All hospitality management students are required to complete HSP_MGMT 4993, a three-credit internship course, as part of their graduation requirements. Several students shared their experience.

Heather Johnson

Heather Johnson is a senior in the department with an emphasis in conference and event management. This summer, she interned at Capitol Plaza Hotel in Jefferson City, Missouri. The hotel has 22,000 square feet of convention space and 255 guest rooms. During her internship, she rotated through the different departments: banquet, restaurant, sales and catering. On the job she was able to learn and experience client taste tests with the sales department, interview skill development with the job fair, and the banquet server/set-up experience. She found the involvement in the job fair that was held at the hotel was the most interesting feature of her internship. The job fair was held in the ballroom of the hotel and individual stations were set up for initial interviews for engineering, banquets, restaurant, and front desk departments. Johnson was tasked to conduct the screening interviews for the restaurant positions.

“I very much enjoyed meeting potential new hires and sharpening my interview skills. I felt very proud to be trusted with this task,” Johnson said.

She believes that the internship experience is a great resume builder and left her with a better appreciation of the lodging industry.

“I am very happy that I could uphold my philosophy: Through bold, open, and honest communication, I will balance and strengthen my relationships with my community and family while expanding my professional networks to accommodate the growing challenge of beyond-expectations customer service. While interning in the hospitality industry, take the initiative to learn new things and remain open minded about your future. Being flexible and ambitious could very well open the door to a new future you may have never imagined. Dream big and never stop reaching for your goals,” advises Johnson to her fellow students.

Rebekah Northern, a senior in the conference and events emphasis area, was an intern at I.M.P. Productions Marketing, a concert production company in Washington, D.C., this summer. She has always been interested in venues and live music, so she researched concert venues around the United States.

Rebekah Northern

“I read about I.M.P.’s  9:30 Club and found its history to be interesting,” Northern said.

In March, she reached out to the company via email to inquire about summer internships. She interviewed over the phone shortly after and was offered a summer marketing intern position. Throughout her internship, she had the opportunity to rotate through four different types of concert venues with varying sizes and even assisted in the promotion of opening a brand new venue.

“The knowledge and experience I gained during my internship will undoubtedly play an integral role in the future of my career in events and venue management. I would recommend any student to reach out to companies they are interested in interning with, even if job postings are not shared online,” said Northern.

Stephanie Morefield

Stephanie Morefield is a senior in the conference and events emphasis area. “The internship requirement through the hospitality management program at Mizzou and the Club Managers Association of America (CMAA), has undoubtedly prepared me for success in the Hospitality Industry after graduation. This past summer, I earned my internship credit at a private membership yacht club in Connecticut as a management intern. I was able to utilize the material I learned in my classes and apply them to my internship, such as private club management, professional beverage management, and human resources management. While at my internship, I also had the opportunity to participate in CMAA networking events and education in New York City with other interns from various universities. The Internship Course aided my overall development at the yacht club, enhancing critical and analytical thinking in regards to various management processes in the industry. ”