Summer is a busy time for HES students to complete internships. This series will spotlight students and their intern experiences.
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tudent: Kaitlyn Yocum
Major: Hospitality Management and Tourism
Internship Location: Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort, Destin, Florida
What is your typical day as an intern? My typical day as an intern varies depending on what day of the week it is. On Mondays and Tuesdays I help the Accounts Receivable department by working on credit card disputes and helping solve guest issues. On Wednesdays and Thursdays I work with the Accounts Payable department to pay all of the bills for the resort. On Fridays I work with the General Ledger staff on reconciling different accounts.
How are you using the applying classroom knowledge in your internship? Knowing how a hospitality business is run has helped so much since I work on the actual business side of everything. I have been able to apply this knowledge when trying to learn the systems of our resort. I have also been able to use my classroom knowledge when resolving guest issues because of the background knowledge I had before I got to Destin, FL.
What is one key thing you have learned during your internship? During my internship I have learned that every business is different. There is so much more that you can learn by being out in the workforce that can only build on what you learn in the classroom.
What advice would you share with other students who are preparing to complete an internship? Make sure that you don't settle for just any internship just to fill the requirements of the degree. Find the internship that you think you would love and then don't settle for anything else. If you haven't found an internship you like then just keep searching until you do.