Journal of Teaching in Travel & Tourism

ISSN: 1531-3220 (Print) 1531-3239 (Online) Journal homepage: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/wttt20

Gastronomy students’ internship experience:

benefits, challenges, and future career

Faruk Seyitoğlu

To cite this article: Faruk Seyitoğlu (2019): Gastronomy students’ internship experience:
benefits, challenges, and future career, Journal of Teaching in Travel & Tourism, DOI:
10.1080/15313220.2019.1566044

To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.1080/15313220.2019.1566044

Published online: 11 Jan 2019.

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JOURNAL OF TEACHING IN TRAVEL & TOURISM
https://doi.org/10.1080/15313220.2019.1566044

Gastronomy students’ internship experience: benefits,

challenges, and future career
Faruk Seyitoğlu
Faculty of Tourism, Mardin Artuklu University, Mardin, Turkey

ABSTRACT ARTICLE HISTORY

The aim of this study is to understand the way in which gastro- Received 15 August 2018
nomy students perceive internship. It also explores the relation- Accepted 4 January 2019
ship between the internship experience and future career KEYWORDS
perception. The research participants included 25 students of Internship; hospitality;
gastronomy and the culinary arts studying in the faculty of tourism education; gastronomy;
in a Turkish university. The data for the research was gathered career
through a semi-structured questionnaire. Overall, research findings
revealed that the internship experience of gastronomy students
consists of three major dimensions: benefits (learning about the
hospitality industry and the kitchen environment, vocational con-
tribution, and personal development), challenges (the problems
related to employees, working conditions, and salary, and other
issues such as adaptation problems, difficult customers, work acci-
dents and mistakes, and the incompatibility of theoretical knowl-
edge with the sector), and career perception (negative and
pessimistic, negative but optimistic, and positive). Moreover,
according to the findings of the study, it can be concluded that
the level of benefits and challenges encountered is the key indi-
cator regarding gastronomy students’ career choices. Since no
previous studies on the internship experience of gastronomy stu-
dents exist, it is believed that this study fills a gap in the literature.

1. Introduction
Gastronomy has been described as a scientific field that focuses on the relationship
between food and culture (Hegarty & O’Mahony, 2001). While gastronomic products
include not only food and beverages, but also the food and beverage related activities
of different cultures, as a field, gastronomy investigates the social, cultural, and historical
interactions of people with food (Zahari, Jalis, Zulfifly, Radzi, & Othman, 2009). Yet,
gastronomy is also considered as a motivating factor for tourists travelling to different
destinations (Fields, 2002). Gastronomy may also become an important part of the
tourist experience when travellers are in search of new foods from different cultures
(Kim, Eves, & Scarles, 2009; Kivela & Crotts, 2006). As can be understood from the related
literature, gastronomy attracts attention as a phenomenon which can be examined and
studied from different perspectives.

CONTACT Faruk Seyitoğlu seyitoglu.f@gmail.com Faculty of Tourism, Mardin Artuklu University, Mardin,
Turkey
© 2019 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group
2 F. SEYITOĞLU

As regards gastronomy education, the National Institute of Cookery (established in

1882, London), l’École Professionnelle de Cuisine et des Sciences Alimentaires (1883,
Paris), and Le Cordon Bleu (1895, Paris) are known as the leading institutions. Moreover,
in France, a degree in the culinary arts, at the undergraduate level, was introduced in
1990. In Turkey, the Ankara Hotel Management School, the first institution of culinary
education in the country, was providing a 1-year course in 1961 and, by 1963, a 3-year
course (Görkem & Sevim, 2016). While some culinary departments offer a 2-year course,
which includes the preparation and cooking of food, as well as the more practical side of
food instruction, gastronomy courses of 4 years’ duration, cover a broader range of
subjects within the context of food and culture relations.
The first bachelor’s degree in gastronomy in Turkey began to be taught in 2003, and by
2016 a total of 28 universities had a gastronomy department giving instruction at this level.
This number increased to 44 in 2017 (Student Selection and Placement System (ÖSYM)).
Thus, it can be stated that gastronomy has become a popular subject among individuals in
the fields of education and the services. In education, it has over time become increasingly
an area of interest in universities and students (Kurnaz, Babür, & Kurnaz, 2018).
Gastronomy and the culinary arts is a discipline that requires aesthetic knowledge
and skill, along with instruction in food science, food preparation, nutrition, and cooking
methods (Horng & Lee, 2009). Teaching of gastronomy and the culinary arts, which is
usually associated with tourism education because of its relevance to the sector, also
includes a wide range of knowledge about the history and culture of food and bev-
erages (Santich, 2004). Therefore, the way in which students in gastronomy departments
perceive the food and beverage industry is of great importance, in terms of their future
career plans after graduation. Otherwise, qualified graduates might be enticed into
different industries, which can negatively affect the food and beverage sector and
stakeholders (Solmaz & Erdoğan, 2013).
The main purpose of the vocational education system is to provide a qualified work-
force which can meet the needs of the related industry and have the necessary skills
(Öztürk & Görkem, 2011; Yazıcıoğlu & Özata, 2017). Since the field of food and beverages
is a labour-intensive service industry based on intense competition, it is seen as essential
for the institutions providing gastronomy education to produce qualified people who
can meet the demands of the sector. When one considers it is these qualified students
who are the potential representatives of the industry, it seems important to investigate
their perceptions and attitudes (Akoğlu, Cansızoğlu, Orhan, & Özdemir, 2017). In the
extant literature, various studies exist (Busby & Gibson, 2010; Cho, 2006; Collins, 2002;
Farmaki, 2018; Nghia & My Duyen, 2018; Tsai, Hsu, & Yang, 2017) on student internship
in the hospitality and tourism sector, and its influence on career perception, but no
study has yet emerged regarding gastronomy students’ internship experience. Within
this context, it is crucial to know how gastronomy students experience the food and
beverage industry during their internships because such an experience is believed to be
a determinant of students planning their future careers. Thus, this study’s main aim is to
understand the various perspectives of gastronomy students in Turkey (from one
particular faculty of tourism) towards the internship. A qualitative case study was used
to procure the data. The next section provides a review of the literature on the
hospitality industry and internship, followed by sections on the methodology, the
findings, and the conclusion.
 JOURNAL OF TEACHING IN TRAVEL & TOURISM 3

