Alex Blencowe/ Staff Writer
Hospitality students will receive internship advice, have their resumes critiqued and learn tricks of the trade at an upcoming event, three semesters in the running.
Hospitality Day returns on Wednesday, Sept. 17, to cater to young professionals in the Chaplin School of Hospitality and Tourism Management at the Biscayne Bay Campus.
The day allows students to meet with academic advisors in the newly renovated Wine Spectator Restaurant Management Lab, in addition to prospective employers from the Marriott and others in the industry.
Hospitality academic advisor Gabriela Gillespie said it is important for students to get involved during the beginning of the semester so they can get on the right path toward graduation.
“We want our students to meet with employers and get that exposure,” said Gillespie.
Hospitality Day was held at the Modesto Maidique Campus in previous semesters in an effort to attract students University wide.
This term the event is taking place at BBC to accommodate incoming freshmen and returning students at this campus, according to Gillespie.
“We always tell our first-year students, ‘The earlier, the better,’” she said. “There are so many options out there, especially in hospitality, that what you think you want might not be what you really had in mind.”
At the event, students will learn about study abroad programs and clubs, such as the Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International FIU Chapter.
In addition, they will learn about job and volunteer opportunities, including the South Beach Wine and Food Festival — which raised over $2 million for the hospitality school this past year, by the hard work of students and faculty.
Students will also have a chance to speak with professionals from Trump International Beach Resort, Thompson Hotels, Waffle House, SeaWorld Orlando and Four Seasons Hotel and Resorts, to name a few.
Gillespie said the event is a great opportunity for students to network with employers and build their portfolio.
As students spruce their resumes and meet with professionals in the industry, they will have a chance to explore the Restaurant Management Lab, a fully functioning restaurant with a state-of-the-art kitchen, wine room and beer lab.
Lourdes Gomez, the employer relations coordinator for the school of hospitality, said Hospitality Day is a great event for students to find resources, improve themselves as professionals and elevate their thinking.
Gomez said the day is devoted to preparing hospitality students for post-graduate jobs.
“We are a management school,” she said. “Our focus is that when students graduate, they aim to achieve a management-level position.”
-alex.blencowe@fiusm.com
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