delawhere?

It's a fantastic learning experience. This semester I also have the privilege of being the Front of House student manager.  

Love ya mom! 

Tonight I had the pleasure of going to the Wilmington Flower Market. It was so much fun and I got to see one of my favorite artists perform, Matt Nathanson! He was incredible and the whole market was quite fun. There were lots of food trucks and vendors set up for delicious food and retail items. Definitely a must if you're able to go!

Went hunting for housing today in Maryland and this house exists!  SO COOL!    'MERICA 

I wish that you each get to enjoy good company today. 

Crazy how fast time goes!   I'm anxious to move on, nervous (of course), and thankful for my time here.   I'm going to make the Fall my best semester here yet!

Summer 2014 will be amazing!  Now I just need to find somewhere to live :) 

Beautiful Old College at the University of Delaware. I've had many of my food and beverage management courses in this building. The weather is finally perfect.  #UD #Delaware

Recently I have had several interviews for the upcoming summer and also for post graduation, which is pretty scary. I can definitely tell my interviewing skills have increased significantly since freshmen year, which is a fantastic thing. I was pretty awkward. Here are some tips that I think are valuable when interviewing: 1. Smile, always. Not in a fake, robotic way. 2. Everyone says this, because it's so true! Research the company beforehand. Write out questions so that you will remember them. This is also your chance to interview your potential employer. Knowing about the company will allow for a good conversation- which I prefer over questions any day!! 3. Make yourself stand out to the recruiter. They interview hundreds of students on several campuses. 4. If it's behavioral interviewing you better have examples ready, it's challenging on the spot. Most common questions I have been asked: -Tell me a time when you worked with a diverse group of people and what challenges did you face? -Tell me a time when you had difficulties with management and how did you overcome that? -Give me a time when you had a dissatisfied guest and how did you solve that? -what are your strengths and weaknesses? (ALWAYS say how you're overcoming your weaknesses) 5. For me, it's time to look at the bigger picture- companies. Who will I work for in just 8 short months? Do I like what they stand for, do I have to relocate far from home, what is the company culture, what is the salary, is there room for growth?? These are questions I like to ask the recruiter. This is a huge decision and I want to know all of the details. 6. Find the alums. I always reach out to alum who are currently working for a certain company. They will give you honest information about the company and if they enjoy their job. 7. And of course, send a thank you note or email in a timely fashion. If it's an email, I attach my resume again. PDF format, so they can't see my margins are .05 inches... Although if they're reading this post, they will know. Interviewing is always a challenge for me, and I usually feel uneasy and nervous. I have had success with these guidelines. I think the most important one for me is to just try and have a conversation, it takes a little bit of the pressure off of the "interview." Recruiters know students are nervous, but make am impressions with a firm handshake, a smile, and your business card ready. UD printing does a great job making business cards, that's where I got mine, and every recruiter is impressed that I even have business cards but also that they are legitimate. Good luck to the blue hens seeking jobs and internships!

Restauranteur, Matt Haley, came to speak with the HRIM students for hospitality week. He has an incredible story of how he turned his life around from drug and alcohol abuse. He now owns several restaurants down at the beaches in Delaware and has his hands in several different pots worldwide. He truly gives back to the community through many organizations that he has created to help underprivileged women and children, children with autism, human trafficking, and the list goes on. I encourage you to go to matthaleycompanies.com to read his story. What an inspiration.

It was a great experience, and I am looking forward to the upcoming interviews I have. 

UD puts on a great career fair every year to help students obtain jobs!  Definitely go to make connections, pass out resumes, get an interview, or at least gain experience talking to recruiters!

In-n-out burger, Rodeo drive, Santa Monica, and Hollywood. Great trip to California!

My trip to LA was incredible! I went as a student volunteer to the Americas Lodging Investment Summit with 3 of my peers and my accounting professor. I was picked up in that navigator and taken to the airport, felt like a celebrity! We got to LA and the next morning had student orientation. We met the students from other schools including Penn State, Michigan, San Diego, and NYU. Our duties throughout the conference included information desks, supply stocking, mediating breakout sessions and other tasks. First night we stayed at Westin (heavenly bed pictured) because it was the night of the GRAMMY’s!!!! I was hoping to see more celebrities but hey, Billy ray Cyrus counts, right? The first night of the conference, Marriott hosted a gala- and do they ever know how to throw an event!! It was fantastic, food and dessert for days! Desserts pictured above! The next night we went to the Starwood bowling night! It was so amazingly fun! On our last day in LA we went to Hollywood, Rodeo Drive, and Santa Monica beach. I had too many pictures for this post but look for the next one to complete the story! I am so fortunate to go to a school where they give students the opportunity to go to professional conferences. I was able to network with successful professionals and gain invaluable experiences. Thank you UD HRIM!

UD Winter Session, can we have a snow day??

SO EXCITED TO REPRESENT THE UD HRIM DEPARTMENT!

It's Tuesday already, only a few more days this week and then we have OFF on Monday.