Category Archives: Campus

Commit to Thrive: State College

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This month, with fellow members of the Eta Sigma Delta Penn State Chapter, I spent time visiting residents of a university-based, life care retirement community in State College, Pennsylvania called The Village.  At least 10% of the residents are Penn State alumni or retired faculty.

A large portion of our visit was spent playing bingo with the residents.  Bingo is an activity that many residents look forward to playing in their free time and it definitely can get competitive.  When we would help the residents with their bingo board, they were so grateful for our assistance.

The time we spent at The Village showed us that simply by spending time one on one with a person, you can make a difference in their day.  It was really sweet to see how much they all appreciated us being there.

Hyatt Thrive’s Global Month of Community Service is focused on all of us making a difference in the communities that we call home.  State College has been home for me during my time at Penn State.  It was great to give back to members of my own community!

 

 About the Author

Shawna Kim is a graduating senior at Pennsylvania State University.  A current Hyatt Ambassador, she promotes Hyatt opportunities on Penn State’s campus and will start the Corporate Management Training program in June 2013.

 

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Commit to Thrive: Florida

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Relay for Life is a global event that brings the community together for one night to celebrate cancer survivors, honor and remember those we have lost to cancer, and raise money for cancer research.

This event is very close to my heart. My grandmother lost her life to breast cancer when my mother was fourteen years old. Growing up without a mom is unimaginable to me. I cannot fathom what my mother went through during the fundamental stages of her youth.

Seven years ago, near my fourteenth birthday, my mother, too, had traces of breast cancer. She explained to me how she was a fighter and assured me that cancer had no chance against her. My mother is a survivor because of breast cancer awareness, cancer research, and simply because she’s the toughest, strongest woman I know. I walk for her, my grandmother, and for others with stories like my own.

I couldn’t have been prouder to participate in Relay for Life this year as a Hyatt Campus Ambassador at Florida State University.  Not only did I raise money for the American Cancer Society, by taking Hyatt’s pledge, Hyatt will donate a book to a child in need as well.  You can learn more about Hyatt Thrive’s Global Month of Service and how you can participate by visiting hyattthrive.com

 

 

About the Author

Simi Chandiramani is a graduating senior at Florida State University.  A former Hyatt Intern, she is the Hyatt Ambassador on campus and will be pursing opportunities with Hyatt upon graduation.

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Consider the Total Compensation Package

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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!

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Commit to Thrive: North Carolina

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I took Hyatt’s pledge and volunteered at the Humane Society of Eastern North Carolina.  Although this location is in Greenville, North Carolina, the Humane Society has existed since 1920 and each shelter adopts out 350-400 animals per year.  As a student at East Carolina University, Greenville is home for me most of the year. I chose to volunteer with the Humane Society because I absolutely adore animals. I want the animals at the shelter to feel just as loved as animals with permanent homes.

As a volunteer, my responsibilities include sanitizing the runs, feeding, watering, walking, and playing with the animals. Volunteering at the Humane Society is something I really enjoy doing. Even though I am sad to see them go, it is always a good feeling when an animal is adopted.

Although I’m a member of the Hyatt family, anyone can take Hyatt’s pledge and participate in Hyatt Thrive’s Global Month of Community Service.  For each pledge that is taken by April 30th, Hyatt will donate a book, up to 35,000 books, to a child in need.  For more information on how you can participate, visit www.hyattthrive.com.

 

 

About the Author

Mary Youngblood is currently a junior at East Carolina University.  A Campus Ambassador, she represents Hyatt and promotes our college programs on ECU’s campus.

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How to Dress for the Job You Want

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Over the course of my career, I have interviewed applicants wearing business suits, jeans, and even one wearing a bikini top and shorts (It was Florida, what can I say!). Hopefully, you will agree that I know a thing or two about interviews and will trust me when I say that the clothes you choose to wear to an interview can set the stage for your success.

 

Staging

Consider a person who is attempting to sell their home: One recommendation that is often made is to clear the clutter and “stage” the home so that prospective buyers can easily imagine living there. This allows the potential buyer to not get distracted by obtrusive wall colors or outrageous décor.

During an interview, your recruiter is imagining how well you’ll fit into their brand. Therefore, a similar approach should be made when selecting clothing for an interview. You should wear clothing and colors that support your brand, not distract from it.

It is crucial that, when selecting the outfit you’re going to wear to your interview, you need to consider your prospective company’s brand as well. Ask yourself: ”What are the words that you would use to describe their brand?” If they are a bit more chic and trendy, you can accommodate your suit in your clothing selection. Just be sure to recognize that just because something is fashionable it does not mean it’s professional.

Fashion Hiccups

In my current role, the bulk of my interviews are with current college students or recent college graduates. I think gentlemen have an easier time when it comes to attire. They wear a suit, a shirt, and a tie. Women, on the other hand, have more options when it comes to choosing an outfit which can lead to “fashion hiccups.” It is essential that you do a “dry run” of your selected outfit. Does the hemline rise a bit too high when you sit down? Do the shirt buttons gap or does the neckline fall too low? Solicit the opinions of others, but make sure those you ask are honest and aware that this is the outfit that you’re wearing to an interview.

