Graduating Without a Job Offer?

Posted on May 22, 2013 by Ronisha

So you’re counting down the days until graduation. Marking each day off of the calendar. Although there is definitely the excitement of closing a significant chapter, for some there may be a bit of anxiety about the unknown and what lies ahead. Particularly for those graduates who may not have received a job offer and feel like everyone has an offer or plan except for them. Here are a few actions you can take to help your situation.

Follow Up On Prior Interviews

Start by following up on your prior interviews. Don’t assume that because you didn’t hear back from the interviewer that you aren’t perhaps still in “play” for a position. A simple email, I suggest you attach your resume, reiterating your interest in working for their company and asking for an update will suffice. Depending upon their scope of responsibility, a recruiter may meet with a ton of candidates; it never hurts to remind them that you’re out there. Perhaps the opportunity you originally met with them about was filled, but there is always the possibility that they can consider you for a different role.

Spend time on LinkedIn

Take a few minutes and update your LinkedIn profile. Be sure it now reflects the degree you’ve obtained and any other special skills or experiences. LinkedIn shares the changes you’ve made to those in your network, so this is a great way to put yourself out there and in the forefront of your professional connections.

I have to tell you that I love this feature and look forward to seeing what the graduates in my network are doing now and if there is the possibility that they could eventually fill an opportunity at our company.

While you’re on LinkedIn, take a look at the connections of your parents, professors, advisors, and mentors. Is there someone they’re connected to that could possibly assist you with obtaining position in your ideal industry? If so, ask for an introduction! You may be surprised where a simple LinkedIn connection leads!

Alumni and Career Services

Another resource to explore would be your school’s career services team. Don’t assume that just because the semester is ending that all jobs are filled. Company representatives are inclined to reach out to career services with their last minute openings. Career Services can also connect you with school alumni in your prospective field as well.

Don’t Panic

You are surely not alone in this situation. Don’t panic, the last thing you need is additional pressure on yourself. The same focus that you’ve used to obtain your college degree now needs to be turned to obtaining that first position to launch your career. You can do it!

Consider the Total Compensation Package

Posted on April 10, 2013 by Ronisha

I am aware that my friends and I are getting older. I am not sure when it happened, but I came to the realization during a conversation with one of my best friends. She was talking about how close she is to becoming fully vested, and what this means for her financial future. Vesting and retirement funds aren’t exactly the main topics of conversation for soon to be college graduates, but, when you are evaluating an offer, you need to consider more than just salary.

Retirement Benefits

I joined Hyatt Corporation almost thirteen years ago. At the time, I was more focused on having fun and furnishing my first adult apartment; retirement was far from my mind. Luckily, the hotel’s Benefits Manager encouraged me to start saving for my retirement right away. Considering the fact that the company offered a match on my contribution, I would essentially be walking away from “free” money by choosing not to participate.

Some benefits may not seem important right now, but as your priorities change, they may have more value. Does your potential employer offer incentives for you to start saving early for your retirement? Is there a match or employer contribution on your behalf? How long do you have to work with them before you’re fully vested? These are all factors that you should consider when comparing offers. Today, I’m thankful that I started saving for my retirement right away.

Health Insurance & Paid Time Off

It is likely that you will remain on a parent’s insurance after graduation. However, health insurance is another important benefit to consider, as well as paid time off if you’re sick or want to take a vacation. It’s easy to get caught up in the excitement of receiving an offer, but the time you are allotted to make a decision should be used to evaluate the various benefits that come with your offer.

Lunches, Parking, Dry Cleaning

Consider the little expenses that can quickly add up. For example, the cost of lunch or parking each day, and the cost to dry clean or purchase a professional wardrobe. Make sure to keep in mind the location of your job. A work site that is close to your home will cut down on the cost of commuting each day. Ask your employer if he or she offers discounts or reduced fees for these types of things. If they do, factor the cost of the expense and the savings you will potentially receive (this is basically additional money in your paycheck).

At Hyatt, employees of our full-service hotels receive free or reduced meals. If you are assigned a cost of $5 per day for lunch and work 5 days each week you will save bout $25 per week or $100 per month!

Remember, evaluating an offer is about more than just salary. You have to broaden your focus and consider the total compensation package!

