My Experiences at DKIT continued......

My Intership

My internship was with the Ballymascanlon House Hotel, Co.Louth from April 8^th 2010 until September 2010. This internship opportunity is perhaps the most important and critical component in The 2nd Year Bachelors of Business Degree in Hospitality Management at DkIT, as it is the opportunity for me to apply, in a real world setting, what I’ve learned in The Institute and core classes during the year.

An internship is not just a summer job. It is an extension of the Academy classroom instruction and curriculum, further developed and challenged in a business environment, supervised by business leaders in a real-world setting, resulting in a broad, relevant, enriching educational experience. Done correctly, internships provide the context in which a student’s classroom learning is applied. But the internship doesn’t stop at just applying classroom skills in a work environment. We are exposed to a broad view of work experiences and situations, which could be in that Industry. We are also exposed to a broad array of soft, workplace skills, teamwork, decorum, ethics, creativity, time management, ingenuity, problem-solving, comportment, critical thinking and a solid understanding of the importance of excellent written and oral communications skills. This combination of benefits provides an invaluable foundation for any career in the future.

The Learning curve involved within Ballymascanlon was very helpful. Being a member of a professional team afforded me the opportunities to learn not only from myself but from others within the team. My self-confidence grew and I relished working in a team. Also During my time in Ballymascanlon I witnessed firsthand the operations of departments and the huge amount of time and effort put into staging different events within the hotel from weddings numbering 50 to 250 to dinner dances, charity fundraisers and corporate events.

Overall I have found the role to be most challenging.  Job satisfaction was good. The degree to which I felt positively or negatively towards aspects of my position varied the work settings depending on department. Skill sets varied to the degree to which job being executed. To be honest clearing table and mopping floors takes no great skill set but its relevant was as important as strategies within management. Being valued by your peers no matter what the job undertaken leads to satisfaction within the workplace; I felt this area needed improvement within the middle management structure in Ballymascanlon. However Company policy and administration is applied in a professional and efficient manner.

 

Ballymascanlon House Hotel Website