You don’t have to wait until you graduate to begin your career in hospitality. Many CSU programs, and most employers, emphasize experience as a key qualification for advancement. As a student, you can find many opportunities for employment to give your career a head start.
Several programs require the completion of an internship or paid work experience hours in order to graduate and some manage their own internship programs. Experience in the industry allows you to put the knowledge you gain in the classroom to use right away. When you complete your CSU degree in hospitality management, you will be ready to advance your career.
The following organizations are among many that offer competitive internships opportunities to students who are interested in hospitality management careers.* For information about other employment opportunities, please refer to Opportunities.
In addition, nearby Convention and Visitors Bureaus, Chambers of Commerce, Visitor Centers, and government agencies that are involved in regulating entertainment can be
As one of the most popular tourist destinations in California, the California Department of Parks and Recreation manages more than 270 park units, which contain the finest and most diverse collection of natural, cultural, and recreational resources to be found within California. As a student in college, you can discover what future career opportunities California State Parks (CSP) has to offer, learn valuable professional skills, earn money, and college credit.
The Walt Disney Company is one of the leading entertainment and hospitality companies in the world. This truly unique program allows participants to network with Disneyland ® Resort leaders, take part in personal- and career-development classes, and build transferable skills such as problem-solving, teamwork, guest service and effective communication. All participants will work in front-line roles at the Disneyland Resort, including Stores, Attractions, Food & Beverage, Entertainment, Lodging and many more.
E. & J. Gallo Winery is the largest exporter of California wines. The company has been pivotal in establishing Sonoma County as one of the premier wine growing regions in the world. The company has become an expert in viticulture, sales and marketing, and improving their products through research. E. & J. Gallo Winery offers an extensive Internship program which enables college students to explore career interests and to develop skills for the future.
The world famous La Costa Resort and Spa offers guests a unique experience through its many beautiful rooms, restaurants, spas, and recreational activities. La Costa Resort and Spa hires interns in several areas including, Human Resources, Accounting, Hospitality Management, & Recreation/ Sports Management.
Live in beautiful San Diego, California, and work as a summer intern for the World-famous San Diego Zoo or the San Diego Zoo's Wild Animal Park. Interns fill specific roles within their departments (i.e. Food Service Clerk; Education Camp Counselor; Skyfari Attendant, etc.) and complete assignments that provide a real understanding of the business aspect of the organization. Summer Internship applications are accepted between January 1 and March 31 of each year.
Accor Hospitality, the Accor hotels branch, has more than 4,000 hotels worldwide. It starts from luxurious hotels to economic lodging solutions. An Accor internship is an opportunity to acquire skills and to put them into practice while developing other skills.
AEG is a leading promoter of sports and entertainment events at major venues such as the STAPLES Center. Event planning and promotion is essential to the success of AEG. Students have a variety of internships to choose from. Search for “intern” on the Employment Opportunities Web page.
Busch Entertainment Corporation is Anheuser-Busch's family entertainment subsidiary, and is one of the largest adventure park operators in the United States. Its parks are located throughout the country, including Sea World in San Diego, CA. Anheuser-Busch Adventure Parks provide you an opportunity to obtain practical work experience, develop leadership skills and earn college credit. Through our Internship and Co-Op programs, students can work in a variety of areas that will help you learn more about this intriguing business while earning a competitive hourly wage.
ARAMARK is a leader in award-winning food services, facilities management, and uniform and career apparel to health care institutions, universities and school districts, stadiums and arenas, and businesses around the world.ARAMARK offers more than 300 entry-level internship opportunities to college students. These cover almost every major and minor imaginable, too.
Cintas designs, manufactures and implements corporate identity uniform programs and provides entrance mats, restroom cleaning and supplies, promotional products, first aid and safety products, fire protection services and document management services for approximately 800,000 businesses. Cintas has partnered with INROADS, a national organization that assists businesses in the development of talented minority youth for professional careers in corporate America, to provide meaningful internships for dozens of INROADS students nationwide.
