As I was finishing my college degree in December 1974 (class of 1975), I found myself interviewing with a variety of employers within the hospitality industry. Even after 4 years of education, I was at a loss on where exactly I belonged in the larger scope of the industry. I had a lot of experience in food and beverage, having worked in high school in a kitchen, at a yacht club for a summer in Ithaca and as a banquet server and then banquet manager for my co-op with the Statler Hotel on campus. But I also wanted to work better hours then one normally received in food & beverage in a hotel; so, I also looked at school food service with ARAMARK and country clubs. It seemed as if I had interview after interview that fall, but nothing seemed to cause me any excitement. Then I was told about the Alameda Plaza Hotel in Kansas City, Missouri. Their general manager, Philip Pistilli was coming to Cornell to talk about hotel management for one of our Friday lectures. He was going to conduct interviews the prior day with those that might have an interest in moving to Kansas City. I thought - why not - let's walk this process through. The interview went well, and he asked whether I would be attending the New York Hotel Show in November. When I said yes, he offered me a second interview over lunch in New York City. I'm not sure where we went but talk about having to know and demonstrate eating etiquette was so important for this type of interview. The interview went well. and I was even more interested in the opportunity. The next step a trip to Kansas City. He promised it would be a "working" interview, and to bring comfortable shoes and professional dress. I was flown to Kansas City, picked up by their car service and taken directly to the hotel. I was free to explore the city for the rest of the day but was told to be ready for work at 8:00 AM. And yes, I worked, in the banquet department. First meeting with clients, then helping to set-up banquet rooms, then working as a hostess for a large event at lunch. The afternoon was spent with two separate interviews, consisting of management staff in Food & Beverage and Human Resources. I then went back to "work" until about 7:00 pm that night, when I met with Philip for dinner. There we talked about starting salary, hours, expectations and evaluations. He promised to send me a letter of intent by mail within the next week and was hopeful of an answer from me by December 1st. And I was left with a decision about whether the Alameda opportunity was one for me. I don't remember exactly why I didn't take the job, although I was impressed by the interview process and the opportunity in their banquet department. But I seem to remember my mother's face when I said Kansas City would be an opportunity for me during Thanksgiving that year. You could just tell she wasn't excited about me going so far from home. Little did she realize that just 3 years later I would be headed to Hawaii for a job! When this postcard was found amongst my papers, the interview memory came flooding back to me. Having worked in HR for many years, I often wondered how to incorporate this style of interview into the process. It is expensive and time-consuming, but one that helps both the applicant and the business determine the best person for the job.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Archives
January 2022
About this BlogThis blog has been designed to serve two purposes. The first is to leave the written histories of my ancestors.
The second purpose is to offer some of my own stories, so that my children and grandchildren can learn more about my direct family and my childhood. Categories |