Most hospitality aspirants pursue internships at hotels or other establishments during their hotel management course. These internships help students gain valuable real-world exposure, so that they can confidently begin their future hospitality careers after graduation.
However, a hotel management internship isn’t just about getting an experience letter to proudly highlight on your résumé. Sometimes, it can convert into a full-time job offer too if an intern performs well!
In fact, many hospitality companies prefer retaining their existing interns over hiring freshers with no prior work experience, as they have already invested considerable time, resources, and effort to train the former. Hence, students must take their internships seriously, because you never know if the organisation is planning to bring you on board permanently.
Read on to know what recruiters secretly notice in hotel management interns.
How Can Students Impress Recruiters During Internships?
Internships are often an integral part of a hotel management course at any trusted hotel management college Mumbai or elsewhere. Such institutes may partner with reputed brands to arrange these internship opportunities for students.
Company recruiters carefully assess each student’s performance during the internship to decide whom to offer a permanent position. If you want to stand out against the competition, you should know which qualities a recruiter values the most in an intern. Below are some of the key traits and skills that hospitality recruiters watch out for during internships:
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Strong Work Ethic & Professionalism
Even if hotel management interns don’t possess the high level of experience that seasoned professionals in the field do, a strong work ethic is the most basic requirement that recruiters expect you to have. Interns can demonstrate professionalism through punctuality, regular attendance, diligence, and hard work. These qualities always impress recruiters and can take you far in your hospitality careers.
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Communication Skills
Communication is the backbone of the hospitality industry. Hotel management professionals engage in frequent interactions with people as a part of their job, hence it is necessary for them to have effective communication skills.
Interns must not only be fluent in English and have a working knowledge of the local languages, but also have the ability to articulate their thoughts coherently. Recruiters will surely observe how good you are at communicating with team members and guests during your hotel management internship.
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Listening Skills
Listening skills matter as much as communication skills. Whether you are handling guest enquiries or taking instructions from your managers, listening properly will help you understand the requirements and expectations properly. Hotel management interns with good listening skills usually make fewer mistakes in their work, which matters a lot to the company’s recruiters.
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Application of Academic Knowledge
Students have the chance to put all the theoretical and practical knowledge that they learn at their Institute of Hotel Management to real-time use during their internship. Your grasp over academic concepts has value to recruiters only if you can put them into actual practice in your day-to-day tasks.
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Eagerness to Learn
A reliable hotel management course can provide the most comprehensive education to students, but it still can’t beat the hands-on learning experience they get through internships. Interns must always be eager to learn new things, because there are always new things to learn and discover on the job. This eagerness shows recruiters how enthusiastic you are about working at the company.
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Receptiveness to Feedback & Criticism
Recruiters also notice how an intern responds to feedback and criticism. As interns are in the earliest stage of their hospitality careers, they must seek feedback regularly to identify improvement areas. A good intern will take criticism sportingly and use constructive feedback to deliver better work in the future.
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Problem-Solving Skills
Various challenges can arise in the daily operations of a hotel business. From guest complaints to late deliveries or another issue, you may have to tackle unexpected problems during your hotel management internship. Therefore, interns must maintain a positive attitude, think on their feet, and quickly come up with effective solutions to address issues. Recruiters will judge your problem-solving skills as they are among the most important abilities for hospitality professionals to have.
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Empathy
Empathy may be an underrated quality, yet it is quite an important one for hotel management interns. Having empathy can help you understand guest concerns better. It can make it easier for you to resolve their complaints or tailor experiences to cater to their distinct requirements. Company recruiters prefer to retain interns who can demonstrate both critical thinking and empathy.
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Ability to Handle Pressure
Professionals often have to face high-pressure situations in their hospitality careers. For instance, hotel management interns must be ready to work long hours during the peak holiday season if required. They should stay calm and composed no matter how stressful the situation may seem. Companies assess an intern’s ability to handle pressure while deciding whether to recruit them or not.
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Knowing When to Ask for Help
Most interns in hospitality organisations are hotel management course students who are still learning, so companies don’t expect them to know everything beforehand. While interns may be able to manage routine problems on their own, they shouldn’t hesitate to ask the senior management for help in complicated situations. Recruiters prefer interns who can take initiative but also ask for help when need be.
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Teamwork Skills
Teamwork is the core essence of hospitality operations, so recruiters will observe whether an intern is a good team player or not. During your internship, you will have to work with different cross-functional departments like front office, restaurants, housekeeping, room service, etc. Smooth coordination among all the hotel team members is the key to guest satisfaction.
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Body Language & Self-Grooming
Since hospitality is a people-centric service industry, interns must always be well-groomed and have positive body language. That is why hotel management colleges always emphasise the significance of self-grooming and body language. Recruiters notice things like how confidently you carry yourself and how well you follow the company’s grooming etiquettes.
Why Study Hotel Management at SRIHM?
The Sheila Raheja Institute of Hotel Management (SRIHM) is a highly respected hotel management college Mumbai with an eminent teaching faculty and world-class infrastructure. It offers the following degree programs affiliated to the University of Mumbai:
Aside from classroom sessions, SRIHM strives to provide ample industry exposure to its students through practical activities like internships, guest lectures, workshops, industrial visits, competitions, etc. The institute collaborates with luxury hotel brands for management trainee programs and domestic/international hotel internships. If you want access to such lucrative internship opportunities, studying hotel management at SRIHM is an excellent idea.
Conclusion
A hotel management internship is your chance to show recruiters how indispensable you can be to the company as a future employee. The above qualities will certainly come to their notice, so try to do the best you can. Get in touch with SRIHM for more information about our hotel management degree programs!