News & Photos
HSMAI Temple Student Chapter Hosts HSMAI Philadelphia Chapter Board Members
By Rachel Wolkiewicz
On March 16, 2009, the Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association Temple University Student Chapter (HSMAI.tusc) was proud to host Ms. Adeline Abdesaken, Tourism Services Manager of the Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau, and Mr. Barry Isbert of the Philadelphia Opportunities Industrialization Center and Opportunities Inn at its general assembly meeting entitled HSMAI.tusc Brings the Industry to You: Professional Experience at a Personal Level. Both guests gave background information about themselves, including their job duties and how they got their start in the hospitality and tourism industry. They then opened the floor to questions and were very friendly and relaxed as they offered information and advice that benefitted everyone in attendance.
Some key points included: always follow-up after a first meeting or introduction, either with an e-mail or hand-written letter of thanks to keep lines of communication open with that person; create a LinkedIn account and use it to network with people in the industry because this can also help get your information out there and connect you with future employers; and remember the three A’s – Attendance, Attitude, and Appearance — to get the most benefit from both your education and your career.
Reflecting on the meeting, Dr. Clark Hu, the faculty advisor of Temple's student chapter said, "It's always our intention to provide ample opportunities for our student members to connect with industry professionals in the fields. Along with the efforts made by the School of Tourism and Hospitality Management, our HSMAI Student Chapter is making its contributions to help prepare our students for the future challenges in the job market.
As a young student professional organization, we have done our best with limited resources to make a difference." Ms. Abdesaken and Mr. Isbert encouraged the students to approach them with questions at any time, and they also confirmed their attendance at HSMAI.tusc’s upcoming event: Look to the Future, a networking event sponsored by the HSMAI Philadelphia Chapter to be held in MBA Commons on April 6, 2009, 5:30-8:30 p.m.
HSMAI Temple University Student Chapter is the premier student professional organization at Temple University. HSMAI.tusc is a student chapter under HSMAI Collegiate Chapter of HSMAI (Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International). Members of HSMAI.tusc are mainly Temple University students and alumni who are interested in the profession of sales and marketing in the hospitality and tourism industries.