Club Managers Association of America
CMAA offers a listing service for internship opportunities at various country clubs and membership organizations throughout the country. For details on student membership, refer to Student Membership.
Compass Group, North America, is a leader in food management and hospitality that offers a variety of co-operative education programs and internships.
Darden Restaurants, Inc. is a multi-brand restaurant operator of casual dining restaurant chains, most notably Olive Garden and Red Lobster. The Darden Restaurants Internship Program provides students an opportunity to work side by side with professionals and executives within one’s chosen field of Marketing or Finance, as well as gaining valuable hands-on experience.
Enterprise Rent-A-Car is the largest rental car company in North America with a commitment to excellent customer service. Every year Enterprise turns approximately 2,000 paid internships into real, substantial career-building tools. Students from all majors and backgrounds are able to find a great internship to jump start their career.
Four Seasons Hotels, Inc. is a Canadian-based international luxury hotel management company that operates top-ranked properties worldwide. Four Seasons offers global internship opportunities to undergraduates and graduates who want to get a head start in their career. Internships are offered in areas such as, Food and Beverage, Rooms Division, Spa, Culinary, Finance, Human Resources, and Corporate Internships.
Hilton Worldwide owns, manages or franchises a portfolio of brands, including Hilton Hotels and Doubletree. It is one of the leading hospitality companies in the United States. Hilton Worldwide offers opportunities for college students to work at a property or corporate location.
The Hillstone Restaurant Group includes brands such as Houston's Bandera, and the Rutherford Grill. Based in Los Angeles, but with locations throughout the country, the art of presenting exceptional cuisine in the most inspired of settings has been the company's driving force.Hillstone offers a limited number of summer internships to exceptional candidates currently enrolled in accredited undergraduate institutions. The three-month paid program allows an intern to work through the multiple functions of the restaurant and a summer-long project. Admission is highly selective.
Hyatt is a global hospitality company with widely recognized, industry leading brands and a tradition of innovation developed over more than fifty-years. Hyatt offers a paid Internship Program that provides practical work experience and an introduction into Hyatt's culture and management philosophy. Participants can expect exposure to different areas of the hotel, job shadowing opportunities, projects and participation at hotel meetings during their internship.
Loews Hotels and Resorts offer customers luxurious amenities in various locations across North America. Select Loews locations offer paid summer internships for periods of 10–14 weeks. Internships are offered in a variety of disciplines including Rooms Division, Food & Beverage, Sales & Marketing, Human Resources and Accounting.
Major League Baseball (MLB) is America’s professional baseball organization. The MLB is an excellent venue for students interested in event planning, customer service, marketing, food and beverage, and merchandise, among other career paths. From time to time, the participating teams in MLB will be looking for interns. Please view the Web site to apply for the teams you desire. You will be contacted about specific internship opportunities with these teams posting their internships on the MLB Teams Employment Site.
Marriott is a worldwide operator and franchisor of a broad portfolio of hotels and related lodging facilities. Marriott offers paid internships that provide true hands-on work experience to prepare you for leadership in the professional world. You will focus on one professional area including: Accounting & Finance, Banquets/Catering, Culinary, Front Office, Housekeeping, Human Resources, Restaurants, and Sales.
MillerCoors is a joint venture between SABMiller and Molson Coors Brewing Company, responsible for producing and selling beers such as Miller Lite and Coors. A MillerCoors internship is a 12-week, fast-paced program during which you will learn the beer business from the inside. Our interns work in functions including sales, corporate affairs, strategy, finance, information systems, marketing, procurement, national accounts, and supply chain.
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) is a family-owned and operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. The internship program is designed to expose diverse college and university students to the many career opportunities within the motorsports industry. NASCAR offers internship opportunities in fields such as Event Management, Broadcasting, Sports Marketing, Sales, among others.
Panera Bread offers a hands-on training approach to Artisan Bread & Pastry Baking or Operations Management. Juniors or Rising Seniors who are Restaurant/Hotel/Hospitality Management or Bakery Pastry Arts Majors are eligible to apply. Restaurant or customer service experience is preferred. Panera is a sponsor of The National Society of Minorities in Hospitality.
