This is an
informational Interview conducted April 28, 2002
1. Describe a
typical day or week at work.
Greet my coworkers. Check my mailbox. Turn
on my computer and sort through my mail while it loads. Check my email. Get ice for my soft drink.
Check my voicemail. Answer customer voicemails. Read the night audit
reports. Check to see what bills need to
be sent out. Prepare and send out the bills. Prepare a listing of cashier
deposits. Count the cashier’s deposits and prepare a deposit for the bank. Get
a copy of USA Today to read after work. Go to the bank and deposit receipts.
Chat with the teller, (I know all of their names.) Smile and wave at the lovely
Maria who works at a desk far behind the counter as some type of administrator.
Get change at the bank if needed. Work on projects for my boss. Frequently
check web for emails, or, less often, do a bit of surfing just for fun. Code
invoices for payment. Prepare list of invoices to be paid. Forward invoices to
check processor. Get more ice. Check with cashiers, do they need change? Post
all payments received in the mail. Spend time chatting with coworkers. Do they
need any help with anything? Answer their trivia questions (I’m the guy they
come to for answers when they are too busy to look things up. i.e. how many
pints in a quart, what is the area code for
2. What
about your job do you like most?
I enjoy
supervising people, watching and helping them to develop their skills and
grow. Working with numbers and computers
is still fun for me. I used to describe my work as “having a different math
puzzle to solve every day.” My present job has flexible hours. This is a benefit
I enjoy immensely, but which is atypical for hotel controllers.
Least?
The pay in hospitality is not good. Most of
the employees lack higher education so intellectual stimulus is lacking. There
are few opportunities to add value and make a significant contribution to the
industry or society. In many hotels the staff turnover is quite rapid, so the
boss you like today may be gone tomorrow.
3. What was
your career path?
I was initially hired as a night auditor and
did this work for about 10 years, at several hotels. I was a high school dropout
with no higher education, just a GED, but I had an aptitude for math so I did
well. Eventually I got some recognition when an electrical fire burned out our
computerized cash register system and I improvised a manual accounting system
to temporarily replace it.
Shortly thereafter I was promoted into the
accounting office as an assistant to the Controller. As Assistant Controller I
supervised the night audit staff. The
Controller shifted me around between accounting tasks for two years so I could
learn all of the jobs. During this period I took a few business courses. After
the first year my position was expanded to include HR Management. When the
Controller eventually moved on, I was named acting Controller and after two
months I was given the position on a permanent basis.
After that I changed Controller jobs a few
times and quickly learned that each job is different. Review my resume at www.cob.sjsu.edu/splane_m/MyResume.htm
4. Do you
have any advice on advancement career development?
Yes. See my web page: www.cob.sjsu.edu/splane_m/ethics.htm
Read as much as you can about people skills,
time management techniques, and communication skills.
Find a mentor or if that’s not possible get
a friend to share your career insights with.
5. Do you
receive any compensation benefits?
I receive a
pension, health and dental benefits, vacation, and a 401K plan.
6. What
were some of the most important characteristics that
your
favorite
Manager/Boss had?
Honesty, integrity and loyalty. I can go to my current boss and get him to do
anything by using this simple phrase, “it’s the right thing to do.” I admire
him greatly for his desire and actions in doing “the right thing” even when it
is not politically expedient. When I
make a mistake I can go to him and inform him without fear of punishment or
reprisal.
Organization: He has good file systems, manages both his own and
his subordinates’ time well. His paperwork is neat and professional in
appearance. He keeps a daily list of tasks to complete and works through it
systematically.
Communications skills: He lets me know exactly where I stand with him. I
always know exactly what he wants and when. He uses language with a precision
and conciseness that I marvel at.
7. Are
there a lot of politics involved in getting promoted in your industry
or do
you feel that most people are given performance-based promotions?
I worked for two hotels owned by Asian
family companies. In those cases politics and family were the only criteria for
promotion. In the American-owned hotels
politics was far less important than performance. You always have to be
likeable and noticed.
Politics is far more important in a
management job than in a non-management position. Being bad politically will
usually get you fired, being a poor performer is more tolerated.
8. What is your
most memorable moment in the Hospitality industry?
It’s hard to pick just one. One thing nice about the field is that you never know what will happen. Some things that stand out: getting promoted to Controller, getting held up at gunpoint, the night the water pipe burst at 3 a.m. and flooded half the hotel, my first encounter with a prostitute, being unexpectedly called into work at 2 am after spending the evening getting drunk on tequila, the power failure during a blizzard, the drunkard boss that smashed a glass ashtray by hurling it against the wall, the sadistic boss who stroked the stuffed tarantula on his desktop as he told dark stories of “getting even” and “fixing that bastard”, the crazed drunk who pounded on the wall of the hotel and threatened to kill me if I didn’t rent him a room, the night the cash register suffered an electrical fire, the excitement of opening day at a brand new hotel, catching a ring of embezzlers, meeting celebrities, and finally, sitting in a boring staff meeting and realizing I wanted to get into a more “exciting” (?) line of work. That was the day I decided to go back to college and get a degree.