Bringing Students, Industry Experts and Employers Together

There isn’t one perfect answer to the question “what’s the best career for me and how do I get there?” But talking to and learning from professionals in the work world can give students important insight into today’s career options, industries and what it takes to get in the door.

Opportunities to hear from visiting professionals and meet with employment recruiters are offered every semester at JWU. Some recent topics of these events and visits included advice on acquiring internships and positions to launch your career, ways to use (and not use) AI when applying and interviewing for jobs, and what recruiters look for in students and recent graduates. For those interested in a career that lends itself to social responsibility, advocacy or the greater good, there’s input from professionals on that, too.

Global Hospitality Leader Weighs in with Advice for Students

For decades JWU has built relationships with the hospitality industry’s leading national and international companies, setting opportunities for students to meet and hear from experts and recruiters who visit our campuses. In some instances, students have been hired through these visits, with a position waiting for them upon graduation.

One of these companies, with a long-standing, valuable relationship with JWU, is Marriott International. Industry leaders such as Marriott offer expert guidance and advice for our students about making their way into the hotel business.

Marriott International’s Saul Najera, Culinary Recruiting Manager, University Relations + Recruiting (at time of interview) and currently Food and Beverage Recruiting Manager, Gaylord Opryland Resort, who has visited our campuses, offered insight into what he looks for in students, what they need to know about the industry and how to stay competitive.

When asked about the qualities and skills he values most in students and how students can best position themselves to stand out, Najera answered: 

In recent graduates, we value strong communication skills, emotional intelligence, and a proactive attitude. To position themselves for success, students should seek internships, engage in team projects and develop a strong foundational background in their department of choice. Demonstrating initiative and a willingness to learn can make a significant difference.

On the topic of how students can make the most of opportunities to engage with industry professionals, Najera offered:

Students can maximize their engagement with industry professionals by attending networking events, participating in internships and seeking mentorships. Joining student organizations related to hospitality and attending workshops can also provide valuable exposure to industry insights.

For advice on aligning themselves with what employers are looking for, Najera said:

To align better with employer expectations, students should focus on developing soft skills, such as communication and leadership, while also gaining technical expertise in hospitality management systems. Emphasizing internships, real-world projects and networking opportunities will further enhance their employability.

Najera also filled us in on what emerging trends he sees in hospitality and which skills our students should focus on to stay competitive.

Emerging trends in the hospitality industry include a focus on sustainability, digital transformation and personalized guest experiences. Students should hone skills in people branding, customer service and adaptability to stay competitive. Challenges such as adapting to changing consumer preferences and labor shortages may arise. Being flexible and continuously learning will be crucial.

Careers as Catalysts for Good

Whether you work for a nonprofit, the government or own your own business, there are opportunities to use your position to help people who need a hand. Two recent visitors to our campuses, in very different fields, are doing just that.

Entrepreneur Gives Second Chance to Ex-Offenders

Michelle Coffino made her way from owning a hair salon to owner and CEO of Queen City Metal Recycling & Salvage, a full metal and electronic recycling facility, as well as other businesses. She also authored “Stilettos to Steal Toes -- Stepping into a Man’s World.”

At the recycling and salvage center, Coffino isn’t just doing good for the environment, she’s helping people who need a second chance. When hiring, she goes out of her way to recruit formerly incarcerated men and women who need jobs.

According to businessnc.com, Coffino speaks nationally about her industry, hiring ex-inmates and mental health. In 2017, the U.S. Small Business Administration named her North Carolina’s Small Business of the Year – Runner Up. Recently, Coffino spoke to Charlotte Campus students and gave advice on the strength of networking and teamwork.

Nkorereimana Ninete ’25 sat in on Coffino’s presentation and offered her takeaways from the entrepreneur:

“Ms. Coffino motivated me. I loved that she encouraged us to reach out to her if we had a business idea because she might know someone that can help us,” said Nkorereimana. “I also loved that when she started speaking, she said to ‘get your notes out and write this down.’ I captured a lot that I can go back to, reread and motivate myself because sometimes life gets so busy that we forget what we did a week ago, so it’s good to be able to go back and feel the inspiration again through my notes.”

