Category Archives: Campus

Temple University Students Visit Hyatt Regency Penns Landing

Posted on by
Reply
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.

 

Share

Careers at Hyatt: College Recruiting Manager

Posted on by
5

College Recruiting Manager is one of many positions within Human Resources.  One of our favorite recruiters, Brook Luedke, gives us a glimpse into the role.

After graduating from Missouri State University in 1999 with a Hospitality and Restaurant Administration degree, I started my Hyatt career as a Food & Beverage Corporate Management Trainee at the Hyatt Regency Crown Center. After completing the program, I was promoted to the position of Skies Restaurant Manager. I then changed the direction of my career, moving from Food & Beverage to Human Resources.

The best professional advice I have ever received is “you don’t get, what you don’t ask for” and if I hadn’t followed that advice, I possibly wouldn’t have had the opportunity to transition into Human Resources. While still in the position of Restaurant Manager, I attended a Hyatt leadership meeting and during a breakout session, shared with the attendees at my table my desire to move into Human Resources, specifically College Relations. I thought nothing of it at the time, but one of the attendees remembered the conversation and encouraged me to apply when the position of College Relations Coordinator at Hyatt’s Corporate Office became available.

In 2000, I moved from Kansas City to Chicago to become the College Relations Coordinator. In June 2002, I was promoted to Employment Manager at the Hyatt Regency McCormick Place. In 2005, I was promoted again and became the Director of Human Resources at the Hyatt Regency Lisle. Two years later, I returned to our Corporate Office as a College Recruiting Manager.

My role as a College Recruiting Manager is all about connecting with both current students and recent graduates and assisting them in finding the right position within our company. I work closely with the Executive Level Directors at our hotels, Professors at our partner universities, as well as the Directors and Career Services teams on the campuses I visit every semester.

When I’m not working, I love to spend time at one of my two favorite Hyatt destinations (hopefully I don’t offend my friends at hotels I am not mentioning) the Grand Hyatt New York or Hyatt Regency Curacao.  Grand Hyatt New York is one of my favorites because I love the hustle and bustle of the city and the hotel’s location.  I assisted with the opening of the Hyatt Regency Curacao and the hotel holds a special place in my heart.  I love that Curacao is a place you can go and truly be on island time!

If a recent college graduate aspired to have my position, a good starting position would be within our Corporate Management Training program, preferably in either Rooms or Food & Beverage Operations. I feel it is important that if you are selling our company and program (which is essentially what we do), you have first-hand knowledge and can speak to the day-to-day experiences future students will have while working with Hyatt.

My co-workers are part of what has kept me with Hyatt for the past 13 years, understanding that I also LOVE what I do! As a Hyatt employee, I am able to provide suggestions, give input, and I am consistently challenged. I feel these aspects are what keeps Hyatt employees engaged and happy.

 

Share

Careers at Hyatt: Assistant Rooms Executive

Posted on by
2
Assistant Rooms Executive is one of the positions on the career path to General Manager.  Justin Vining, Assistant Rooms Executive at the Hyatt Regency Waikiki, gives us a glimpse into the role.

 

I’m a graduate of Coastal Carolina University with a BSBA in Business Management with a focus in Resort Tourism Management. The ability to move and grow with the company is one of the reasons I love working for Hyatt.  I never imagined having the opportunities that I’ve been so fortunate to have during my career.

I started with Hyatt in 2005 as Assistant Front Office Manager at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City. During my two and half years at Crystal City, I was promoted to Assistant Executive Housekeeper and then Executive Housekeeper, my first position as a department head. In December 2007, I opened the new Grand Hyatt San Antonio as Front Office Manager and then later moved into the role of Executive Housekeeper. In August 2010, I moved to the Hyatt Regency Waikiki as Assistant Rooms Executive.

As Assistant Rooms Executive, I’m an assistant division head and help oversee the Rooms Division of our 1230 room resort. The departments that report to me are Front Office, Housekeeping, Guest Services, Valet, Spa, Regency Club, and Security. Every day is an exciting new challenge at a large resort with such high occupancies. I spend the majority of my day assisting my managers and associates in taking care of our guests. Working alongside them allows me an opportunity to give praise for great interactions and perform on the spot training.

