by Merrilie Daluz, July 13, 2018

I finally graduating college with my Bachelor’s Degree in Hospitality Management. I am happy to finish this chapter and start to work and apply everything I learned. I work at The Peninsula Chicago as a Supervisor in F&B.

In terms of environment the Peninsula is ideal. You can find great people, great benefits, excellent training. When I started working there I was rotating all the positions of the restaurant in order to know and understand each position. I went from busser, to barista, to server… The staff is incredibly friendly, helpful and sweet.

In terms of culture, the hotel has in mind that if the employees are treated well the employees will treat the guest well. That’s why we have specials days for employees like wellness day or even other great benefits. My role is to be positive and to give directives. I don’t really see myself as a « boss » but as a leader, leading a team to success.

However, when being a manager you need to adapt yourself to different personalities and be firm at times but friendly too.

My future plan now is to continue working within the Peninsula for my Optional Practical Training (OPT), which is a year. After that I want to keep working in the Peninsula maybe in Chicago or maybe in another location. I am still very passionate about the F&B side of the hotel so I wish to keep working as a manager in a restaurant. However, I still have time to think about it so I will see what opportunities the universe brings me within the next year.