Some of Coffino’s sayings about succeeding in business:

• Everyone has something to contribute.
• Your team is going to be your success.
• Never be the smartest person in the room.
• Make a difference in your community.

Justice with Purpose

A visit to a Juvenile Justice class by Anne M.C. Travers, chief, Juvenile Division, Office of the Public Defender, and Mikala Morrison, special assistant attorney general, Family/District Court Unit of the Criminal Division, is a telling example of how a career in a certain field, in this case law, can make a difference to someone – in this case a juvenile -- who needs an advocate to support and defend them.

The lawyers used a mock case to demonstrate the roles of the defense (Travers) and the prosecution (Morrison) when a juvenile (17 or under) is accused. By engaging in back-and-forth legalese, they depicted how they work toward different ends while also highlighting the details of how the Juvenile Justice system operates.

After their animated presentation, Travers delivered some advice for students who might be interested in becoming lawyers as well as some ways to figure out what position might suit you best.

“My advice to anyone who is thinking about becoming an attorney is that they try to get internships in as varied a range as possible. They should work with prosecution as well as defense. They should work with the private as well as the public sector. In doing this, it will help them decide where they want to practice as well as how to structure their classes (both in college as well as law school).“

Luciel J. Potter Cains Algarin ’26, a criminal justice major who attended the presentation, gave his reaction. “Sometimes guest speakers bring examples of things that we would never see or experience without their presence. Hearing from someone active in the work force brings a new level of inspiration and makes me want to look deeper into a field that could potentially suit me that I would never have known about without their lecture.”

Lecturer Stephen Riccitelli, who led the course, shared, “They offered in-depth insight into the roles of the prosecutor and the defense within criminal justice, particularly in juvenile justice, allowing students to consider whether this might be an area of interest for them.”

Health and Wellness Students Get Head Start on Careers

In 2014, JWU launched its first program in healthcare and the first Physician Assistant Studies (PA) program in Rhode Island. Ten years later, JWU boasts six undergraduate, four graduate and one doctoral program through its College of Health & Wellness, with M.S. degrees in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and Addiction Counseling along with a B.S. in Psychology, offered through the College of Arts & Science.

The Behavioral, Health & Sciences Career Fair hosted 13 organizations from the region’s healthcare industry. They were eager to talk to our students and hoping to fill roles including internships, clinicals, part-and full-time positions and shadowing opportunities for students not sure of the specific area they want to pursue. The fair was well attended by students, who were lined down the hallway waiting for their chance to talk with the representatives.

Jennifer Champlin, Human Resources Generalist / Recruiter at University Orthopedics said she mainly came to the fair because of JWU’s PA program. “We've interviewed a lot of your students, and I believe we've had some from here do their clinical rotations with us. We loved the program, so we were hoping to catch more students today.”

Champlin had the opportunity to talk to students with a variety of career goals. “We're getting a lot of students that are aspiring Physician Assistants or looking to go into a Physical Therapy (PT) or Occupational Therapy (OT) program,” said Champlin. “We offer a lot of shadow experiences, so hopefully more students will shadow with us and when they complete their schooling, they'll remember us and apply for our open positions,” she added.

University Orthopedics has already worked with JWU’s Occupational Therapy program. “We've had your OT students do rotations with us before, and we just hired one a few months ago as an OT who had been placed with us shortly after they graduated, so that worked out very well for us,” said Champlin.

From Job Search to On-the-Job: How AI Is Changing the Game

A panel of professionals from human resources and marketing, including a few alumni, visited campus to talk to students about their experiences using Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the workplace, recruiting and job searching. The panel was part of JWU’s Healthcare Summit Series: Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare Education. The speakers, listed below, offered some best practices, tips and risks when using AI.

