My Externship Experience

1
My Externship Experience
2
The Virginia Beach Resort Hotel

• Catering Sales Manager Position
• Banquet Event Manager Position
• 14,000 sq. feet of conference and meeting space
• 295 suites
• Located at Chesapeake Beach on Shore Dr.

3
Self-Management Skills

• I am
• Organized
• Detail-oriented
• Hard-working
• Enthusiastic
• Motivated
• Resourceful
• Creative

4
Functional Skills

• I can
• Communicate effectively
• Work well under pressure
• Complete tasks on time and stick to a schedule
• Research using online and text sources
• Partake in an interview
• Edit and proofread writing
• Handle many different tasks at once

5
Work Content Skills

• I know
• How to write in a journalistic style
• How to use Microsoft Office, Adobe InDesign
• What things I need to experience and what skills
  I need to succeed in this career field
• How to treat clients and fellow staff members in
  a professional setting
• How to solve-problems effectively

6
Development of these skills

• Externship
• Tours and appointments with clients
• Viewing phone and personal communication
  etiquette
• Informational interviews
• Waitress
• Communicating with all people, including
  difficult customers
• Communications Major
• Writing for The Marlin Chronicle
• Research papers and projects
• Staying organized, managing time well in order to
  succeed

7
Values and Lifestyle Considerations

• Love my work
• Live near the beach
• Have time for family and other interests,
  financial and job security
• Change and variety, not working a 9-5 desk job
• Working with many different people
• Artistic creativity
• Excitement, Working under pressure
• Using my developed skills daily

8
Career Interests

• Hotel catering sales manager
• Event planner and coordinator
• Public relations assistant
• Journalist

9
Informational Interviews

• Cheryl Wolfe Lindsey Reed
• Important points
• Experience is crucial to success
• Must have good communication, organizational,
  time management skills and be detail oriented
• Patience, persistence, teamwork
• Be able to rise above challenges
• And make sure you enjoy what youre doing!

10
Typical Day on the Job

• Communication with clients and staff through
  phone calls and e-mail
• Staff meetings
• Banquet meetings
• Client appointments for tours and to go over
  event details
• Inquiry calls and walk-ins by prospective clients

11
Is this for me?

• Good example of how my skills can be put to use
• Would like to deal with certain types of events
  and be a part of all different creative details,
  not just catering and location
• Need more flexibility in scheduling and time away
  from the office

12
The Next Step

• Internship with event planner
  at Isha Foss Events to gain experience
• Put together journalistic/public
  relations/creative portfolio for interviews
• Continue with part-time waitressing job
• Network with other professionals and build a list
  of references for future opportunities