Author: rwertman

Having completed my internship and having time to reflect, I can see I have met all goals originally set at the beginning of this experience. As previously discussed in my blogs, the educational, workplace, and personal goals I set I have achieved. I learned how to apply my psychology and business knowledge to the world of Human Resources, was able to experience HR in full capacity, and lastly was able to learn about the restaurant industry from the corporate perspective. Moreover, I have learned and experienced more than I could even imagine. For example, through completing the internship project, I was able to learn all about my specific field as well as others in corporate and the restaurant industry in general. For the project, we had to create a new restaurant concept and create a PowerPoint (presented in front of the CEO), explaining all the steps it would take to open the restaurant. To get all the information, the other interns and I had to meet with many different directors and employees to learn every step in creating a restaurant. After completion, I truly understand the ins and outs of the restaurant industry and hospitality.

After learning so much already, I am hungry for more. I want to continue to learn about Human Resources and see what the field is like outside of the restaurant group. The restaurant industry is fast paced which includes a lot of turnover, so I am curious what Human Resources looks like from a different industry. Also, within BR Guest itself, I would want to experience a day-in-the-life of a Director of Operations (this is the person who directly oversees the restaurant). I loved the industry I was in and would love to explore more within the company.

For any student who is interested in an internship at BR Guest, I would advise them to DEFINITELY apply! My experience was amazing with this company and I hope to work with them again in the future. I would advise applicants to put yourself out there and to be passionate, open-minded, and eager to learn. For those students intrigued with the restaurant hospitality industry I would let them know that being personable is a must. You are meeting with people every day and must be comfortable with public speaking. You must be flexible due to the fast paced environment, something can come up at any second. The industry is a challenge but it is manageable.

I am so thankful for WOW letting me complete this experience because it helped me understand more about what I want to do in the future as well as more about myself. This is an experience I will never forget!

As I am passing the midpoint of this internship I find the event quite bittersweet. Although I am so grateful for all that I have learned and elated that this opportunity came into my life, I am sad to think it is coming to a close. Even though I still have weeks left at the office, I know that they will fly by and before I can blink, this experience will have ended.

At the start of my internship I set certain goals for myself: academic, career, and personal. As the internship unfolds I can see my initial goals becoming fulfilled. Academically I wanted to apply my psychology and business knowledge to the world of Human Resources. I find on a daily basis I use the skill set I have learned from my courses at Brandeis. Whether conducting an interview and using knowledge from “Personality” to get a sense of a person in 20 minutes from body language and how they talk, from sitting in on a meeting with directors and understanding certain business concepts, my academic career has proven to be a tremendous aid in the corporate world. My career goals were to experience HR in full and to gain experience in the corporate world. As previously described, this internship provides a 360 degree view of all aspects of HR, and as I am progressing in this position, I find myself taking on more responsibilities. I am becoming a self sufficient employee and considered a full member of the Human Resources team.

As seen in the photos above, I have moved from simply assisting to leading employees through orientation. I am most proud of that I am learning so much and applying what I learned. I can do tasks myself and am trusted to carry out those important tasks. I am truly taking a leadership role in the internship and taking in and learning everything I possibly can.

As for the personal goals I set, since previously being a hostess I was excited to learn about the restaurant industry from the corporate perspective. Not only am I able to learn about this from a Human Resources stance but as a part of the internship project I get to learn about the restaurant industry from the view of all the departments. From marketing, purchasing, finance, to operations, through this project I am able to see exactly what is necessary to create a functioning and smooth running restaurant and corporation.

I am learning every single day and the skills I am developing I will carry out well after this internship ends. From fine tuning my skill set in Excel to learning other programs and techniques, I will continue to carry out and expand my knowledge throughout the school year. Additionally, this internship undoubtedly is creating a sort of discipline within me that I can apply to my future career at Brandeis. It will cause me to be more professional, more thoughtful, create a schedule, and handle certain tasks that I may have thought overwhelming in the past to something manageable. Commuting alone instills a discipline, getting up early every morning and having what feels like an entire day go by before you even set foot in the office at 9am. This along with all I am learning in the office are tools I will set up in my academic life to become more successful.

After finishing my first few weeks at BR Guest Hospitality, I can already determine that Human Resources, as well as the working in a company in the restaurant business was a perfect fit.
First off, how I secured my internship, looking back, is now somewhat humorous. One of my many responsibilities as an HR intern is posting open positions within the company, selecting, interviewing, and finally choosing candidates. Therefore seeing the process from the other side of the table (literally and figuratively) is an opportunity not many procure.
I first found my internship online through a job website. After applying online for the position of HR Intern, I received an email from the corporate recruiter for a phone interview. While on the phone interview I was asked to come into the corporate office for a second interview as well as a “meet and greet” with the Human Resources team. In February, I visited the corporate office and interviewed in person. Lastly, within a few weeks, I was offered the position.
Immediately after meeting the team and hearing more about the position and company, I knew this is how I wanted to spend my summer. Being the only intern in HR gives me the opportunity to learn all the ins and outs of the position. After being a part of the team for a few weeks, I look back and am thrilled that I found this internship.

BR Guest Hospitality, is a restaurant hospitality group that has over 25 restaurants spanning across four states (New York, New Jersey, Florida, Nevada). The corporate headquarters is located in New York on 315 Park Avenue South. Living in New Jersey, I chose to commute to work every day. Learning how to commute is also a great tool that I am learning during this internship. Navigating through the city, learning the subway systems, deciphering port authority, all are things I do everyday. At first, I probably looked like a tourist wandering through the streets of New York, following signs and asking locals where certain places are located. Now, I feel as though I can be considered a local. I laugh looking back at how scared I was to go into the city alone, because now, only after a few weeks, it seems so simple.

As a Human Resources intern I get to see all aspects of HR from recruiting, payroll, new hire orientation, incident reports, terminations, investigations, hiring, open calls, etc. Being the only intern hired for Human Resources provides me with a chance to see HR from all possible sides. The HR team is quite small, amounting to only 4 people: the HR team consists of my manager, two assistants, and myself. Due to the fact that we are a small team we all share a lot of work and are very close. From my very first day they were extremely inviting, welcoming, friendly, and have taught me so much. Getting to be a member of such a remarkable HR team, makes this internship one of a kind. I am a true member of the staff in that I am given responsibilities that a full time staff member would have to complete. I help each member of my team with their day to day tasks as well as having overarching tasks myself. For example, each week we have new hire orientation located at our restaurant, Blue Water Grill.

At orientation, at first, I was solely responsible for helping in organizing paperwork, checking IDs, etc. However, now, I help lead the orientation with my other team members. By the end of my internship, I will lead an entire orientation by myself.

I have learned so much already and cannot wait to gain more knowledge about the field of HR as well as being a restaurant hospitality group. I am learning every day and expect to keep learning. This internship was a way for me to test the waters in the field of HR, and already I can see that this may be a serious career path for me in the future.