Dawn Gaudreau, human resources director, Great Wolf Lodge

We use Paradox, an AI platform geared towards hiring. On our website, if you click on something career-related, “Emma,” pops up and asks, “how can I help you today?” and then takes you to the location and job you're looking for. Then she asks some screening questions and if you pass, she shows you available time slots for interviews. You could go on the site at 10am and possibly be interviewed and hired within an hour. It’s done a lot for our brand by making our candidates a priority and enhancing the experience.

Danielle May ’04, director of talent acquisition, The Little Nell & Limelight Hotels

The benefit for a job candidate, from an HR perspective, is making sure that our job descriptions are aligned with what we do, that the resumes you're writing use keywords and that certain keywords can bump you up to be a top candidate.

A recommendation I give about resumes is to make sure you’re not putting keywords in your resume that don't make sense. On the other hand, if you're looking at job qualifications that you have, make sure your resume represents those.

With AI, you still have to teach it and coach it to give you proper information. AI is more about efficiency, effectiveness, and being more timely.

Aaron Messina '04, area director of sales and marketing, TPG Hotels & Resorts

For me, AI is a big time saver for writing newsletter content or customer facing documents. I can take my ideas, put them into ChatGPT and throw in the demographic I'm targeting. It generates high quality content in minutes rather than hours.

The concept of AI replacing people or positions is such a broad general statement. It is a valid concern, but I think the opposite of that is happening. Every industry has gone through some sort of transformation, and most are learning to do more with less.

Cleo Clarke '96, vice president, Human Resources, M&R Management

Yesterday I had to write a speech that was needed later in the day. It took me about three hours to write. When I finished, I thought, why don't I run it through ChatGPT? I did, and I was amazed because I haven't really embraced AI, so I was fascinated — it was actually pretty good. AI is here, and we need to embrace it and that's exactly what I'm doing, slowly.

Louis Yazh '94, college and workforce recruiter, Explore Charleston

I'm not a great writer. I've been restaurant and hotel guy my whole life. I use AI to rewrite things I’ve written.

I use LinkedIn a lot. I write quick and short. AI is the best way for me to write concisely. It's a matter of how we use it and not losing your voice as you're using it, not letting it do everything for you. Be very cautious of how you use it, and what you use it for.

What do top employers really think about JWU students?

We asked a few of the industry professionals who regularly recruit on campus to share why they keep coming back — and what makes JWU students stand out. From passion and creativity to real-world experience, here’s what they had to say. 

Compass Group Careers/Compass Group USA
Kyle Wardrop, University Relations Team, Manager of University Relations, 

Why was Compass Group attracted to recruiting at JWU, and what keeps you returning?

I think that you have one of the best four-year programs in the nation. I am new to the culinary and hospitality industry, but quickly learned that Johnson & Wales is the flagship of what culinary education should be. I would be naive to say that there weren't other great schools, but I love everything that this school represents and produces as far as talent.

Are there specific skills, qualities or experiences you value in our students?

I will say to bring forth a great student requires a very engaged, intentional, nurturing and special professor. I see that through the students. To see future artists so passionate about what they're working on through the level of complexity that is the culinary field makes me proud to want to visit this campus.

Marriott International
Saul Najera, Culinary Recruiting Manager, University Relations + Recruiting

How do JWU students stand out from their peers at other universities?

JWU students often stand out due to their practical experience and strong work ethic. Their hands-on learning approach equips them with real-world skills that are highly valued. Qualities like resilience, creativity and teamwork also set them apart.

What led Marriott to recruit at JWU, and what keeps you coming back?

Marriott International was initially attracted to JWU because of its strong reputation in hospitality education and the quality of its graduates. The commitment to experiential learning and industry alignment keeps us returning to recruit from JWU, as we consistently find candidates who are well-prepared for the demands of the field.

By bringing experts from health and wellness, hospitality, culinary, business and more to our campuses, JWU empowers students to explore industries, ask questions and build networks that support their goals. Whether students are drawn to behavioral sciences, legal studies, hospitality management or entrepreneurship, JWU ensures they have the tools — and the connections — to succeed.

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