Eric Wood is a student in the Masters of Global Hospitality Management program at the Jonathan M. Tisch Center of Hospitality. He tells us more about his internship this spring semester in this post.
Where are you interning, and what is your job title?
I am interning at Selina, one of the fastest-growing hospitality brands that blends beautifully designed accommodation with coworking, recreation, wellness, and local experiences. They are custom-built for today's nomadic travelers and provide guests with a global infrastructure to seamlessly travel and work abroad. My job title is Global Asset Management Intern.
What projects have you been working on so far?
I have worked on a handful of projects this semester. Some of my favorites have been helping the Asset Management team write procedures for our cross-functional connectors (teammates) and country partners to streamline asset improvement procedures. I have also maintained an extensive database with all the information on opening new properties. Honestly, this has been one of my favorite parts of the internship; the thought process and design development behind opening a new hotel are so interesting!
Selina takes on the challenge of opening properties in remote and unique places. They are always asking themselves: how will we get Wi-Fi out there? Will it be easy to have a kitchen? What about ordering food? So many moving parts go on behind the scenes that a guest doesn't think about. I have enjoyed being part of these calls where all the different teams meet and problem solve; I help wherever I can!
Have there been any challenges in your internship so far? If so, how have you learned to overcome them?
There, of course, have been some challenges in my internship with Selina. One thing that I didn't think of before starting is that it is hard to schedule a time to meet people with teams all over the world! One time, I was trying to set up a meeting and I had to find a time for 14 people in five different time zones. This is part of the learning curve, but also an exciting shift in this post-pandemic world we live in…Selina is living by example: digital nomads!
What do you hope to take away from your internship?
I have enjoyed interning with Selina because they have allowed me to dive in headfirst. Since day one, I have been trusted and given many different projects to work on. The amount of exposure I have been granted has been incredible, and I know I will walk away from this experience with many lessons learned. I have become more confident in excel, Google suite platforms, writing professional emails, time management, etc. In this last month of my internship, I hope to continue to take away as much as I can and enjoy it to the fullest.
What are your future plans?
This summer, I will be switching it up and heading to the operations side of hotels. I will be joining the Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts in Jackson Hole, WY, as a Food and Beverage Intern. After that, I am interested in pursuing a full-time opportunity in either development, sourcing, or continuing with asset management. However, I have one more semester at the Jonathan M. Tisch Center of Hospitality before I graduate in December of 2022!