When I’m not working, I enjoy visiting my favorite Hyatt destination, Grand Hyatt Kauai.  Spending time at this great property allows me to have total relaxation at the resort as well as have the opportunity to play Popui Bay Golf Course.

I believe the key to the success of any new manager is to work alongside and learn from their associates. This is the easiest way to understand the operation, the associates’ challenges, and to earn the associates’ respect.  A great starting position for someone who wants to follow my career path would be Assistant Front Office Manager. This position is critical to the success of all of our properties and allows new managers to make a direct impact with guests as well as their associates, focusing on not allowing anyone to leave unhappy.

 

 

Share

Aloha State of Mind

Posted on by
2
Our guest blogger for this piece is Lorena Diaz.  A new Corporate Management Trainee, she shares her experience of moving to paradise.  Enjoy!

This past week each time I walk through the hallways of Grand Hyatt Kaua’i I am greeted with “Aloha, how are you today?” and “Mahalo, enjoy your stay.” Can you say surreal?  Well, these past several days have been one of the most surreal experiences of my life.  Just last Sunday, I survived a 20 hour plane ride from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to Kaua’i, Hawaii to begin my Spa Corporate Management Trainee program at the amazing Grand Hyatt Kaua’i property. Yes, that was not a typo; it was a 20 hour journey that allowed me to reflect on this new chapter in my life and career.

To some people that I know this move is out of the ordinary.  The people I love and am closest to questioned me why I would leave my family, friends, and overall comfort of home to move to an island with only 62,000 people, and where I knew no one.  I always answered their question with another question, “Why not?”

Seriously, why wouldn’t a college senior jump into an experience where she or he can develop and grow with a company that has been recognized for being one of the best workplaces in the world while enjoying all the benefits of living on an island? Exactly, I didn’t think twice about taking that leap.

However, this has been one of the biggest leaps I have taken so far. You see, while in college I lived at home and commuted to campus every day, so I never had to rent or seek an apartment or even live away from my family for more than 5 months. Also, the furthest I been West was to Peru, and that was 4 years ago, so I had no idea what to expect. Nevertheless, I did not allow my inexperience to provoke fear. This is where Thomas Gray’s famous line comes to play, “Where ignorance is bliss, ’tis folly to be wise.” 

Not knowing is better than knowing and worrying. I made it a priority to not ‘freak out” when I did not have the answers to all my questions, and enjoy the time I had at home. I found that the less I worried and thought about how things could go wrong, the more things fell into place. I was lucky to find an apartment during the first week on the island, and I have been learning more and more about the Hawaiian culture through my trips to town with my coworkers. I learned that patience, optimism, and sometimes going into a situation not knowing anything can be as beneficial as knowing it all.

Share

The Young Hotelier: Making Dreams a Reality

Posted on by
Reply

This past October I did the Tour De California. Starting in San Francisco, I cruised through Monterey down to Los Angeles. Arriving in L.A., I rented this sweet silver Mustang convertible and continued my journey down the Pacific Coast Highway. I experienced one of the most blissful moments of my life in that car as I headed south on a beautiful California day with the perfect song (“Sweet Disposition” by The Temper Trap) on the radio letting the wind and sun hit me as I drove completely worry-free and somewhat lost. Sorry if that was beginning to sound like a Hillary Duff song, but the detail was necessary to paint the picture. Every time I hear that song I transport myself back to that moment, and I couldn’t be happier.

After a one-night stop at the Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach (beautiful!) I made my way south towards San Diego. I was pumped to get there, especially since I was meeting some friends once I arrived. We spent the next three days tearing up that city and loving every second of it. By the time it was over we were all on Craigslist, pipe-dreaming ways to immediately manipulate our lives and just stay. I truly fell in love with the city. From that moment I made it a personal goal to end up there someday, somehow.

