individual student's needs and still achieve company goals. Several have entered our Summer Internships with an idea of what they wanted to do after graduation and because of the diversity of the learning experience we provide they sometimes come out with an entirely different focus. Others did not have a clue, and over the 12 week period, a light came on and their focus was clear.
We now have two Future Stars just waiting until after graduation to start the fast track to management with our company and we are sure this year will produce at least two more. One of those Interns wishes to share her experience. Jennifer Rice of East Carolina University shares her story, 'The Cycle: Life Before, During, and After My Internship". Her story will enlighten you as to what students are seeking from the Internship experience. I must also admit it is flattering to think that our Internship Program has produced a raving fan as well as a Future Star.
About the Author
Lizz Chambers conducts in-house training and training assistance for all properties managed by Newport Hospitality Group. She coordinates and conducts supervisory skills workshops to prepare supervisors to earn their certification through AH&LA's Educational Institute.
Lizz Chambers
Director of Human Resources and Training
4290 New Town Avenue
Phone: 757-221-0100
Fax: 757-221-0400
Email: inntrainin@nhghotels.com
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