Advantages Of An Internship in a Small/Medium Size Hotel For Those On A J-1 Visa By A.H.Lostocco

www.internship4america.com

In a recent article of mine entitled; The 6 Advantages Of An International Internship For US J-1 Visa Participants which can be found here, I reviewed the major reasons for participating in a US internship. All of these reasons are very applicable to the individual seeking an internship in the hospitality field. Regardless of where you do your internship in the US there are certain things you can count on. First you will be totally submersed into US culture, which will greatly enhance your language skills. As a part of this you will gain exposure to many of the idioms we use on a day-to-day basis, which is really what America English is about. Second, you will have to opportunity to deal with a variety of different situations and maybe even suffer a little culture shock in the process. Fortunately Americans are very accommodating and friendly so you will have a helping hand along the way to deal with your adjustment to the new environment. Now this is where the similarities end for hospitality candidates because the size of the hotel can make a major difference in what you learn and what your US experience is like.

Probable the biggest and most important difference is the exposure you will receive in a small hotel verses a large one. In both situations you can expect to rotate through different departments. This is where the similarities end. Where the difference comes in is the depth of your involvement in the operations of the departments you train in. In a large hotel your involvement will only be superficial where as in a smaller hotel you will be expected to learn the function and be able to perform the function on a day-in-day-out basis. In most cases you will be expected to operate with only minimal supervision, whereas in a big hotel operation you would not have as much in depth exposure. Because smaller hotels have only a limited staff your role will be key to the overall operation; what you do will make a difference. You will learn every function and every system and how they work and how they integrate into the overall operation. You will be expected to be proficient in the execution of your training position. Keep in mind that many of these same systems that are used in the smaller hotels are frequently the same ones used on larger hotels. Especially since the hotel you will most likely be doing your training in is a franchise of a larger hotel, an example being a Springhill Suites is a franchise of Marriott.

As a result of the vital role you will play in a smaller hotel you will experience greater understanding on how business is conducted in the US. In the US business is conducted in a much more informal and entrepreneurial manner. Even so in a bigger hotel as a trainee the chances that you will be exposed to the operation on an overall basis are very slim, where as in a small operation you may be afforded the opportunity to see things like the monthly P&L statements and the operating budget or even participate in the preparation of the budget. Therefore, at the end of your training you may learn and know more then your counterpart who was a trainee in a big hotel.

Not only will you learn more, but also the associations you develop may well be broader in scope. In a large hotel setting you may meet the General Manager, but your chances of interacting with him or her are very slim. You will probable never sit in a meeting with the GM or even the Assistant GM for that matter unless it is a hotel group meeting. As for meeting the hotel owner you will be lucky to even learn his or her name. On the other hand in a small hotel you will meet the General Manager and/or the Owner every day, interact with him or her on a regular basis and be taught by this individual. You will have the opportunity to interact with a true entrepreneur who is at the heart of the operation and in control of all facets of the hotel. If by any chance you have an interest in being a General Manager or a hotel owner in the future what better training can you have then to have worked for one? As for business associations you may want to have for the future knowing a few GM´s and/ or Owners can come in handy when you become a GM or are buying or starting your first hotel.

So, before you decide to pick a hotel to do your training in decide what you want for your future. Do you want to work for a prestigious hotel and be one of the staff or are you thinking of a future that includes general management and/or ownership.

To learn more about the advantages of an internship I suggest you read "US Internships for International Students and Young Professionals" by Alexander H. Lostocco you can find it at www.amazon.com

If you have any additional questions feel free to contact me directly at lostocco1@internship4america.com. If you would like to review some of my other articles on internships you´ll find them listed at www.internship4america.com. If you have had training experiences in small hotels that you would like to share, I would like to hear them.

Alexander H. Lostocco