This past week I was promoted to Front Office Manager of the Hyatt Regency Mission Bay in San Diego. I never received a phone call that literally made me fall down until then. To think I’ve gone from a Corporate Management Trainee to a department head in less than two years makes me so grateful to know that hard work really does pay off. Not all companies would let someone my age hold a position of this nature, which shows it’s not about semantics with Hyatt. It’s about noticing potential, fostering growth and challenging individuals when the time comes to do so. I can’t help but think this hotel is “taking a chance” hiring me, but that just drives my motivation to do an exceptional job.

I’m excited for the great things my new team and I will accomplish, and I hope you stay tuned to hear about it.

Editor’s Note:  The Young Hotelier is an ongoing blog series written by Joseph Hayes for www.hotelsmag.com.  Joe is a current Hyatt manager and graduate of our Corporate Management Training program. 
Share

The Power of Relationships

Posted on by
1
The following blog was written by Dan Childers.  A current Corporate Management Trainee, Dan discusses how building relationship helped him acheive his goal of working for Hyatt. 

Today’s society has created a social climate that is all about the individual. Many people feel that young adults are only concerned with what others can do for them. This may not be true, but that is the perception that previous generations have about my generation – Generation Y. Throughout my college experience I found that the most beneficial thing I could do was the exact opposite of that stereotype – build relationships. Whether it was faculty, students, or industry professionals, it was the relationships that I built that helped open doors for me, and most certainly opened my door to Hyatt.

When I was a sophomore, at Temple University, I saw many of the upper-classmen accepting internships and Corporate Management Training positions with Hyatt. I contemplated how I could find myself in the same scenario. I needed an internship to graduate, but I wanted to jump-start my career at the same time. My resume was strong, but was filled with many of the same experiences that other students had. What could I do to maximize my chances of standing out to the Hyatt recruiters?

I started small. There were two Hyatt Ambassadors on my campus, Justin Wusinich and Michelle Blash. They were fellow students that had great experiences with Hyatt, and were both planning to become Corporate Management Trainees. These students knew how to get noticed, so I started to build my relationship with them. I quickly found that they both knew a great deal of information about Hyatt and the entire recruiting process. Justin and Michelle knew which student organizations to get involved with and what conferences to attend. Building that relationship with the Hyatt Campus Ambassadors was the first step to launching my career with Hyatt.

My experiences with the Ambassadors allowed me to interact with the Hyatt recruiters several times before they came to Temple’s campus. Again, it was clear that building a relationship was necessary to stand out amongst the hundreds of other students that were all vying for the same opportunity I was. In February 2011, I attended the NSMH National Conference, in Atlanta, for the sole purpose of meeting the Hyatt recruiters. When Ronisha conducted interviews on Temple’s campus the following week, my interview felt more like a conversation than it did an interview.

Building those relationships allowed me the opportunity to intern at the Hyatt Regency McCormick Place, experience Chicago for a summer, and ultimately led to my current position as a Catering/Convention Services CMT at the iconic Hyatt Regency Atlanta. Could I have kept to myself and showed up to the interview randomly? Sure. Would I have been granted the same amazing opportunities? Possibly, but it would have been much harder to make a lasting impression. The strength of any relationship is determined by the effort put into it. Get out, get exposed, meet people, be authentic, and give others a reason to remember you. Building those relationships will cost you absolutely nothing. However, it will reward you exponentially.

 

Share

Standing Out During a Career Fair

Posted on by
Reply

Career Fairs can be challenging and overwhelming for students. At the same time, career fairs are great for students to find internships and permanent positions because there are so many employers in the same place at the same time. In order to ensure that you receive the most value from your career fair experience, consider the following points of advice on how to stand out from the crowd of attendees at a career fair.

Dress to impress

Start by taking the career fair experience seriously and wear your best professional dress attire. When considering a family selling their home, one of the recommendations that is often made is for them to strip their personal effects from the house and decorate in a manner that allows potential buyers to easily envision themselves living there. My reasoning for encouraging you to wear professional dress to the career fair is similar.

Since career fairs are about first impressions, you want to present the best image to the company representative and make them even more interested in getting to know you better. You want them to be able to envision you as part of the organization and that vision starts with your appearance and presentation.

Additionally, sometimes recruiters schedule or even conduct actual interviews during career fairs. You’ll feel most confident and prepared if you’re interviewing in your best suit as opposed to the jeans and t-shirt you originally may have considered wearing.