How I Can Tell You’re Not Prepared

Posted on March 18, 2013 by Ronisha

I’m a huge proponent of preparing for an interview. I advocate researching the perspective company, creating a set questions, and, if possible, connecting with the recruiter via LinkedIn prior to the interview. Nevertheless, there will still be those individuals who choose to “wing it,” and go into the situation unprepared. As a recruiter, I can easily tell when a candidate has not properly prepared for the interview. Here’s how:

You Can’t Explain Why You Want to Work Here

It starts with the explanation of why you want to work for the company. I typically ask this question when interviewing candidates for Hyatt’s college programs. Although responses vary, basic answers such as, “I’ve stayed in Hyatt Hotels as a child,” and “You’re a hotel company, a leader in the industry.” is an instant giveaway. Also if your response focuses solely on information from a recent press release, then I will likely assume that you did a simple search and honed in on the first link that came up on Google.

If you cannot properly explain or elaborate on why you want to work for the company, your recruiter may doubt your intentions and question how seriously you take your career search.

You Ask Poor Questions

I am sure there is a sense of relief once you get to the Q& A portion of an interview, but this is not the time to relax. In fact, you should be more alert than ever. The quality of the questions you ask at the conclusion of the interview will indicate your level of preparation, and whether you leave the recruiter with a favorable impression. If you have trouble coming up with questions to ask, or do not ask any questions at all, I will likely feel that you are unprepared and are not serious about pursuing a career with our company.

You’re Late

Lastly, if you show up to the interview late or appear tired/disheveled, the recruiter will assume that you have poor time management skills. I certainly will.

Remember, it is important as a candidate to:

Be ready for an interview by articulating the specific reasons why you want to join an organization.

Be knowledgeable about the company. Ask questions that demonstrate your knowledge and reflect that you have done research.

Be a few minutes early for the interview, ensure that you are well-rested, and, most importantly, PREPARED.

Best Friends at Work

Posted on March 11, 2013 by hyattcareers

Each year, Hyatt associates complete the Gallup Organization’s 12 question survey regarding their satisfaction at work and with the work environment. In fact last year, Hyatt was named a recipient of the 2012 Gallup Great Workplace Award. This annual award recognizes the best-performing workforces in the world, and Hyatt was chosen for its ability to create an engaged workplace culture. (http://www.hyattpressroom.com/hyatt/en/news_releases0/2012/hyatt-selected-for-2012-gallup-great-workplace-award.html)

One of the questions on the survey is “Do you have a best friend at work?”. When the employee engagement survey comes around every year I always have a hard time explaining the meaning of a “work best friend” to my staff. I spend a lot of time explaining that it doesn’t mean your life long best friend is by your side every day, but that you have someone you can confide in or have a meaningful conversation during your day at work. I then move onto the line of questioning about who they consider their best friends and what made them earn that title. Every time I have the conversation about this, it sends me into a retrospective about my past.

I am lucky enough to have found a work best friend in every hotel and in every city I have worked in over the last four years. My first hotel was a special place and from it came a few work best friends and mentors. I am over the moon excited that one of those DC work best friends just accepted a job at the Hyatt Hill Country Resort. I will be back in driving distance to someone who has gone from a work best friend to an actual best friend over the past 4 years.

In the wise words of Chef Tom, another work best friend “I am putting a new band together in Texas.” Every new city it’s a new band with new band members and it’s always an exciting time finding those friends and those people who will make your experiences while you are at your current hotel. On Saturday, I get to play tourist and go show Ryan around his new city and explain that “yes the Alamo is that small” and “you cannot go swimming in the river walk,” much like someone did for me when I first got here. I might have a few new work best friends here in Texas, but it is always great to have an old one come back into your life.

So do you have a best friend at work? Do you have someone at work that will stand by your side when you need someone to lean on? I am a firm believer that sometimes you need to make it happen. Get out there, don’t wait for the invite to happy hour, be the host. Make a point to make friends and before you know it you will have a “Band” around you to be there when you fall or when you just need a “person.”

About the Author

Samantha Konner started her Hyatt career as a Corporate Management Trainee. A frequent guest blogger, she is currently a Food & Beverage Manager at a Hyatt property in San Antonio, Texas.

Now is Not the Time to Change Your Mind

Posted on January 3, 2013 by Ronisha

Cue Taylor Swift because this blog needs background music! I had my first candidate rescind their acceptance of an employment offer. The candidate received an offer of employment, considered the offer, accepted the offer, and almost four weeks later called to tell me that they had changed their mind and was taking back their acceptance. Rescinding your acceptance is an act that is difficult for a recruiter to forgive. In fact it’s very likely that because of this action, “we are never, ever, ever getting back together”.

A Question of Integrity

Yes, I have reached out to offer a candidate and found out during the conversation that they had already accepted another offer. When in this situation, I’m most impressed by the candidate who is gracious, quick to inform me they have accepted another offer, and doesn’t want to hear the details of my offer because they’ve already committed themselves to another organization. It’s truly about your professional integrity and staying true to your word.

