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Creating Career Connections

Author Annie B. Milostan ’25 is a Baking and Pastry Arts major.

Here at CIA, we have a career fair once a semester with the best companies and restaurants in the industry. For the Spring 2024 semester we had roughly 150 companies here on campus ready to connect with CIA students. Out of the 150, I interviewed three recruiters:

• Bryan McIntosh, director of food and beverage, Biltmore Estate, North Carolina
• Stephanie Potkovac ’16, pastry sous chef, The Grand Hotel, Alabama
• Zane Holmquist ’91, vice president of food and beverage operations, Stein Eriksen Lodge, Utah

What would you say to a junior and senior in high school who are interested in the food and beverage industry?

• Bryan McIntosh: “It’s a fun career, it varies every day and is definitely not an office job.”
• Stephanie Potcavat ’16: “You need to have a passion for it and that it is a lot of hard work but it is rewarding.”
• Zane Holmquist ’91: “Experience the industry, it is unique with a unique world. There is a place for everyone but not everyone fits in this world.”

In what ways does coming to the career fair help first semester students prepare for externship and post graduation?

• Bryan McIntosh: “Coming to the career fair as a first semester student can help by getting them used to what’s out there, every company offers different programs for externship and post-graduation opportunities.”
• Stephanie Potcavat ’16: “Coming to the career fair as a first semester student can help show you what your options are and become more acclimated with talking to people and how to present yourself for externship and post-graduation opportunities.”
• Zane Holmquist ’91: “Coming to the career fair as a first semester student can help them find connections and build connections as well as helps students find where they fit for their externship and post-graduation opportunities.”

What opportunities are there for training and progression?

• Bryan McIntosh: “Within the Biltmore there are so many entry level positions in the hospitality industry, from dishwasher to server and if you put in the work then you can move up the chain and become anything you want between this industry.”
• Stephanie Potcavat ’16: “Within the Grand Hotel they are very into promoting within the company, over hiring outside. I started here as a CIA extern and worked my way up, they created the pastry sous chef position just for me.”
• Zane Holmquist ’91: “Within the Stein Eriksen Lodge they try and promote from within and they work hard to make sure the right people are in the correct position for who they are and how hard they work.”