Students Get a Jump-Start on Career Preparation at the NSMH Regional Conferences
By Michelle Thomas, Sr. Manager, Diversity Recruiting

In this tight economy, it is never too early to begin preparing for your career. Several hundred college students experienced this firsthand as they recently attended two of four Sodexo jointly sponsored NSMH Regional Conferences in Philadelphia and Ohio.

NSMH stands for National Society of Minorities in Hospitality and is the premier organization for diverse hospitality college students in the nation. Its mission is to “educate in order to aid in the recruitment, retention, support and advancement of minority students in the hospitality industry.” The conferences support this mission by providing students with access to industry professionals of whom they can ask questions and network. Since diversity, inclusion and college recruitment are integral parts of the fabric of Sodexo’s culture, it made sense that we would support these events.

Mark Watkins, Sodexo Vice President, Operations

“Regionals,” as they are commonly known, are held over a weekend and are jam-packed with professional development workshops that cover a wide range of topics from the proper way to network to how to write a winning resume to effective interviewing techniques.

At the Midwestern Conference held in Ohio, Sodexo Campus Services Vice President, Operations Mark Watkins sat on a panel entitled “Managing Your Life” which took on a slightly different twist from the normal career advice panel. Instead of providing advice on how to land a job, he and his fellow panelists provided the students with practical tips on to how to keep healthy, win control of their workloads, minimize stress levels, and take pleasure in life once they have found their dream jobs.

Sandra Sydnor-Bousso, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Purdue University, and Jennifer Tschilar, Senior Recruiter at Sodexo

According to Sodexo Senior Recruiter Jennifer Tschilar, who conducted several breakout sessions on resume writing and interviewing techniques at the conference, “The students were like sponges waiting to soak up all of the information that they could gather. In every session, they were asking probing questions that sparked healthy dialogue amongst all of the participants.” She went on to say that “the preparation that they received during this one short weekend would definitely serve to give them a leg up over the competition when they begin their competitive quest for the perfect career after college.”

To learn more about the NSMH Regional Conferences click here.