Good Grades Not Enough

April 16 2006 - A Purdue University associate professor says that seniors majoring in hospitality and tourism management are reaping the benefits of industry experience and being active in the community.

"The seniors who have experience outside the classroom are getting jobs that start in the $50,000 range," said Joseph "Mick" La Lopa, associate professor of the hospitality and tourism management program. "The top-dollar jobs go to the grads who present a total package of experience beyond required internships, doing service work and being a good student."

Good grades in class used to be the determining factor in obtaining employment, but that trend is changing.

"It also pays to have experience in your industry beyond that of just an internship," La Lopa said. "If possible, students should work while in school to gain as much experience as they can.

"They are not going to get the same kind of offers from companies out of the gate without a variety of experience and developed skills."

He says that employers value non-profit experience when they make hiring decisions. So La Lopa has instituted a community-service requirement in one of his classes with the aim of to helping his students realize that there is more to learn than what is taught in a classroom.

He also says that major retail chains are beginning to hire students with a hospitality and tourism degree for management jobs because of their customer-service backgrounds.

"Enterprise Rent-A-Car recently came to campus to recruit hospitality majors," La Lopa said. "Retail chains are looking for ways to increase customer-service standards and are finding that placing hospitality majors in management roles fills that need."

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