My Goals for the Semester

"Three things that I would like to get out of this class are..."

To be honest, there are not three specific things that I would like to get out of the class. I am confident that I will learn a million little things that no one has ever thought to share with me. But in order to conform with this assignment, I will try my best to outline my three most important goals.

First of all, I would like to find out what the first step would be in starting my own business. I don't believe that I will step out of college and jump into running a business all of my own, but I would like to know how to get there. I have expressed a interest in hospitality, particularly in opening my own hotel, but I have no idea what I would have to do in order to establish one, nor do I have any contacts or experience in the industry.

So, I suppose that would be my second goal. I would like to know how to approach people in the hospitality industry. I know as a student it is acceptable and encouraged for me to talk with professionals in order to learn something from their experience, whether it is their successes or mistakes, but how do I even meet them in the first place? Should I ask them for help? When is it appropriate to ask for a job? I would like experience, and I don't mind working for it, but I know that information could be just as valuable. There seems to be a line between what is acceptable and unacceptable with these types of interactions, and I am not afraid to admit that I don't know where that line is.

Finally, I would like to know what kind of thought processes and other things that will set me apart when I am working for someone else. I only know how I think, so I don't know how the "normal" employee thinks. This is one of the topics that I anticipated covering when I first signed up for the class. I don't intend on starting my own business right away, so it would be beneficial for me and the other students in the class who are not necessarily interested in starting their own company to learn. What allows us to thrive and move up in the company that we find ourselves in? If I am going to be a part of another company, I want to be a vital part, and not just another worker bee.

I hope this gives you a bit of my goals, but as I expressed, I hope and expect to learn so much more from this class. With this class and the other classes in the concentration, I am looking to establish the foundation in order to learn and succeed in whatever venture I find myself in down the road.


Dawn