Internship Spotlight: Jade Samec

Name:  Jade Samec

Major:  Hospitality Management & Tourism

Expected graduation date:  May 2019

Internship Location:  Entertainment Cruises (Washington, D.C.)

Please describe your typical day as an intern:  My position for Entertainment Cruises was the sales and special events intern. Entertainment Cruises is a unique operation and offers a wide range of experiences consisting of brunch/lunch/dinner cruises, a variety of specialty holiday and themed cruises, and customizable events. Due to the nature of my job, especially in the hospitality industry, my typical day/week was pretty inconsistent but still followed the same protocols. The first thing I would do when I arrived to the office was answer any outstanding emails from clients or any team members that were time sensitive. I typically assisted with 3-4 events a week and used a program called "SalesForce" to gather the details of the event. I was the main point of contact for day of logistics. Meaning, that I speak to the client about and am responsible for the event timeline, boarding process (there are specific protocols that are enforced by the marine core), decorations, outside vendors (florists, entertainment, etc.), and any special requests. When I'm not working events I stay updated with cruise follow-ups such as running quality reports and personally reaching out to clients in regards to their event with us.

How are you using and applying classroom knowledge in your internship?  

I used and applied classroom knowledge the most when I conversed with the food and beverage team. Many hospitality terms were needed to ensure that everything was executed correctly. The events coordination team was the middle man between the client and the food and beverage team, so it was important that everyone has the same perception.

What is one key thing you have learned during your internship?  

One key thing I learned during my internship was effective communication. It was so important to ensure that the client, guests, food and beverage team, marine, entertainment, outdoor vendors, etc. were all on the same page. Part of being an event planner required sales skills, therefore we never wanted to over step our boundaries and promise a client/guest something that was not feasible for our team to execute.

If you could share one piece of advice for other students who are preparing to complete an internship, what would it be?  

If I could share one piece of advice for other students who are preparing to complete an internship it would be to always be aware and conscious of how you speak and act at your workplace. Reputation goes a very long way and when working for a large corporate company, you never really know who is watching and who has what kind of relationships with one another. It is especially important to execute this behavior during an internship because it's the start your professional career.