Open strong and speak with confidence

I know it’s difficult to initiate conversation with a recruiter, but if you want to stand out you have to do so! It’s very likely that a ton of attendees will walk up to the company’s booth and ask the representative “What do you have available?”, which is a passive approach. Instead, set yourself apart by taking a stronger and more confident approach.

Consider starting with “Hello, I’m (introduce yourself), a (freshman, sophomore, etc.) majoring in ____________. What positions would you suggest for someone who wants to begin their career or gain internship experience with your company?”

An even stronger opening can be achieved by researching a company’s college programs in advance and then asking a specific question about the program that most applies to you. For example, at Hyatt we have a Corporate Management Training Program for graduating seniors. At career fairs, I’m more impressed by the candidate who prepared in advance and spends his or her time with me and asking targeted questions, as opposed to the candidate who is just “stopping by” the booth.

Brave the career fair alone

Lastly, yes, sometimes there is comfort in numbers, but career fairs should be a solo experience. Focus on your goal of obtaining an internship or permanent position; you can bond with your friends at another time. You should bring plenty of copies of your resume and focus first on the employers that most interest you. Also, don’t be afraid to ask for the opportunity to interview or set up time in the coming weeks to discuss potential opportunities with the company’s representative. Within 24 hours, follow up with a note via email to the representative that you met during the career fair. The timing of your follow-up correspondence is important because you want to reach out while your interaction is still fresh in the recruiter’s mind.

It’s easy to get lost in the sea of career fair attendees, but with a preparation, you can take control and stand out from the crowd.

Share

CMT Chronicles: More Than One Mentor

Posted on by
Reply

‘When you want to succeed as bad as you want to breathe, THEN you will be successful” ~ Eric Thomas. This is a quote from a YouTube video that was shown to me. The person who introduced this video to me is not only a friend, but one of my many mentors. I believe a mentor is someone who is there for words of encouragement or advice whenever you need it.

Through the CMT program, we are assigned a mentor, typically a manager within the hotel, but outside of your division.  My assigned mentor was a CMT in Engineering a few years ago and is now the Director of Engineering at the hotel.   We chat periodically about my program and how everything is going outside of work.  Wes encourages me to “take advantage of your CMT program, you are given the respect as a manager without the true responsibility of one.” 

Although I was assigned a mentor, I couldn’t have just one!  At this time, I have 8 mentors that I selected and 1 that was assigned to me.  There are just so many people that I have come into contact with during my program and they have all taught me something different. Janet taught me “there is no such thing as a bad experience, there are just opportunities to improve.” Not all of my mentors know that that they are mentors, but most of them do know that I have selected them as a mentor.  Each one of the mentors that I selected was picked for a specific quality that I admire about them. It may be for their personality or for their leadership style.

Discussions with my mentors have helped me to not only notice things that I may not have noticed on my own, but has helped me grow as a person.  They may not realize how much I’ve picked up not only from the things they’ve told me, but from their actions as well.  Because of them I am an even stronger person and will be a better manager.   A special thanks goes out to my mentors (in no particular order): Ronisha, Gwen, Wes, Vicky, Michelle, Janet, Faisal, Robert, and Alissa. Another thank you goes out to my future mentors because I know there are many more to come!

 

 

 

Share

Has It Really Been 3 Years?

Posted on by
6
Editor’s Note:  Our Corporate Management Training program continues to produce great Hyatt leaders.  Former CMT, Samantha Konner is one of them!  In the blog below, Samantha updates us on year three of her Hyatt career.

So if anyone remembers about a year ago I wrote a quick blog (http://hyatt.jobs/blog/?s=Samantha+Konner) my first two years out of college. My first management position, my first real apartment and my first transfer within Hyatt. I thought I would write a quick update on how year three has gone; mainly so looking back I can remember this world wind experience.

