Life After August....

So it is with every internship that an intern hopes to become an employee. This was not necessarily the case with this internship. Going into this phase of my college career I knew that this internship was for experience and knowledge and not necessarily a job. The CVB works with ASU every semester to help students fulfill their internship credits and obtain real work experience.

With this in mind, I began applying for jobs before the semester even ended in hopes that after the internship concluded I'd be able to go right to a job. I applied online, in person, through search engines, and newspaper ads. I tried EVERYTHING!!! It looked promising at first, however the phone calls and interviews slowly began to stop. The possibility of not having a job did not affect me because I had not even begun the internship yet. When beginning with the CVB I was so busy I did not even begin to think about post August. I know I know this is my career choice, my future, the next stage of my life, and I should be taking it more seriously right? Well, you are absolutely right which is why I was trying to make the right choice. Yea I had a few job offers, but it was not anything that was good for MY FUTURE. I did not need to rush into the first offer I received out of college if it was not promising for where I wanted to be.

It was around mid July that I received a phone call, from my previous employer wishing to speak with me. I wont go into many details, but I used to work for a luxury resort (as mentioned earlier on the blog), and my old boss really wanted me to come back and be a big contributor of the new Summer Development Plan he was implementing in the Front Office. It was after three meetings, numerous emails with Ms. Cody (our Internship Instructor), and a meeting with the CVB to finally be able to switch internships in order to take advantage of this great opportunity.

Why did I take a job back at the Resort I was so happy to be free from? Because I had a better understanding of where I wanted to be, and the hotel was the best route I could take. It was not until I started doing the "Assessing the Competition" exercise that I realized that I needed to return. I want to continue in hospitality, the opportunity for advancement are exceptionally high, and my goal is to move through ranks and end up in the hospitality industry somewhere on the west coast. I started Assesing the Scottsdale CVB and they work very closely with the Montelucia, and the steps that the resort are taking are very big, and if they are successful and I can be a part of the success I have a great opportunity to make moves towards my goals.

The CVB taught me great sales, communication, and marketing skills, and the hotel even wants me to take part as a possible sales associate in the busy Fall/Winter months. The CVB has given me great experience in a new sector of the tourism industry, and has allowed me to broaden my skills and be able to contribute more while trying to reach the ultimate goal. The CVB has definitely opened my eyes to a completely new side of tourism, and has allowed me to make myself even more valuable to an organization.

So it is not goodbye to the CVB but see you later...I have developed a relationship with several people in this short time and hope that our paths will cross again. As for the next step in my life, I am anxious and nervous but feel ready and prepared to enter the Real World as a Full Time Employee, without the student title.