Know When Your Search is Over

Rescinding an offer is the result of not knowing when your search is over. After you accept an offer, it’s time for you to get out of the game! I know that it’s a difficult balance. You’re perhaps interviewing with multiple companies and they’re coming back with offers at different times, but ultimately if during the interview process, you adequately researched prospective companies, asked questions of value during the interview, and assessed your true interest in each organization, you should be able to accept an offer with confidence. Once that offer is accepted, it’s truly about demonstrating loyalty to your new organization and respecting the trust relationship you’ve built with your recruiter.

Predictor of Future Behavior

There are studies that focus on the belief that past behavior is a predictor of future behavior. A recruiter may be able to forgive the candidate who rescinded their acceptance, but it’s unlikely that they’ll forget and again consider that candidate for an opportunity at a later time. This is because if a candidate makes a commitment and then goes back on their word, it’s probably likely that if given another chance and actually joining the organization, they will leave for what they “perceive” to be a better opportunity. A recruiter doesn’t want to take that risk. Cue Taylor because “we are never, ever, ever getting back together”.

Have You Visited Our Microsites?

Posted on August 28, 2012 by Ronisha

Students who have met me on campus or read my blogs regularly know that I’m a big believer in doing your research. Taking the time to examine a prospective company’s website, read their blog, and if possible to speak to a few employees is how you can find out more about an organization. I’m a big fan of using your resources, which is why I was so excited when we created microsites, another amazing resource for perspective employees.

Currently we have microsites for Culinary, Food and Beverage, and Sales. I love that within each microsite there are video testimonials from current Hyatt family members, updates on each division’s initiatives, and information on upcoming events.

You can also see career path examples for each division. Although there is great information within our career site: hyatt.jobs, the microsites are more intimate and tailored to each division. I’m even more excited that soon we will have a microsite for our College Programs as well.

If you haven’t already, take a look at our Culinary (culinary.hyatt.jobs), Sales (sales.hyatt.jobs), and Food & Beverage (foodandbeverage.hyatt.jobs) microsites.

Once you do, I’m sure you’ll see why I think they’re such an amazing tool!

Careers at Hyatt: Director of Food and Beverage

Posted on June 22, 2012 by hyattcareers

Director of Food & Beverage is one of the key leadership positions in our full-service hotels. It is also one of the positions on the path to General Manager. Tyson Warren, one of our Directors of Food & Beverage, gives us insight into his role and career with Hyatt.

I am currently the Director of Food and Beverage at the Hyatt Regency Sacramento. My role is to insure that every guest has an exceptional experience whether it is in one of my two restaurants, the lobby lounge, Starbucks, In-room Dining, Banquets or at the pool bar. I also focus on the engagement of all associates in the hotel. Last, but certainly not least, I have an obligation to the ownership of the hotel to provide the highest quality Food and Beverage in Sacramento while increasing revenue.

My wife and I have a daughter, Madison, who just turned two. I love to golf, and explore the wineries of California. Every day for me is different and that is one of the things I enjoy about working in this industry. At work, I spend the majority of my time interacting with guests and associates in some fashion, if it’s bussing tables or seating guests in the restaurant, turning meeting rooms with the CS and Banquet departments or trying to become a certified Barista in Starbucks, those interactions take up a good portion of my day.

I attended Concord University in Athens, WV where I earned a Bachelor of Science in Hotel and Food Service Administration. I attended college on a football scholarship, I was a 4 year starter at Left Tackle and was a 3 time All Conference Player. I am from Melbourne, Florida where I started in the hospitality industry very young working with my father who owned a few night clubs.

In 1999, my good friend, Alumnus and Hyatt Family Member, Sherry Hicks-Buckles, told me to apply for an open position at the Hyatt Regency Orlando Airport and my career with Hyatt just took off! I was a Food & Beverage Manager at Hyatt Regency Orlando Airport from 1999 – 2000. I was then promoted to Hyatt Regency Atlanta, the birthplace of the Atrium hotel and the property that really launched my Hyatt career. I was promoted four times while at the hotel and held the positions of Beverage Manager, Director of Outlets, Convention Services Manager, and lastly Director of Banquets.

In 2005, I was promoted to the Hyatt Regency Dearborn as Assistant Director of Food & Beverage and two years later, I was promoted to the Hyatt Regency Washington on Capitol Hill. One year later, I was promoted again! I became the Director of Food & Beverage at the Hyatt Morristown and two years later moved to the West Coast after being promoted into my current role of Director of Food & Beverage at Hyatt Regency Sacramento.

