The opportunity to learn the finer details of your chosen degree subject through a paid internship overseas is a privilege only awarded to the most successful and driven of students.
Yet for Morgan Burn, this dream became a reality with help from the Futures Fund. The Business and Management student jetted off to Austin, Texas earlier to work for White Lodging Services for six weeks this summer.
After being offered the internship, Morgan turned to the Futures Fund to help with the considerable expense of travelling to and working in the U.S. As a full time student who balances her time at University with working volunteering and working in a restaurant, the money proved invaluable, allowing her to purchase a visa.
Once there, she was shown how the hotel company functions on a daily basis, splitting her time between the two Marriott Hotels that the company is contracted to run in the city.
As an intern, Morgan developed skills in a variety of roles, including working as part of the Housekeeping team, dealing with customers on the front desk and analysing the business’s statistics and reports through the Fosse management system.
Although working in a wide range of roles was a steep learning curve, Morgan felt that she had managed to get to grips with her tasks quickly and was working well with the rest of the team by the end of her time there.
“I feel as though at the end of my internship I found a good balance balance,” she said. “My customer service skills were broadened and my communication skills sharpened.”
One of the skills she was taught was the 15/5 rule, a technique used by staff when dealing with customers to ensure they felt more comfortable. Morgan was hugely impressed by the effectiveness of the technique and admitted that she would use it in her job back home.
“This meant that at 15 feet, a member of staff would acknowledge a guest and at 5 they would greet them,” she explained. “This boosted Guest Survey scores and made the guest feel comfortable and safe within the hotel.
“I feel this skill is transferable to my restaurant supervisor role at home and I will definitely incorporate it.”
During her time off, Morgan took the chance to explore the gargantuan city, which is home to nearly a million people. She fully immersed herself in Texan culture, shopping in big malls, experiencing country music and sampling the 'cook out' style of food.
The trip proved hugely invaluable for Morgan, allowing her to gain real-life experience of how a business operates and helping her to expand her network of contacts. She thanked the Futures Fund and its donors and acknowledged that the trip would not have been possible without their help.
She continued: “I would have never had this opportunity if it wasn’t for the Futures Fund scholarship, as it helped to fund my work visa. I feel extremely thankful to the donors as this experience has strengthened my employability and set me apart from other students.
“The skills I have developed and the relationships I have built with White Lodging staff are really something extraordinary. I am extremely lucky to have travelled to the US and to have been a part of a company so large and successful.”
Morgan found the experience so rewarding that she is already planning to return to the hotel and is already arranging a trip after she completes her degree.
She concluded: “I have learnt so much and hope to travel back once I have finished my degree. Thank you again for the opportunity, I am so grateful.”
Article written by Matthew Shevlin, University of Sunderland Journalism graduate.