Each student determines where they wish to work and goes through the job interview process. Students are given a checklist of things to do and to ask before they agree to work at any particular hospitality property. An interactive component of the internship is required that can be accomplished through the internet from virtually any location in the world. It is during this experiential component of the program that students find out how well they have learned their course material in putting theories and methods to work in the reality of the workplace. In the internship phase, students find their accounting, marketing, business management, personnel, facilities management, ethics and other courses beginning to come together into an integrated whole.
All internships are interactive between the student, the site mentor and the instructor.
Students can contact the instructor by email and maintain communication with other interns to discuss personal and classroom issues on-line no matter where they may be enjoying their actual work experience. In the initial internships, students are merely attempting to gain personal experience in the hospitality areas where they currently lack exposure. Hospitality Management requires a basic understanding of all frontline positions where the customer is serviced. The basic internships allow the students to build upon their unique previous experience and add to that the knowledge of other key staff positions. The basic internships help students to test their personal customer service skills, to develop maturity and tolerance for individual differences in the work environment.