Networking is vital to success in the business world. During the Sales and Guest Services Internship, there are opportunities to network with executives and professionals from the company’s Headquarters Office and Chicago Sales Office by way of Meet and Greet presentations and job shadowing. In 2016, there were 16 Meet and Greet sessions, and 67% of the interns participated in sessions throughout the Summer.
Meet and Greet presentations are unique to this internship program. Interns may sign up for however many topics are of interest, and come prepared to these events with questions for the presenter. During the session, interns will learn about the host’s professional career, and what their role at Entertainment Cruises entails. After the presentation, hosts hold a question-and-answer session. Past Meet and Greet presenters have been Michael Higgins, former CEO and President; Paul Belforti, Vice President of Operations; Laurie Baran, CFO; and, Jim Evans, Senior Vice President of Marketing and Sales, among others. Read below how interns enjoyed and learned from these sessions.
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Isabella Prenta
Summer 2014 Sales and Guest Services Intern
Contact Center Administrative Assistant and Intern Coordinator, Entertainment Cruises
After learning about the company culture, it was clear that my summer internship would be more than just a line on my resume; it would be a rewarding experience. Throughout the summer, interns were extended the privilege to participate in Meet and Greet sessions with executives from our corporate offices. These sessions served as a pivotal part of the internship. Over the course of the summer, interns were able to meet and interact with nearly 10 executives, including the CEO of the company, Michael Higgins. The sessions provided interns with the opportunity to see how an executive presentation is conducted, to learn about the different types of personnel needed to run a company, and also served as an outlet for interns to reflect upon, ask questions and receive feedback about their own professional choices and goals.
In sum, the Meet and Greet sessions enabled interns to take part in a series of experiences that would help to shape and encourage their future professional roles.
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Nicole Jacobs
Summer 2013 Sales and Guest Services Intern
The Meet and Greet sessions that the Entertainment Cruises Executive Team prepares for the interns are great! The very first Meet and Greet I attended was with Michael Higgins, the CEO of the company. Honestly, I was nervous about the presentation. Before it started, I was a bit intimidated by Mr. Higgins himself, I mean how often does someone get to meet the CEO of a great company? As his presentation commenced, I realized I did not have any reason to be nervous. Mr. Higgins’ presentation was very informative and actually pretty entertaining. I’m pretty sure I laughed at all his jokes and personal stories.
He went on and explained what a typical day in his shoes was like and answered all of the questions the interns had. He also offered great advice about our future aspirations and life in general. I never thought Mr. Higgins’ story of starting off as a bartender would lead him to becoming the CEO of Entertainment Cruises. His story exemplifies that anything in life can happen and with determination, persistence, and hard work, the possibilities are endless.
The next meet and greet I attended was with Dan Russell, the Chicago General Manager. Something I really enjoyed about his presentation was the fact that he pretty much experienced what many college students experienced today: being unsure about his future plans or what major to pursue. He went from taking science-related classes, like organic chemistry, to business classes in order to pursue an accounting degree, completely switching his course. I felt that many interns, like myself, related to his story. Nowadays, there is a lot of pressure put on students to choose a major and career path that will lead to a guaranteed job after graduation.
I liked how the lesson learned through Mr. Russell’s story was to find your passion and never stop until you do. And another lesson: to pursue something that you love, so every work day will not seem like a monotonous, repetitive 9-5 job. I felt that his story was encouraging and inspiring to me and my future endeavors.
Entertainment Cruises 