Professional

Passions
Mind Map
Natalie Martin
HTM 301
WHY?
In attempting to secure an internship for HTM 398
this summer, I have been going to a lot of job interviews
lately and in every interview, I am asked, Why do you
want to work in the hospitality industry? My answer to
them is to make others happy. I have always
known that I have a desire to help others but thanks to
HTM 301 and the PRINT Assessment, I was able to put
into words this attribute of mine and it is empathy; I
am a very empathetic person. When I go out of my way
to make my clients or my guests happy, it makes me
happy, and when I know I could have done something to
make a guests experience better, it affects me
personally and makes me feel disappointed. In order for
me to have a fulfilling career in the future, I have
discovered I need to be in an environment where I am
constantly interacting with people and making them feel
appreciated, supported, and happy, which is why I have
chosen a career in Hospitality.
 My Network
Connections are so essential in how we obtain jobs and careers
nowadays and I feel like the biggest way that I stay connected with
everyone I know is through social media. I use LinkedIn, Facebook,
Instagram, Twitter, (almost) everything you can think of as a way to keep
up with what everyone I know is doing. The people in my network consist
of my peers and teacher from high school to my colleagues and professors
at San Diego State, teammates and coaches Ive had from volleyball and
soccer, co-workers from all the different jobs Ive had over the years, and
girls in my sorority. If you keep those connections with people, who knows
what doors they could open for you or you could open for them in the
future.
The Interviews with industry professionals was a tough but
extremely beneficial assignment in beginning to establish a professional
network. I have contacted three out of the four of those professionals
since our interviews for potential job opportunities in the future and have
connected with all of them on LinkedIn in order to stay in touch easily for
future employment or volunteering opportunities. Something I could work
on is attending more networking events, maybe through my student
membership in San Diegos MPI chapter, and connecting with the people I
meet there.
Keeping in touch with any connection, whether it be friend-oriented
or professional, is beneficial for future opportunities that could potentially
lead to your dream career.
My Network
 Experience
I currently work at the new Pendry Hotel Downtown as a Host in
one of their restaurant outlets. I have worked as a host before, but am
currently applying to front desk positions at different hotels in hopes of
securing a position I can use for my HTM 398 internship this summer.
Similar to a front desk of a hotel, the host of a restaurant is the first
person a guests sees when they come into your restaurant and sets the
tone for the guests entire experience. From this position specifically, I
have learned the importance of punctuality, professional language,
communication, and what kind of management I work well under.
Volunteering is a great way to network, especially if its in the field
you are looking to gain experience and connections in. I have volunteered
at the March of Dimes Gala for two years and I recently volunteered at the
Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Luncheon which were both held at the Estancia
Hotel in La Jolla. These events have made me very familiar with the
property and some of the people that work there.
Along with getting to visit different properties and venues
throughout San Diego, volunteering has brought me many new
connections. Volunteering at the Estancia has given me the chance to
meet the Catering Sales Manager that works there and this Last semester,
I volunteered at the San Diego Business Travel Associations Silent
Auction. When I recently interviewed for a front desk position at the
Estancia, I ran into a fellow volunteer from the SDBTA auction, Shay, who
currently works as a Front Desk Agents at the Estancia. It was really great
seeing her and just goes to show what a small world the Hospitality My Current Resume and
Industry truly is. a recent Cover Letter
 Execution Strategies
My connections have proven to play a huge role in
how I will obtain my future career goals. Keeping good
connections and being respectful will lead to places and
opportunities that I may have never even considered.
Always looking for ways to improve and paths that can
teach you something new. Personally, I believe my 398
internship will be the most essential step I take in attaining
my career goal of becoming a Catering Sales Manager. It
will get my foot in the door of the Hotel world and give me
the basic understanding of what it takes to run a hotel
which is essential if I want to move up in the ranks of hotel
careers. Front desk will also continue to grow my
professionalism, my time management skills, and my
guest services skills, all of which can benefit me whether I
stay in hotels or chose to follow a different career path.
Experience, keeping my connections, and continuing to
make new connections are all ways in which I intend to
attain my ideal future career.
Ideal Company
My idea company is an organization that believes in
efficiency, teamwork, and recognition. I want to work for an
organization where everyone is happy to be there and people
stay with the company for years, and that comes from
employees being managed properly, recognizing workers for
their hard work and efforts is essential to them coming to work
with a good, helpful attitude. I want my company to have loyal
guests that come back because they always have great
experiences with our employees and our services and a company
that has room for growth for its employees.
I thought the Pendry and Montage Corporations core
values and beliefs were in alignment with my own however, I
think being employed in the restaurant aspect of the Hotel
though, was tough because it was harder to implement those
core values into a restaurant outlet, than say the front desk of
the hotel. My managers were used to managing restaurants that
had different values than a hotels values. Im sure with time, all
the aspect of the hotel will begin to better align with the
Montage values, but my 3 month experience with them wasnt
what I thought it would be.
Ideal Professional Self

In my future career, I hope to become a Catering Sales Manager of a Hotel,

and from what I've experienced so far, I think this major does an exceptional job of
setting us up for a successful career in Hotels, whatever position that may be. I want
people to see me as welcoming, organized, and most of all competent in my work.
I hope to keep my creativity when it comes to problem solving and I hope to never
become too comfortable or complacent in my future career because thats when I
stop growing and learning as a professional. I hope if I am in a managerial position,
that my employees are comfortable coming to me with anything, whether its positive
or negative. I hope I can use my harmonizing capabilities to create a fun work
atmosphere for my employees and a place where my guests continue to come back
to because they feel that sense of family and appreciation
 Stay Caterin
My Mind Map:
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Creativi ed Manag ce

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Self
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Growth
Refle
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Hotel Meetin Volunteerin
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