JWU Can Jump-Start Your Career

At JWU, we do our part as an institution to help the ones who rise to the occasion reach even higher. We believe every person can work hard, do well and be great — but they need to put in the work. Our students know this too, which is why we can only take so much credit for what they achieve after graduation. That said, we are enormously proud of our alumni and the heights they rise to after graduation.

It’s clear that a JWU education can prepare you for career success. In 2020, our career outcomes rate, a nationally recognized way to calculate student success, rose historically higher than the national average to 97.7%. The rate reflects the percentage of students who are either employed, continuing their education, enlisted in military service, or performing voluntary service within six months of graduation.

In a time when industries are becoming increasingly competitive, our graduates are rising to the top of the pack. To put a face to our new career outcomes rate, we decided to check back in with some of our most recent graduates and see how they’re thriving in the workforce.

Alumni All-Stars

John Michos '18

After graduating with his bachelor’s degree in Sports, Entertainment, Event — Management, John Michos took a position with the Washington Nationals in March of 2019 as an Inside Sales Representative and was soon promoted to an Account Executive in Group Sales with the Nationals.

Michos attributes his early success in his career directly to what he learned at JWU. “Getting experience is the key,” he explained. “JWU emphasized putting yourself out there and learning outside the classroom. The value of having no class on Friday gave us an extra day to work, volunteer and network which was a great learning tool and proved invaluable in gaining ;contacts, participating, and becoming involved with various events. These opportunities instilled confidence and made me prepared post-graduation. I was ready for interviews with an experience filled resume. JWU gave me all the tools I needed to interview and ultimately get hired by a quality organization.”

Indira Sirjue '20

For Sirjue, success after graduation came from an unexpected opportunity. After earning her Tourism & Hospitality Management degree and having prior experience in the hospitality industry working as a front desk attendant and customer service representative, she received an offer by the Department of Homeland Security to work as a Transportation Security Officer. Although this opportunity was different than what she had anticipated, Sirjue says she loves what she does now and that her time at JWU prepared her for a career shift.

“JWU has definitely prepared me to enter the job market,” she said. “You may think some of those classes are unimportant, but really they are. Through my classes, I was able to take on challenges with training and development, accounting (profit and loss statements, spreadsheets), human resources, marketing, technology, and many other tasks. You have to be the student who isn’t afraid to apply yourself.”

Paige Zuber '18

While finishing her Sports, Entertainment, Event Management degree at JWU, Paige was interning with the Gloria Gemma Breast Cancer Resource Foundation where she went on to take a full-time position as an Event and Marketing Coordinator once she graduated. Through that work, she found her passion for digital marketing, moving back home to New York City and beginning a career with FLIK Hospitality as a Café Manager for one of the company’s newest accounts in Manhattan.

Reflecting on her time at JWU, Zuber was candid in how the university prepared her for the working world. “The College of Hospitality Management does not mess around with getting its students the skills and experience they need,” she explained. “I was once told, ‘If you’re too comfortable, it’s time for a change.’ This has played a part in my career choices and how I tackle decision-making. Especially in the hospitality industry, we should never be comfortable with the current norm, we have to be prepared for the next adventure.”

Kristin Ullrich '19

Since graduating from JWU with her Baking & Pastry Arts and Food & Beverage Industry Management degree, Kristin Ullrich took on work with Marriott International at the Westin Copley Place in Boston as a Food and Beverage Operations Voyager. In this role, she’s been able to continue her hands-on learning of the industry that she began exploring at JWU.

For Ullrich, ending up with Marriot was no coincidence. She said that working for the company has always been a dream of hers, a dream that JWU has helped her achieve: “I feel that Johnson & Wales prepared me immensely to enter the job market,” she said. “Not only through my education throughout my three years, but also setting up the opportunity for me to apply to Marriott’s Voyage Leadership Development Program right on campus. Each and every career fair, I had my eyes on Marriott and Johnson & Wales’ dedication to my success, along with my hard work, made my dreams become a reality.”

Michael Weishaus '19

After graduating with his Sports, Entertainment, Event — Management degree, Michael Weishaus went on to FLIK Hospitality’s Manager in Training (MIT) program, where he was then promoted to a Café Manager at their PepsiCo World HQ account. There, he has not only been in charge of managing a staff of 25, creating menus, managing inventory, and working with their financial team but he has also been given the opportunity to take the lead on new projects for his account and travel the country to assist other accounts.

For Weishaus, he said his time at JWU truly allowed him to be where he is today. “They really focused on networking and getting out into industry,” he said. “Thanks to the clubs JWU offered, I was able to meet industry leaders in the area that hired me during college to work on the days I didn’t have class. This helped me to build an extensive resume. Johnson & Wales, in my honest opinion, was a big help when it came to where I am today.”

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