Scott Chapman

Kelly Simmons

Chapman, a Savannah, Ga., native tends to guest inquiries at the concierge desk.
Photographer Abbey Benefield

As an intern in operations at the UGA Center for Continuing Education & Hotel, Scott Chapman worked alongside other students in part-time jobs and adults on full-time schedules. Some days there were dozens of employees cleaning rooms, serving meals at banquets and greeting guests. Some days, just a few.

An internship in human resources helped him better understand the process for scheduling staff and other critical decisions made in the “back of the house.”

I have a deeper understanding of why things are done a certain way.

After graduating in May from the University of Georgia with a degree in Hospitality and Food Industry Management (HFIM) and armed with many hours of experiential learning, Chapman began his career at the Four Seasons Hotel in Denver as a finance manager-in-training.

He was better prepared for the job thanks to the hands-on training he received at the UGA Center for Continuing Education & Hotel, which offers student internships in housekeeping, food and beverage, marketing, event planning, human resources, and front desk/concierge responsibilities.

During his internship in HR, Chapman got to experience many of the jobs that are essential to the operation of the center but not necessarily visible to guests. For example, he helped write job descriptions and vet the first round of candidates for certain jobs, tasks usually assigned to a middle manager.

He did an analysis of performance reviews, and identified areas where the center could do better with its fulltime employees. The analysis will be used to guide personal development plans for those employees.

Chapman was included in cross-departmental meetings to better understand how HR’s administrative and accounting responsibilities affect the different segments of the center—the hotel and conference center, food and beverage, and continuing education.

“My many different positions gave me a holistic perspective of hotels in general,” Chapman says. “I learned how every department is connected and dependent upon each other to deliver an excellent experience and product. By developing personal relationships and communication across departments, hotels can not only enhance the guest experience but the employee experience as well.”