I stay with Hyatt because Hyatt is truly a family. People you meet when you first start with the company will become lifelong friends. Hyatt will also let you define your career; you will get out of your career what you put into it.

If a recent college graduate wanted to follow my career path, I would suggest starting as an Assistant Executive Steward or Assistant Restaurant Manager. These two entry level positions will prepare you for your new career. Assistant Executive Steward will teach you the back of the house operation, there is no meeting or event that is successful in a hotel without the support of the Stewarding department. Working in Stewarding also gives you a greater understanding of the entire Food and Beverage Operation because you’re working hand in hand with the Banquet and Culinary teams.

In the Assistant Restaurant Manager position you learn how to handle and deal with adversity due to the sometimes unpredictable levels of business. This role requires you to be very organized and is a great introduction to front of the house customer service, as well as financial management and forecasting.

When entering into this field you must embrace the opportunity to engage with guests and employees. You must enjoy being around different people and learning their different personalities. Most importantly you must be prepared to manage the different issues that come up on a daily basis and be creative at solving them. There are not any two days alike in the Hotel and Food Service industry.

The Public or Private Profile Debate

Posted on January 20, 2012 by Ronisha

I love social media! I’m sure I’m not alone in saying that a fair amount of my daily news intake comes via Twitter. When the East Coast was hit by an earthquake over the summer, I felt the earth move in my office, but it was the tweet I received 10 seconds later that confirmed for me it was indeed an earthquake! I’m on Facebook, Linked In, and Twitter. I also have people following me on Pinterest but have yet to figure that one out completely.

Consider Your Content

I’m often asked to weigh in on the public or private debate when it comes to social media sites. Although everyone has to make the choice for themselves, my advice is when making your decision, consider your content and how it reflects on your personal brand. I can only speak for myself when I say this, but I’ve never googled or searched for the social networking pages of potential candidates. Not necessarily, because I’m not curious, but honestly because I just don’t have the time. But if I were to take a look at the profiles and pages of applicants, I hope the content would serve as affirmation that they’re indeed the right candidate for the job or internship and not make me doubt that they are the person they appeared to be during the interview.

I’m not saying that you should restrict yourself to vanilla tweets that will impress future employers (“In the library studying!”, “Getting a head start on my final project”, “Dean’s List for the 12th time!”etc.), I simply ask that you acknowledge that with public profiles comes great responsibility. Your presence on social networking sites should add to the value of your brand, not downgrade it.

Frequency

Social networking is one of my job duties and I work for a VP that is super-tech savvy and shares my affinity for staying connected–I’m a very lucky girl! As a result, it’s acceptable for me to tweet, post, blog, and peruse throughout the work day. Not all managers are as tolerant and open-minded. Therefore, regardless of if you’re private and especially if you’re public, you want to be mindful of how often you post or tweet while working. Too many posts and there may be the perception that you aren’t focusing on work and depending upon the company’s policy, further action on their part may follow.

Know Your Audience

Currently the majority of my Twitter followers are students that I’ve met at conferences or have interviewed for opportunities with Hyatt. I often wonder if they feel a little stifled because we’re connected in the Twitterverse, but this leads me to my last tip. When deciding to be public or private, keep in mind your audience. I assume the students who follow me, do so to get to know me better, but perhaps mostly for career advice and information on my organization. Therefore, I want to respect them and give them just that! I save the pics of my best friend’s adorable children for my private Facebook page. Not because those pictures don’t align with my personal brand, but truly because I know my audience and what they’re expecting from me. I’d love to hear your opinion on the public or private debate! Feel free to share in the comments below!

The Future Leaders of Hyatt: Corporate Management Trainees

Posted on May 31, 2011 by Ronisha

When my peers and I are on campus, students often want to know more about Hyatt’s Corporate Management Training (CMT) program. Heidi, Brook, and I can all speak firsthand about the program because we all began our Hyatt careers as Corporate Management Trainees. Recently with the announcement of 13 General Manager moves within our company, we were reminded of the CMT program’s legacy and how many successful Hyatt managers have completion of the program as part of their professional foundation.

Of the 13 General Managers recognized in the announcement, 9 of them began their Hyatt careers as Corporate Management Trainees. One of them actually began the CMT program 42 years ago in 1969! Our company has a vested interest in the program because not only is the program a pipeline for new Hyatt talent, the CMT program has launched the careers of so many Hyatt managers, division heads, and directors, as a result many of our key leaders are CMT alumni. Our Vice-President of Recruiting was a CMT, as well as our Senior Vice President of Human Resources, Senior Vice President of Field Operations, and our Chief Operating Officer, Chuck Floyd.

