Professor Lanz Uncovers the Needs and Wants from Hospitality Internships
Photo by Cydney Scott for Boston University Photography
At the School of Hospitality Administration, work experience in the hospitality industry is a priority. Students are required to complete at lease two 400-hour work experiences and one international experience. These priceless internships and part-time roles not only enhance what is taught in the classroom but prepare students for real-life moments that cannot be replicated on campus. In a recently published article, “Internships in the Hospitality Industry: What Students Want and What the Industry Needs” on Hotel Executive, Professor Leora Halpern Lanz uncovers hospitality internships from both the student and employer perspective.
According to Meredyth Thomas, Director of Career Services and External Relations at Boston University’s School of Hospitality Administration, students also seek internships for brand exposure. “Students want to work with as many brands as possible to experience the culture and cultivate skills the brands value that are difficult to learn in the classroom. For example, Kimpton values empowering employees in ‘guest-facing’ roles to make decisions without consulting a manager. A student who had interned with Kimpton noted she was empowered to make judgement calls at the Front Desk so that she never had to leave when a guest was in front of her. Making on-the-spot decisions isn’t easy to replicate in the classroom, and was certainly paramount to her learning.”
Read the full article on HotelExecutive.com.