The Ritz-Carlton is a brand of luxury hotel and resort with 70 properties located in major cities and resorts in 23 countries worldwide. Many of our properties offer internships up to 18 months in various departments, starting at different times of the year. Please be selective about the properties to which you apply based upon your geographic preference and language ability.
Six Flags, Inc. is the world's largest amusement park corporation based on quantity of properties and the 4th most popular in terms of attendance. Six Flags has internship opportunities for students in a number of fields. Contact your local park to learn more about how you can become an intern at Six Flags.
Sodexo, Inc. is the leading provider of integrated food and facilities management services in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, serving 10 million customers in 6,000 locations every day. The Sodexo Future Leaders Internship Program offers an exciting opportunity for college students to turn their leadership potential into valuable professional experience and to get a head start on their careers. Areas of internship opportunity include: Food Service Management, Environmental Services/Housekeeping Management, and Facilities – Maintenance/Engineering Management.
Souplantation and Sweet Tomatoes restaurants specialize fresh, buffet style dining. The internship mirrors our standard management training program but extends over a longer period of time. This gives the student the real life experience of the rigors of a corporate management training program and prepares them for a career in the hospitality industry.
Starwood Hotels is one of the world’s largest hotel and leisure companies. Starwood Hotels and Resorts offer customers several different types of room accommodation, luxury full-service hotels, resorts and residences. Starwood provides undergraduate students with the opportunity to grow their careers even before graduation. Both summer and winter internships are available.
Sysco’s internship program is specifically designed to allow students the ability to integrate academic theory and workplace experience. It is where the classroom intersects the business world. The program generally commences in June and concludes in August for a total session of approximately 10 weeks. Sysco also participates in intern career fairs and conferences as well as hosting on-site recruiting events. In 2008, we recruited students in the areas of Human Resources, Strategic Management, Supply Chain Management and Logistics, Information Technology, Business, and Sales.
Thousand Trails is the largest private system of RV camping and outdoor preserves in America. Thousand Trail’s properties are known as preserves because they strive to protect the nature and beauty of the natural environment. During a Thousand Trails internship, gain hands-on experience in the Parks & Recreation field. Position involves all aspects of the department including special events, recreation programming, customer service and promotion.
Wyndham Worldwide is one of the world's largest hospitality companies offering individual consumers and business customers a broad array of hospitality products and services. The WYNternship program is a 12-week paid, full-time internship where students can work at locations throughout the organization. WYNternship offers college students excellent industry experience, along with the opportunity to learn from some of the most experienced and talented individuals in the hospitality industry.
Widely known as America's largest home, 250-room Biltmore House draws about one million visitors each year. Biltmore's Culinary, Baking and Pastry, and Front of House Food and Beverage Management Programs provide many opportunities for students to experience a wide range of food and beverage operations. Through one-on-one training and hands-on work, students gain valuable experience while contributing to the success of Biltmore's extensive hospitality operations.
Blackstone is a leading global alternative asset manager and provider of financial advisory services listed on the New York Stock Exchange. During the 10 week program, Summer Interns take on many of the responsibilities that full-time Analysts and Associates assume.
With a full range of amenities and resort services, Tan-Tar-A Resort in Osage Beach, MO is a destination all its own. Wilderness, recreation, pampering, dining, work, and play are all offered at this resort. Tan-Tar-A welcomes students on a year round basis. Students may participate in paid 3-18 month programs. Those students who stay for an extended period of time usually rotate through two or more different departments including restaurants, catering, culinary, front office, house-keeping, and recreation.
The Country Club is the oldest country club in the United States, located just a few miles from Boston. With over 1300 members TCC is also one of the largest and most luxurious country clubs in America. The Country Club offers a variety of different internships in areas including Club Management, Culinary, Grounds, and Golf Internships.
Delta Air Lines operates service to more worldwide destinations than any airline with flights to hundreds of destinations throughout the world. During the Delta Airlines internship, students work on challenging projects that include hands-on experience in flight simulation, engine maintenance, project management, network planning, demand forecasting, research and analysis, just to name a few.