 

Polish and Piercings

Lastly, remember the details. Take out the visible piercings depending upon the prospective company (gentlemen may want to remove their earrings). Don’t forget to polish your shoes, that’s a detail often overlooked. When it comes to nail polish, it’s either “all on or all off”, chipped and peeling polish never looks good. Proceed with caution when it comes to nail art or “accent” nails.

Although, you may feel like your interview outfit is boring, or does not completely reflect your personality, consider the adage, “dress for the job you want, not the job you have.”

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How I Can Tell You’re Not Prepared

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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.

 

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What NOT to do After Receiving an Offer

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I’ve often compared recruiting to dating; there are so many similarities that it’s hard not to do so.  Like dating, both parties (recruiter and candidate) want to present themselves in the best light and be equally attractive to each other.  In the beginning, each party is likely seeing other people and the promise of exclusivity is not yet there.  With each phone call, email, and interview, a relationship is built; with all of these actions leading to the culmination of the courtship:  a long-term commitment, a proposal of marriage or from a recruiting standpoint, the extension of a job offer.

But here is where things can get sticky. For some candidates, they’ve waited for this moment and will accept the opportunity on the spot!  Other candidates will have a harder time because maybe they’re a bit unsure.  With the latter individuals in mind, here are my suggestions on what NOT to do once you receive a job offer.

Don’t Pretend to Consider an Offer

I get it, interviewing with only one company is extremely risky. You want to be in a position where you’re entertaining multiple offers; this is the ideal position for the graduating college senior.  But this ideal position is a tricky one because although you’ve received an offer, what if it’s from the company that’s not your first choice?

My best advice, consider the offer.  Don’t just pretend to consider it.  Your recruiter will know if you’re just going through the motions waiting for a better offer to come in.  Instead examine all the elements and determine if you were to receive no other offers, would you be happy accepting the one that’s in front of you?

Focus on the Offers that ARE on the Table

Yes, in an ideal world all employers would respond within the same time frame, but that is very unlikely. If you have an offer on the table, but are waiting to hear from another organization, reach out to the organization you’re waiting for and let them know you have another offer.  If they don’t get back to you, move on, and focus on the offer that is actually in front of you, not the one you’re waiting to appear.

The last thing you want to do is to lose an offer you actually have for one that “might” be forthcoming.  Even more so, the last thing a recruiter wants to hear is that you are not sure if you can accept their opportunity because you “may” be getting an offer from another organization.  Although it may not be your intention, the message the recruiter hears is “I am so not interested in your opportunity that I would rather wait for another offer to come along than accept the offer you’ve extended.”

Decline before the Deadline

A recruiter will likely give you a timeframe to consider their job offer.  Don’t wait until the very last day to inform them of your decision.  I suspect that when the offer came in, you had a pretty good idea of if you were going to accept or decline the opportunity.  You’ve probably spent the remainder of the deliberation time affirming why your initial decision is the right one for you. Once you’ve determined that you don’t want the opportunity, reach out to the recruiter and politely decline.  Not waiting until the very last day shows respect for the recruiter’s time and allows them to potentially offer another candidate.

Declining an offer is much like a breaking off a relationship.  It’s a better discussion to have over the phone instead of via email or voicemail.  It’s during a break up that you learn the most about a person and depending upon how the situation is handled, you may or may not be able to go back to being just friends.

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Wrapping Up Your Internship

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With the arrival of August comes the final weeks of summer and for many students the final weeks of their internships. Although it’s easy to get caught up in the countdown of days remaining until you return home or are back on campus, here’s a few items for you to accomplish before wrapping up your internship.

Gather Contact Information

It is likely that you made valuable contacts during your experience; therefore you want to be sure to get the business cards of those individuals who you want to maintain relationships with before leaving your internship site. You should also invite them to connect with you on LinkedIn. Making them part of your LinkedIn network is an easy way for you to stay in touch and updated on their future promotions or professional career moves.

Solicit Feedback

Before your last day, you want to ensure that you receive feedback on your performance. At Hyatt, each one of our interns receives a final evaluation that is reviewed with them before the conclusion of their internship. If the organization you interned with this summer does not have a formal evaluation process for interns, take the time to solicit informal feedback by scheduling time in advance with your direct manager or supervisor. Depending upon their availability, perhaps the two of you can meet for coffee or lunch.

You may want to let them know in advance the goal for your meeting. Perhaps when inviting them, say “Before the end of my internship, can we have coffee or lunch together? I value your opinion and would like to hear any feedback or advice you have for me on how effective I was this summer and how I can be even more successful during future internships.” This will allow your supervisor some time to gather their thoughts and suggestions in advance.

You may also want to consider preparing a few questions, no more than 5 total, that can help the conversation between the two of you be even more targeted. Be mindful that the questions are open-ended and are truly questions that you want answered. In other words, be sure to ask good questions!

Depending upon their feedback, you may also want to ask for a reference or recommendation letter or their permission to use them as a professional reference.

