Degrees at Work: Bad Break Leads to Increased Skills
Working on a college degree can be backbreaking work. But for Kerry McCormick, that description carries a double meaning. And that鈥檚 because, in 2012, McCormick had the unfortunate experience of literally breaking her back. While convalescing from surgery in 2013, the Valley Stream, New York resident decided to put her recovery time to good use and enrolled in Excelsior College鈥檚 Bachelor of Science in Business program.
McCormick began her college studies at Queensborough Community College right after high school but discovered that she wasn鈥檛 ready to buckle down. More than 15 years later, she reconsidered a return to college and was exploring different programs. On Christmas day she was gifted with a ringing endorsement from her boyfriend鈥檚 son, a student in Excelsior鈥檚 nursing program. She explains, 鈥淗e spoke so highly of the programs, of the teachers, the advisors, and how accessible it was [being an online institution] that I had to run with it.鈥� When she checked the College鈥檚 website and saw her desired course of study, she enrolled the next day.
鈥淲hen I was in kindergarten, and the teacher asked what everyone wanted to be when they grew up, I said I wanted to be a waitress,鈥� McCormick explains. And at 18, she started working as a hostess in a restaurant. This self-described extrovert loves the hospitality industry, noting that no two days are the same. She says, 鈥淚 like making people happy and making them smile. 鈥� She feels that everyone should work in the hospitality industry at some point in their lives because it teaches communication and people skills.
McCormick currently serves as manager of the Bayside, Queen鈥檚 location of Uncle Jack鈥檚 Steakhouse. A mid-sized hospitality group, Uncle Jack鈥檚 has three New York area locations, a Georgia restaurant, and two additional steakhouses opening soon. She describes her job as 鈥渕aking sure guests have the steakhouse experience that they鈥檙e craving.鈥�
Among her challenges are dealing with staff, customers, and vendors. Typically, hospitality workers are very transient, and retaining employees has been one of her biggest challenges. However, for the first time in her career, she鈥檚 been pleasantly surprised at the low turnover at Uncle Jack鈥檚, an attribute she credits to the owner鈥檚 ease of accessibility and commitment to his brand and his employees.聽 鈥淵our most valuable asset in your company is your human capital,鈥� McCormick emphasizes. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not only important to pay your people what they鈥檙e worth, but also to provide that feeling of 鈥榦neness with the company. It makes going to work every day more of a pleasure and less of a chore.鈥�
Although many people can make a comfortable living in the hospitality industry without the benefit of a degree, McCormick notes the advantages of formal education. 鈥淵ou take notice of people with degrees. We鈥檙e an elite club,鈥� she explains. 鈥淧eople who don鈥檛 know me, but who know I have an advanced degree, treat me with more respect and seek my opinion on things. That piece of paper [the college degree] that I worked for really does help! I鈥檝e always been a relatively confident person but having the degrees has given me the confidence where I can truly go into any room and own it.鈥�
Excelsior鈥檚 coursework helped bolster and expand McCormick鈥檚 already prodigious hospitality skills.聽 She cites BUS517 Employee Staffing and Development as being influential and relied on the textbook鈥檚 breakdown of salary levels and how to present them when working as an industry recruiter. She also enjoyed BUS364 Legal Environment of the Hospitality Industry and kept the textbook because she feels it will be a lifelong resource. Classes in human resources, she notes, gave her a solid foundation to help her navigate any situation. 鈥淭he lesson plans and course material were all very relatable,鈥� she notes.
McCormick completed her bachelor鈥檚 degree in 2016 and then enrolled in Excelsior鈥檚 Master of Business Administration program, which she completed in 2020. She鈥檚 now exploring a second master鈥檚 degree in hospitality management, hoping to strengthen her financial skills in particular. She says, 鈥淚鈥檓 sure I should and could learn it while doing it [on the job], but I would just love to have that classroom experience as well. There鈥檚 so much more to learn.鈥� Another way Excelsior prepares its graduates to run a business is through the Bachelor of Professional Studies in Business and Management.
MORE FROM KERRY McCORMICK
Crucial to her success at Excelsior
I knew it was going to be hard to start鈥攎e relearning how to learn again. But I had the support of my friends and family. I also used support services at the College such as Smarthinking, especially for every math class, and Grammarly for my papers. And my boyfriend Billy, a retired printer, helped proofread.
How to succeed in the hospitality industry
Everything you learned in kindergarten applies to the hospitality industry鈥攂e on time, clean up after yourself, and be courteous.
The Excelsior College experience
I cannot sing the praises of Excelsior College enough. I became close with Michele Paludi, senior faulty program director for human resources and leadership, and we did a lot of work with SHRM [Society for Human Resource Management] together鈥攖hat was an amazing experience. This online institution that is a lot of miles away from Bayside, Queens, still afforded me an opportunity to belong to a group outside of school to connect with other people who were pursuing the same endeavors as me. It really made the experience a full college experience while letting me do it on my own time.
The best advice she鈥檚 received on the job鈥攕o far
Consistency and communication. If you鈥檙e putting a product out make sure it鈥檚 consistent. That鈥檚 how to build and maintain your base. If your product is constantly changing or your quality is constantly changing, you鈥檙e not going to retain your customers. Whatever product you鈥檙e putting out, make sure it鈥檚 the best, and make sure you鈥檙e proud of it!
Networking tips
Talk to everyone, get ideas from everyone, have a business card, get as much information as you can, and utilize LinkedIn for everything it鈥檚 worth.
