Cornell students! I’m on campus right now for the Entrepreneurship@Cornell Celebration. I’ll be here through Monday, so e-mail me at willy@onedayonejob.com if you like to meet up and pick my brain about careers or entrepreneurship.

So far I’m loving being back in Ithaca to connect with fellow Cornell entrepreneurs. I’ve met a ton of great people and learned about some really cool things that other alumni are working on. Yesterday I got to watch the finalists in the Cornell Venture Challenge pitch their businesses to investors and sit in on a panel about social entrepreneurship, but the best part was actually the keynote. I almost skipped it because I usually find those kind of talks boring, but I wanted to learn about Cornell’s “Entrepreneur of the Year” Harris Rosen. He is the President & COO of Rosen Hotels, and he is a fascinating guy. He came from meager beginnings in New York City, and somehow made it to Cornell. After going through a few jobs, he bought “a bankrupt 256-room Quality Inn in Orlando in 1974.” His company now owns 7 successful hotels in Orlando, FL that combine for 6,300 rooms. It may not be a massive chain like Marriott, Hilton, or Hyatt, but the business that Harris Rosen has built is just as impressive, if not more so.
Read the full article →
Tagged as:
all employers,
customer service,
Florida,
hospitality management,
hotel,
operations,
travel

A few weeks ago I was able to escape Chicago just after the blizzard and spend a weekend in Miami Beach. My girlfriend’s company had a region-wide annual retreat, and significant others were invited–all expenses paid! I had a great time, mostly because I was with good friends and the weather was great. (I also got to go fishing. I caught a 70 lb tarpon and as I got it to the boat a 400+ lb shark came out from under the boat and ate it.) Another thing that made the trip great was the accommodations. We stayed at Fontainebleau in Miami Beach, FL (no need to say it with a French accent, Fountain Blue is ok), and they took care of many of the weekend’s events. The resort was beautiful, the staff was great, and the location was quite an upgrade from Chicago in February. My only complaint was that Fontainebleau’s grounds are so expansive that you do a lot of walking, and sometimes you get lost. Still, it was an awesome trip at an awesome resort (I even got a massage).
Read the full article →
Tagged as:
all employers,
customer service,
fitness,
Florida,
food,
hospitality management,
hotel,
marketing,
restaurants,
sales,
spa
At this point in December, we hope most of you are done with exams and home for Winter Break. This is a great time for you to relax, subscribe to One Day, One Job, and start looking for great job ideas. Your Mom will probably want you to figure out what you want to do after college by spending 8 hour days cruising job boards, working on your resume, and calling her friends so that you can “network.” We think you should go on vacation – even if it’s just a day trip somewhere. Expose yourself (not that way, perv) to complete strangers in places you’ve never been before. Strike up random conversations. See a cultural attraction that fascinates you. Eat a new type of ethnic cuisine. Observe everything that you experience in the context of your job search.
Read the full article →
Tagged as:
all employers,
hospitality management,
hotel