Tisch Center Alumni Spotlight: Antoinette Chang

Antoinette Chang graduated in 2015 with a BS in Hotel and Tourism Management and a minor in Food Studies. Since she graduated, she has worked at the New York EDITION hotel, where she is now a Senior Human Resources Manager. In this post, she tells us about her career and her experiences at the Tisch Center of Hospitality.

What has your journey been like after graduating from NYU?

It has definitely been a whirlwind and very fast-paced. When I graduated from NYU, I was already working at the EDITION as an HR intern, before the hotel had officially opened. Soon after we had opened, I was thankfully hired full-time as the HR coordinator. Every year that I have been here, I have been promoted which is insanely rare in the industry. People typically tend to transfer out in order to get promotions, but luckily with this property, we have undergone several organizational changes which has allowed me to grow within the space that I am currently in. It’s not only been challenging but also a great environment to learn in since I already know the hotel and the people and can really focus on my growth as an HR professional and a leader.

Can you talk about your current role at The Edition? 

I currently am the Senior HR Manager. This role is a support system for the Director of HR Operations and Market Director of HR. In our office, we have a total of 5 people but only 3 of us are stagnant and for this property. We also have the Times Square Edition so some of the HR members are split between the two properties. I directly support the Director of HR Operations here and am the second person in line to assist her with any employee or labor relation issues that come up.

What are you passionate about in the work that you do?

My employees. I wouldn't be able to do my job if I didn’t have my employees. Getting to know them, learn about them and their families, and what they do helps me to do my job better. It helps me connect with them as people and better understand how to operate this hotel. As cliche as it may sound, the employees are truly my biggest drive to help me do my job better.

In what ways has your NYU experience had an impact on your career and shaped who you are today?

NYU’s program gave me a great opportunity to be a student but also get real-world experience. With the internship program at Tisch, by my senior year, I had 6 months of HR experience under my belt so it was easier to transition to a full-time opportunity right out of graduation. It helped me stand out amongst other applicants because experience is everything in the hospitality industry, especially for a New York City hotel.

What career advice would you give to NYU students?

Explore all the opportunities that are available to you. I had originally thought I wanted to do sales & marketing, but I learned that I didn’t because I explored the opportunity. I also didn’t know I wanted to do HR until I actually tried it. With NYU’s internship program, you can try so many different disciplines within hospitality, and it helps you narrow down your decision early on and at least give you a better idea once the time comes to choose which direction you want to go. I believe that every opportunity, even a bad one, is a learning moment because it helps you narrow down what you are looking for in a future career.