April 14, 2011
In the Hospitality Management industry, firsthand experience is
a valued commodity
Students from the Staten Island campus were able to gain
important insight from successful professionals as part of the
Alumni Insider’s View… Hospitality Management program. This event
allowed students to shadow employees at Staten Island’s Hilton
Garden Inn, a world-class hotel owned by St. John’s alumni Richard
Nicotra ’76NDC, ’86HON and his wife, Lois (Malko) Nicotra ’77NDC,
’83GEd
Students broke up into groups and shadowed staff members working
in the Sales, Banquets, Front Desk and Housekeeping departments, as
well as the hotel’s restaurant, Lorenzo’s
Photo Gallery
An event like this is great for our students,” said Nick Legakis
’97SVC, ’07MPS, Director of Institutional Advancement for the
Staten Island campus. “This is the second year we’ve held this
program, and the results have been great. Our students develop a
much greater sense of what the industry is like by seeing how
employees work on a typical day.”
Charles Hack, Assistant General Manager, took students on a tour
of the front desk, explaining how to properly greet guests and how
to quickly respond to problems that may arise throughout the
day.
“Sitting in a classroom is great, but you can only learn so
much,” he noted. “To actually see how we problem solve and get
things done, how we address our guests’ range of needs, gives you
tremendous insight into what really goes on in this job. Just keep
your eyes open and notice how we interact with people at the front
desk. Trust me: you’ll learn a ton of information that will help
you no matter where you want to work in the hotel.”
Students also shadowed Corinne Arena, the Restaurant Manager of
Lorenzo’s. She showed the students what it’s like to keep track of
inventory, order new food and beverages, manage records and
schedule reservations.
“Until you’re actually in the business, you’re probably not too
familiar with the ins and outs of each particular job,” she said.
“Only once you start doing it will you know if it’s right for you,
and that’s the advantage of shadowing us – you don’t just hear us
talk about our jobs, you get to see us in action and gain that
experience yourself.”
The groups also toured the Housekeeping department, learning how
to perform a proper room inspection, and spoke with Sales
Associates about planning and hosting events for various
customers.
Seeing all of the different departments helped Michael Marcin
’12CPS get a better idea of what area of Hospitality he’d like to
pursue.
“This has helped me open my eyes,” he said. “I’m confident now
that I’d like to work in the restaurant side of the industry, but I
also saw how interconnected every department really is. Starting
out in any department can ultimately help you get wherever you want
to go.”
The Nicotras spoke with the students at lunch and gave their
personal advice on how to break into the industry.
“This is a wonderful business and career, but you’ve got to be
willing to put in the hours,” Richard Nicotra noted. “You’re going
to have to work Saturday nights, Friday nights, Sunday afternoons,
and you’re going to need to accept that and embrace it.”
Lois Nicotra agreed and stressed the importance of getting your
foot in the door.
“If jobs aren’t available right away, be an intern,” she
advised. “When positions do become available, businesses like ours
look at interns first to fill those positions, so be sure to get
experience however you can.”
By the time the event had finished, the students had received a
behind-the-scenes look at every department of the Hilton Garden
Inn, leaving them with optimistic thoughts about their future
careers.
Juliana Formica ’12CPS especially enjoyed the St. John’s
connection.
“Just seeing how far our own alumni have come gives you so much
confidence,” she said. “Not so long ago, the Nicotras were students
just like me. If they can find this type of success, I’m sure I can
as well.”