Lufthansa is the largest airline in Europe in terms of overall passengers carried, and the flag carrier of Germany. Lufthansa offers internships to over 1200 students in all areas of its corporation, both in Germany and abroad. Lufthansa internships allows students to gather experience in daily operative routine, while offering real project work in your department along with insights into the entire Lufthansa Aviation Group.
The Disney College Program at the Walt Disney World® Resort is a one-of-a-kind, Disney-designed combination of education and work experience. Participants have numerous opportunities to meet Disney leaders, attend learning activities hosted by Disney executives and make the connections they want to learn more about the professional roles available at the Walt Disney World Resort. The Walt Disney World Resort has an international reputation for excellent Guest service and training, in addition to its popularity as the number-one vacation destination in the world.
Founded in 1960, Domino’s Pizza is the world leader in pizza delivery. With more than 8,600 stores in over 55 markets around the world, Domino’s Pizza is a mega brand driven by the strength of our successful franchisees.The Domino’s Pizza Summer Internship Program named "Internship of the Year" in Michigan.
Expedia is the world’s largest online travel company connecting customers to the hospitality industry. Expedia offers a variety of different internship opportunities in areas including, Program Manager, Market Manager, Software Engineer among others.
Harrah's Entertainment, Inc. is the world's largest provider of branded casino entertainment through operating subsidiaries. Harrah’s does offer internships on a limited basis in the fields of Hotel Operations/Food & Beverage. If you are interested in a specific location it would be helpful to contact their Employment Center directly to find out about opportunities at their property.
The leading North American manufacturer of quality chocolate and confectionary products has also become a leader in hospitality and entertainment. Hershey Entertainment & Resorts offers many opportunities for undergraduate students eager to gain valuable work experience and build their professional skills. Areas of internship include, Professional Internships, Hospitality, Culinary/ Pastry
The MGM Mirage is one of the most popular and largest casinos in Las Vegas. The Hospitality Internship Program (HIP) is a paid 12-week summer program designed to provide selected undergraduate students with and opportunity to gain the practical work experience necessary for a successful career in the hospitality industry. The Hospitality Internship Program offers internships in many departments, including Hotel Operations, Finance, Human Resources, Food and Beverage, Slot Operations, Corporate Diversity & Community Affairs, Convention Services, Philanthropy, Entertainment Administration and Special Events.
Southwest Airlines is an American low-cost airline. Southwest is the largest airline in the world by number of passengers carried per year. The goal of the “No Limits” Internship is to provide Interns with interactive learning opportunities and hands-on business experience. Each Intern will be exposed to practical workplace skills needed for his/her business field. Some areas on internship include: Marketing, People and Leadership Development, Legislative Communications & Grassroots, Flight Operations-Publications, and many more!
Starbucks purchases and roasts high-quality whole bean coffees and sells them along with fresh, Italian style espresso beverages, a variety of pastries, and coffee-related accessories. The majority of the Starbucks internship opportunities are located at the main office, the Starbucks Support Center (SSC), in Seattle, Wash. Interns can expect to be immersed in the Starbucks Experience and “coffee culture” by the industry leaders in the specialty coffee market.
We offer junior and senior students in hospitality programs a ten-week paid, high-energy intern experience. During the first five weeks, interns acclimate to their new environment, trying out a variety of areas. The rest is the real test. Hands-on training, including Management and Manager-On-Duty roles, ending with an appraisal of your skills, knowledge and of course, aptitude for good times.
Trump Entertainment Resorts owns and manages its own casinos/hotels in Atlantic City, New Jersey. The following internship opportunities are among those that are periodically offered at Trump Plaza, Trump Marina and Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City, New Jersey: Casino Hotel Services, Culinary, Food & Beverage Management, Hotel Operations, Pastry, Special Events, and many more.
* The links provided on this page are for the convenience of the reader only and imply no endorsement by, or affiliation with, the California State University.
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