Hyatt’s CMT program is offered in eight different concentrations and the length of each program varies. For example, our Operations (Rooms and Food & Beverage) concentration is five months in duration; our Culinary concentration is much more technical and therefore a fifteen month program. Regardless of concentration all Corporate Management Trainees begin their program with a six week rotation throughout every department of the hotel. Gaining hands on experience in every area increases the trainee’s understanding of how each department contributes to the hotel’s success.

In order to be eligible for the program, graduating seniors must have continuous authorization to work in the United States, a Bachelor’s degree in Hospitality (unless pursing a Culinary or Engineering concentration) with a cumulative grade point average of 2.8 or greater, and have at least nine months of work experience within the industry. They should also be involved in their community and active leaders on campus. Corporate Management Trainees are placed each January and June. After successful completion of the program, the CMT is promoted to an entry-level management role.

I’m often asked how warmly the staff of our hotels embrace incoming Corporate Management Trainees. Many of our hotels have staff members that have worked for Hyatt for over 20 years; I can honestly tell you that our employees get quite a kick out of seeing the fresh out of college graduate they met move up in responsibility. They like to brag and tell new Hyatt associates that they know Hyatt’s COO or a particular General Manager personally, that they were there when the individual worked at their hotel as a Corporate Management Trainee. They keep track of the former CMT’s career and take pride in their growth because they know they had a hand in their success.

A few years ago, the mother of an employee who is a Hotel Operator at one of the previous Hyatt Hotels I worked at passed away. The Director of Human Resources emailed the news saying “I’m emailing on behalf of the employee, he told me you would all want to know about his loss.” I looked at the list of recipients and noticed that included were more than 20 Hyatt managers. I didn’t even know that some of them had previously worked at this particular hotel. There were a host of General Managers, Food & Beverage Directors, Rooms Executives, and team members of Hyatt’s Corporate Office. All of us had worked with this employee at some point during his more than 25 years at this hotel. Although we had moved on to other Hyatt Hotels and other roles, he still felt connected to us and knew that we would care. He knew that we treasured the bond we had created with him, the bond that for some of us began when we rotated through his department as a Corporate Management Trainee.

Declining An Employment Offer

Posted on May 17, 2011 by Ronisha

A few months ago, I blogged about rejection and the various reasons why a recruiter may reject a candidate, this time around I’m discussing rejection from a different perspective, the recruiter perspective, because rejection is a two way street. Not every candidate that I offer accepts. I made three employment offers to candidates I loved last month, who unfortunately declined.

Their reasons for declining varied and you may one day be like them, on the receiving end of a job offer that unfortunately you don’t want to accept. If that happens to you, may I suggest you:

Call Your Recruiter

If you’ve advanced to the offer stage, then I assume you’ve probably built a strong relationship with your recruiter. Respect that relationship and give them a call. I recognize that telling a recruiter that you don’t want the job they offered may be intimidating, but I encourage you to choose to deliver the news via phone instead of email. This action will ensure that the relationship between you and the recruiter remains positive. You never know what the future may hold and you want the relationship to be one where either party would feel comfortable reaching out to each other if a future opportunity presents itself.

Be Honest

I appreciate those candidates who are honest with me regarding the reason they’re declining an offer. You may be surprised to hear that a recruiter wants to know why you’re declining, but the reason for the decline is valuable information. This feedback can help a recruiter and the company they work for be even more attractive and competitive in the future. Most recruiters and companies keep track of these reasons and consider them when modifying programs, benefits, or compensation structures.

Consideration Time

A company will give you a certain amount of time to consider their offer. If possible try to make your decision within that time frame. It’s acceptable to ask for more time to decide if needed, but if you know that the overall offer doesn’t meet your expectations or the position doesn’t interest you, let your recruiter know!

Don’t keep them waiting because you’re afraid another offer or better offer from a different company won’t come along. Recruiters are responsible for filling open positions and the longer you wait to notify them of your decision, the harder it may be for them to find another candidate for the role. Stringing a recruiter along will only create bitter feelings. Refer to Lebron James and his prolonged decision not to return to the Cleveland Cavaliers if you need an example.

Say Thank You & Keep in Touch

It’s always a nice touch to tell the recruiter how much you appreciate their consideration. Although the opportunity may not have been the right one for you at this time, I’m sure there were merits to the company or reasons why you felt the company interested you. Referencing these reasons, expresses to the recruiter how seriously you considered their offer and I’m sure they would appreciate knowing that your decision to decline the offer wasn’t an easy one.

Lastly, keep in touch with the recruiter. Send them an email every once in a while or connect with them via LinkedIn. Keeping the lines of communication open between the two of you may prove to be beneficial in the future.

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