Thoughts and Advices from Three Hospitality Professionals

Yesterday, three hospitality professionals spoke in my Human Resource Management and Hotel Operations classes. One is the GM of a Hilton Garden Inn; the other two include a hotel entrepreneur in the State of New York and the Operations Director of a Sheraton Hotel. While they have distinguished career paths and came from different background, they agreed on some main concepts. For example:

• Hospitality industry is not for everyone. It takes leadership, hard work, good work ethic, flexibility, and often long hours to succeed.  
• Relevant work experience is critical to a hospitality career. College students are advised to gain as much industry experience as possible before they enter the work force.
• Hotel design trends may have pushed everyone in the market to make renovations.
• F&B operations are very important in hotel operations. Hilton Garden Inn, for instance, is pushing the Great American Grill concept, serving breakfast and dinner (if not lunch yet).
• Social media is considered as a “must-have” marketing tool for business. However, it takes time to manage a hotel’s social media presence, and the ROI (return on investment) remains uncertain. In addition, it does not seem that an effective social media strategy has been developed.

If you were in one of those classes, what other important information did the guest speakers present? If you are an industry professional, do you agree on these thoughts and/or advices? What else do you want to share with us?

References:
The picture was downloaded from Social Capital Management.

Revisit Social Media and Job Search

I received a phone call a couple days ago from a SU alumna. She graduated in 2005 with a finance degree and is currently seeking career opportunities in the hospitality industry. I have two advices for her. One is to gain some relevant work experience in the field; the other is to brand herself as an expert in hospitality management on social media.

Several months ago, I discussed the tactics of using social media in job search. Today, I am going to revisit this topic and share a Fox News video. Here are some of the advices discussed in the video:

• A “private” setting does not protect a person from being screened by his/her potential employers. Once a post, a picture, or a video is put online, it will be there forever. So, be careful of what you say on social media.  
• If you are looking for a job in today’s job market, you want your employers, and probably even better, everyone to know that you are an expert of something by sharing relevant content, participating on online discussions, and connecting other professionals with similar interest. “Consistency + Frequency” will help a person build a strong personal brand.
• Focus on content. In order to get the audience’ attention, a person must post something to which the target audience wants to listen.
• Interact with the current and potential employers. Candidates need to communicate with employers about their qualifications. A person’s expertise demonstrated on social media will help him/her build stronger credentials.

I have to also emphasize that it usually takes a long time for anyone to build a personal brand on social media. Good things will not happen overnight. If you are expecting to graduate or enter the job market in 2012 or later, probably it is time for you to start building your personal brand. Do you agree? What other social media job search tactics do you want to share with us?

Interested in reading this Fox News Video, you may visit http://video.foxnews.com/v/4598288/hazards-of-social-media/

Culinary Challenges in the K-12 Foodservice Industry

If you are a “food” person and enjoy cooking, have you ever considered pursuing a culinary career in K-12 schools? Over the years, foodservice operations in K-12 schools have changed dramatically. Even before the $4.5 billion “Healthy, Hungry-Free Kids Act” was announced, I already felt very impressed by the foodservice operations in Dallas and Austin school districts when I toured the managed services accounts there in 2007. Managing a K-12 account is challenging, demanding, and rewarding.

Foodservice managers in K-12 segment are required to follow applicable nutritional restrictions and provide healthy food with low fat, low sodium, and fresh ingredients. On top of that, cost control is extremely important. As suggested in this New York Times video, K-12 schools in New York City must serve a lunch under the cost of $2.67 (meal + labor). Managers are expected to design a non-repeatable menu with eye-appealing and tasty food because kids can also be very demanding.

If you are a hospitality student or professional with an F&B background, will you consider working in the K-12 segment? Why or why not? If you are a recruiter for a managed services company, what are the challenges do you experience when recruiting candidates for the K-12 segment? What are your strategies in attracting young talents?

To watch the New York Times video, you may visit the following hyperlink: http://video.nytimes.com/video/2011/03/05/nyregion/100000000700483/city-critic-school-lunches.html 

 

The Problem of Lacking Effective Written Communication

For years, I have heard many colleagues expressing their concerns of students’ poor written communication skills. Indeed, lack of writing proficiency does not seem to be an isolated problem for one particular academic program or college.

According to Dianna Middleton’s report on Thursday’s Wall Street Journal, Corporate America is complaining that business-school graduates could be “data-savvy” but may not be able to communication effectively. Some writing deficiency examples include: using complicated words over simple ones, rarely getting to the point, failing to adapt the writing for multiple audiences, and writing incomplete sentences. As a result, consulting firms like Booz Allen Hamilton Inc. do not allow new hires from working on any written proposal independently until they are ready.

Many business schools are making efforts to help students improve their writing skills. The Wharton school at University of Pennsylvania is planning to double the communication coursework to 12 classes starting in 2012. University of Rochester created two writing coaches positions. Northeastern University requires that student papers be graded by both professor and writing coach.

Students, on the other hand, do not seem to pay enough attention to this problem. Cornell University, for example, offers an elective writing class and an elective oral communication class in its executive M.B.A. program but found inadequate interest of signing up for the writing class.

It may seem that students themselves have not noticed how serious this problem is. Why will students struggle in writing? What can high schools, universities, and Corporate America do to improve students’ writing proficiency? In the world of “constant digital communication,” will text-messaging and tweeting replace formal written communications for good? What are your thoughts?

References:
Middleton, D. (2011, March 3). Students struggle for words: Business schools put more emphasis on writing amid employer complaints. The Wall Street Journal, B8. Also available online via http://on.wsj.com/f1wExT
Picture was downloaded from http://mediarelations09.blogspot.com/