SCHOLARSHIP PROFILES raymond Smalley college/university graduated from and date: Cal Poly Pomona– Collins College of Hospitality Management (June 2004) current company employed by: Wyndham Vacation Ownership (Wyndham Harbour Lights) How did receiving your CH&LA scholarship help you in your education? Receiving the scholarship not only helped me financially, but fueled my motivation and gave me the confidence that I was moving in the right direction with my education and career goals. What influenced your decision to study and enter the hospitality industry? A family vacation to Hawaii in 1997. I had such a great time and I saw the staff having fun as well. Seeing the employees enjoying their job helped me to know this would be a career I would enjoy. I felt working in hotels and resorts meant I would be on vacation everyday. I can now say with confidence that although it is not always a vacation, I still thoroughly enjoy going to work everyday. thinking of how you got to where you are now, would you have done anything differently? I would have been more involved in the clubs during college and taken classes in other elements of hospitality outside my focus of hotels and resorts. It was not too long after I first started my career that I was overseeing food and beverage operations within the hotel, an activity center at a resort. I currently oversee a Home Owners Association (HOA) as part of a vacation ownership property. In college, I thought those areas were outside my focus and did not realize how many different directions my career could go. What positions have you held since graduating from college? Front Desk Manager, Housekeeping Manager, Director of Housekeeping, Director of Operations, Assistant Resort Manager (AGM) and Resort Manager (GM). 12 California Hotel & Lodging Association Winter 2015 What position/department do you aspire to reach? Regional Vice President or Operational Support (Corporate). Favorite part of your job or industry? Getting to affect the lives of our guests and the associates we work with everyday. It is extremely inspiring to speak with our guests and learn that our hard work and attention to detail allowed them to connect with family, have a first/last vacation, close an important business deal, enjoy a honeymoon, celebrate a birthday/anniversary or visit family and friends. From a staff perspective, I take great pleasure in helping an associate take a job and turn it into a career. Watching them improve in their role, gain promotions and end up with a career that betters their life keeps me motivated every day. if you could speak to a group of high school students about career path options, how would you describe the hospitality industry? Hospitality is the industry of making memories. It is exciting and ever-changing. There is no other industry that you get to run a business, manage the facility, manage food & beverage, execute weddings, coordinate activities, oversee housekeeping, run a laundry department, manage a golf course, work in accounting, work in sales, lease out retail space, service guests, create a great environment for your associates to work in and create memorable experiences for every single guest. Whatever your strength is, the hospitality industry will allow you to be successful. You just need to find the department that is right for you. Any other advice for students? Find a mentor! The sooner you can learn to look at each of your positions from the perspective of a general manager, the better decisions you will make. This will help expedite your career to higher management positions.
CH & LA Winter 2015
To see the actual publication please follow the link above