Last time I wrote I was on an airplane flying to Reno, Nevada and days away from becoming the newest Assistant Director of Outlets at the Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe Resort, Spa & Casino. I don’t think I will ever forget pulling into my new 422 room home and being greeted by 2 valets in full ski gear. That was the first moment I realized that my life was in for a big change, the second was being handed a glass of champagne by the front desk agents at check-in. It was a warmer welcome than I ever thought possible, who doesn’t love a glass of champagne to occupy them on the long walk to their room!

While exploring my new home the next day it really hit me that life was going to be drastically different. I went from the political hub of the country to a town with three traffic lights, from walking past the Nation’s Capital every day to looking at majestic sights of the lake, and from honking and yelling to birds and the sound of the lake waves… my life had officially been turned upside down.

I quickly realized that the busy season I had just left in DC was about to carry over and the summer madness was about to kick up into high gear at the Lake. It became very clear that regardless of the surroundings, a busy hotel is a busy hotel and guest still expect the same high levels of service. I spent my first summer working hard, learning to paddle board, kayaking and enjoying all that Lake Tahoe had to offer on my days off.

It was different moving to my first “non CMT” hotel. You have to get to know everyone on your own time, you don’t have the comfort of your mentor and you have to prove your self quickly!

That September I was given the opportunity of a life time. “Konner, we would like you to be our new Director of Outlets and have you assist with the reopening of the soon to be renovated Sierra Café.” When those words came out of my Food & Beverage Directors mouth, I think my mouth dropped to the ground. In the months that followed I was able to learn the ropes of being a 1st time Department Head and help reopen our 200 seat 3-meal restaurant. To this day watching the staff walk by in uniforms I picked out and guests using salt and pepper shakers that I fretted about for hours is an amazing feeling.

Today I have been the Director of Outlets at the Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe Resort, Spa & Casino for about 9 months. I manage the 3-meal restaurant, Gourmet Grocer and Coffee Shop, Room service, Regency Club and the Mini Bar systems. I live a mile away from the lake and am enjoying some work life balance (yes it does exist in this industry!) After the culture shock wore off, I realized the gut reaction of moving across country was the best decision I ever made. Who knows where this journey will take me next… stay tuned!

 

Share

Tell Me a Memorable Story

Posted on by
1

Recognizing that recruiters meet a plethora of candidates, it is essential that you maximize your time with them and ensure that you stand out. One of the easiest ways for you to do so is to tell a story during your interview. I know it may sound odd, but trust me–a recruiter may not remember the color of the tie you wore or how tall you were, but they will remember the story you told during your interview, especially if it was a memorable one.

Make your story memorable and interesting.

Recently, I met a young woman who was interested in completing a summer internship with Hyatt. She was 1 of 24 students I interviewed during my time on this particular campus.  When I asked her to give me an example of a challenge she had to overcome, she told me about her internship at a hotel in Hong Kong.

This particular internship required her to answer phones and assist guests who did not speak English. Although she was somewhat proficient in speaking Chinese, it was truly a challenge for her to provide assistance to guests over the phone without the benefit of body language or visual cues. Her description of the experience was both detailed and interesting enough for me to paint my own mental image and to share with my peers when we were discussing the students we had met during our recent recruiting trips.

Practice and prepare your story.

When preparing for your interview, consider one or two stories you would want to share with your interviewer. Did you run a marathon at age 12 or raise a significant amount of money for your community? These are achievements worth sharing!  Although you won’t know the specific questions you’ll be asked during your interview, it is likely that at least one of the stories you prepare will fit in nicely within your response to a specific question at some point during the interview.

Choose your story carefully.

You want to ensure that the story you tell is concise, demonstrates a positive behavior, and shows you in the very best light! You also want to be sure the story is interesting and memorable. Therefore, it’s extremely important that you rehearse the details of your stories in advance. Rehearsing the story out loud for others will also help ensure that your body language and non-verbal cues support your storytelling.

If you’re having difficulty finding a story or two to share, take a look at your resume. Sometimes students have difficulty condensing their resumes to one page. The advice I often give is to consider the items listed on the resume–are there achievements or details that would bring more value when shared during an interview rather than hidden within the content of your resume?

A firm handshake, professional appearance, and warm smile are all the building blocks of a good first impression. In order to build a lasting impression, good communication skills and a memorable story are both key components!

Share