I was fortunate, and gratified, to be asked to speak to a class that was about to enter the hospitality industry. The instructor was a former colleague of mine and thought it would be ideal if I come in, talk about my experiences and answer questions about the industry and how it would apply to them.

There are many people and mentors that speak to students entering the workforce about giving back to the community. But many people do not think about attending a school, or technical institution, to give students entering their profession and their community, an idea of what to expect in the near future and beyond.

There are no greater resources or providers of insight than graduates in a student’s field of study.  They can not only inform students of what their field has to offer them, but also the trends indicating change in the industry. As Instructors can only offer limited insight as they are no longer in the industry, the only other resource that students can turn to is industry periodicals and print media.

Lending views to a graduating class on what recruiters and managers expect from people entering the workforce today, the challenges they may face while trying to get an interview, what the work environment is going to be like, the challenges that new employees faced and what actions were taken to resolve them, can all give students a palpable understanding of what to expect when applying for their first job, especially as “Job-Hopping” is a tacit reality.

Young people, particularly today, are looking to maintain that life balance and not be consumed by their work. They want to work hard and make a contribution, but also have time for their friends, families and themselves as well. Taking the time to give students a dose of reality in order to help them manage their expectations is a great way to give back to the community you are already involved in.