Discuss Next Steps

If you really enjoyed your internship and want to grow further with the organization, be sure to inquire about opportunities to do so. I’m a big believer that “a closed mouth doesn’t get fed”, so if you want to intern with them again or perhaps come aboard permanently, make sure your desires are known. Do this by sharing your interests during a one-on-one meeting with your supervisor or circling back to your recruiter and asking about next steps if you want to stay or return to the organization.

Lastly, be sure to say thank you! Either via email or a handwritten thank you note (my favorite!), you want to take the time to extend your gratitude and perhaps share what you liked or enjoyed most about your internship experience. Industry is very small, so you want to leave your internship on a positive note and with the clarity that if you were to run into the individuals you worked with this summer that they would be happy to see you!

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I Promise, It’s Okay

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My brother and I are 12 years apart in age. I started college the year he started kindergarten, and this year, I will celebrate my twelfth anniversary with Hyatt while he enters the working world as a recent college graduate. It’s a challenge being both a recruiter and a big sister because I don’t want to take over, and I also have to resist overwhelming him with too much advice. But as I watch my little brother apply for, interview for, and consider job offers, I keep reassuring him of three things. Hopefully these three things will offer some relief to you as well.

1. It’s Okay Not to Know

I always knew hospitality and specifically hotels were the perfect fit for me. It was a decision I made when I was 7 that was actually a good one! But I realize that not everyone is like me and although I consistently talk about the value of an internship and gaining exposure to your future industry, there is still the possibility that you may not be sure what career path you want to take after completing internships.

Reach out to your mentors, former professors, and industry contacts for guidance. Carefully evaluate the opportunities that are in front of you and select the one that seems best. Recognize that it takes courage to try, and you’ll never know if a position, a company, or a career path is the right fit for you unless you give it a try.

2. It’s Okay to Quit

Currently my brother is considering an offer and is hesitant to accept. He wants to make the best decision and just isn’t sure. As a Human Resources professional, this is hard for me to say, but I gave him permission to quit. More than a few graduates will accept opportunities and discover that the opportunities they accepted aren’t right for them. Yes, I know that longevity and stability are one of the factors recruiters consider when evaluating candidates. However, as much as it takes courage to give an opportunity a try, it also takes courage to assess the opportunity you’ve taken and determine if you should walk away. Keep in mind that when I say walk away, I mean with proper notice and the utmost professionalism.

3. It Will Be Okay

Graduation is a major accomplishment and the idea of not knowing what direction to move forward in after walking across that stage can cause some anxiety. I make the same promise to you that I’ve made to my little brother– have faith that it will be okay. Yes, there is a tremendous amount of pressure and you may not feel overly confident in the decisions you’re making, but this period of your life will pass and eventually you will feel settled. Hopefully it will be with a company and/or in a career direction that excites you, but if that is not the case, every experience makes us better and shapes us into the people we’re intended to be.

Are any of you recent grads facing new career uncertainties? How do you work through them?

 

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Temple University Students Visit Hyatt Regency Penns Landing

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We never miss the opportunity to engage with future hoteliers.  In the following blog, Jon Jeffers, Hyatt Ambassador on Temple University’s campus, shares with us a recent visit to Hyatt Regency Philadelphia at Penns Landing. 

During the Spring of 2012, Temple University celebrated Hospitality Week.  The university’s chapter of the National Society of Minorities in Hospitality (NSMH) sponsored activities throughout the week, including a tour of the Hyatt Regency Philadelphia at Penns Landing.  The event consisted of a Meet-and-Greet between Temple University Hospitality students and the Hyatt Penns Landing’s executive staff. Also, during the event, our group was fortunate to have a front and back of the house tour of the property and time for questions.

We started off with introductions between the hotel’s Executive Team and Temple University’s NSMH chapter. Immediately following the introductions, we viewed a video on the history of Hyatt Hotels. After the viewing, we were able to ask the Executive Team questions. Their answers to our many questions were extremely insightful.  Glenn Michael, Director of Rooms, shared that “the little things” that make the guests’ experience extra special are some of the ways to differentiate yourself. He stressed it is “the little things” that will set your property apart from the competition. Ben Premack, Director of Sales and Marketing, talked about the great opportunities for advancement with Hyatt. Ben started as a Front Desk Agent, but knew he was interested in other fields in the company. At one point, Ben expressed interest in the Sales department at one of his properties. He was offered an opportunity within the Sales department, succeeded, and has never left Sales.

Following the introductions, meet-and-greet, and Q&A session came the tour of the property. During the tour, we were privileged to see the penthouse suite, housekeeping department, ballrooms, kitchens, and many more areas. The highlight of the tour was by far when we entered the executive’s offices where the Hyatt staff was planning a surprise for the Executive Chef’s birthday. In a meeting room filled with Hyatt staff and Temple NSMH members, we celebrated with the whole team. We were fortunate to see this because it showed everyone on the tour a glimpse of why employees of Hyatt frequently use the term “Hyatt Family.” It was very genuine and an exciting part of the tour.

The last part of the day and arguably to some the best part was the food. Hyatt’s team catered to Temple NSMH. During our meal we socialized about life, the day, and our futures. This was the second to last day of Hospitality Week for Temple University and it was a great opportunity for students to enjoy the field in which they are studying.

 

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