9th Career Days at Balıkesir University BUBFA: Students Met the Industry, Internship and Job Opportunities Discussed
As part of the 9th Career Days held at Balıkesir University Burhaniye Faculty of Applied Sciences (BUBFA), leading representatives of the tourism and accommodation sector met with students. During the event, sectoral experiences were shared and preliminary evaluations for internship and job applications were conducted.
The program, organized by the BUBFA Graduate Employment Office, was held in two separate sessions. Students had the opportunity to receive direct information from sector managers on many topics, ranging from management approaches in the accommodation industry to human resources processes.
D-Resort Ayvalık and Merit Royal Premium Hotel Representatives Attended
Managers from D-Resort Ayvalık, operating under Doğuş Hospitality & Retail, and representatives from Merit Royal Premium Hotel in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus participated in the event.
The speakers included:
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Food and Beverage Manager Sedat Sabir
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Front Office Manager Orhun Öztuna
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Human Resources Manager Madlen Aydede
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Front Office Supervisor Utku Sayılgan
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Executive Chef Sacit Erdem Öztürk
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Housekeeping Manager Ayşegül Beşli
Representing Merit Royal Premium Hotel were Food and Beverage Manager Yiğit Avcı and Assistant Manager Egemen Özkarslıoğlu, who shared their professional experiences with the students.
Strategic Management and Career Planning Discussed
The sessions were moderated by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Oğuzhan Dülgaroğlu, Coordinator of the BUBFA Graduate Employment Office. Topics discussed included:
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Strategic management in accommodation businesses
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Coordination between departments
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Service quality standards
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Performance-based career advancement criteria
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Holistic management of guest experience
Human resources managers also provided detailed information about the competencies sought in young professionals, internship processes, and recruitment criteria.
Strong Interest from Students: CVs Collected
During the question-and-answer session, an interactive discussion was held on career planning, opportunities for interdepartmental transitions, and long-term success strategies in the sector. At the end of the program, CVs were collected from students who wanted to apply for internships and jobs, and preliminary interviews were conducted.
“University–Industry Cooperation Plays a Critical Role”
At the end of the program, Faculty Dean Prof. Dr. Mehmet Oğuzhan İlban presented certificates of appreciation to the participants.
In his statement, İlban emphasized that university–industry cooperation is not only about knowledge transfer and said:
“Direct interaction between our students and sector representatives is extremely important for integrating their academic achievements with real-world practices. Such meetings contribute to building career goals on stronger foundations.”
İlban also thanked the managers of D-Resort Ayvalık and Merit Royal Premium Hotel, as well as the BUBFA Graduate Employment Office Coordination, for their contributions.