2. Literature review and theoretical framework

2.1. Hospitality industry and internships
To provide quality services in the hospitality industry which will satisfy customers and meet
their needs, employing a highly skilled and talented workforce is crucial (Farmaki, 2018).
A notable issue here is that the term “talent”, from the point of view of hospitality organiza-
tions, should be considered as a supporting tool to provide better quality service (Scott &
Revis, 2008). Abilities, such as communication skills, being able to work with others, organiza-
tional skills, and problem solving, are postulated as absolute features on which higher-
education courses must be based in order to deliver high-quality hospitality and tourism
education (Harkison, Poulston, & Kim, 2011; Wang, Kitterlin-Lynch, & Williams, 2018), which are
essential for students’ careers in the industry (Barron, 2008). Moreover, as is known, internships
are compulsory and necessary for students receiving a vocational education in order to gain
skills essential in the hospitality and gastronomy and culinary arts sector.
Internships have become increasingly important and popular for students and their
career paths (Nghia & My Duyen, 2018; Tsai et al., 2017). Furthermore, internships provide
an ideal type of experiential learning (Benavides, Dicke, & Holt, 2013) for students who are
seeking opportunities within the sector. As Coco (2000) claims, the purpose of an intern-
ship is “to provide a planned transition from the classroom to the job environment”.
Briefly, it can be said that an internship is a bridge between school and industry, which is
seen as an opportunity to develop the necessary work experience and required skills
(Collins, 2002). In addition, it helps the student to gain new skills and practical experiences
within the relevant field of business (Bogdana, Mihaela & Anca-lona, 2012). The internship
also offers students the perfect opportunity to complete their theoretical knowledge and
skills (Chen, Hu, Wang, & Chen, 2011) and enables them to use their skills to be more
effective in the workplace. While some people can acquire such skills from their parents,
through helping manage family-owned companies, others obtain them through educa-
tion (Mintah, 2014). However, host organizations from the hospitality industry consider
work experience as more important than a degree when they hire a new employee
(Harkison, 2004). On the other hand, about 70% of the students expect to work as
a general manager or corporate manager 10 years after graduation, while 65% see
themselves as a department manager, 5 years after graduation (Jenkins, 2001).
Internship experiences are becoming more and more important for the academic educa-
tion of students, and influential in establishing their connection with the industry. Hence,
internships can be considered as a process which contextualizes students’ theoretical knowl-
edge into practice (Lam & Ching, 2007; Stansbie, Nash, & Chang, 2016). Such experiences also
develop and enable students to acquire skills and knowledge which cannot be obtained
within the normal classroom environment (Swanson & Tomkovick, 2012). Moreover, through
internships students can develop their personal abilities, such as interpersonal communica-
tion, problem-solving and critical-thinking skills, and networking and leadership skills (Beard,
2007). To, Martin, and Yu (2015) assert that hotel establishments also have a responsibility to
provide their staff with the necessary skills by developing training programs through which
interpersonal, cross-cultural skills can be enhanced.
In addition to the advantages of internship mentioned above, the process also brings
fresh ideas to the industry through the students. Moreover, interns are eager to learn
4 F. SEYITOĞLU

and hiring them may reduce the employee turnover rate, which will be profitable for the
workplace (Lee & Chao, 2013). Hospitality enterprises can also select some interns as
permanent employees after graduation and this will save recruiting costs (Kwan, 2005).
As internships are assumed to be so important and useful, they need to be structured in
such a way as to satisfy all interested parties, as well as stakeholders (students, employ-
ers, and educators) to a large extent (Stansbie, Nash, & Jack, 2013). To ensure a better
quality of education and a highly skilled workforce, as required by the sector, there need
to be collaborative initiatives between the education community and the hospitality
sector (Walters, Burns, & Stettler, 2015).

2.2. Internship satisfaction and its possible effects on students’ careers

Students become familiar with the industry while carrying out internships, and working
with professionals they learn about the workplace culture (Donelan, 2013; Jack, Stansbie,
& Sciarini, 2017). Paulins (2008) suggests that students whose internship experiences are
satisfying will have positive feelings towards their chosen career and academic institu-
tion. Internships also improve decision-making for career development and perceptions
of self-sufficiency, and students who complete an internship gain a greater insight into
the industry (Narayanan, Olk, & Fukami, 2010). Moreover, internships might reduce the
reality shock for students (Paulson & Baker, 1999).
Due to low pay, inflexible work schedules, and long hours, graduates are abandoning
the hospitality industry (Seyitoğlu & Yirik, 2015) or, because of these problems, they may
simply consider the sector as a temporary job opportunity instead. This situation may
bring about a shortage of qualified employees for the industry (Lam & Ching, 2007). Very
long working hours might cause burnout even for someone who wishes to continue his
or her career in the industry (Abdullah, Zahari, Mat, Zain, & Derani, 2015). Internships, for
students, should provide a positive and flexible job environment which is important for
their development and which increases their enthusiasm for the sector (Wang & Huang,
2014). Positive internship experiences also encourage students to stay in the industry
after graduation (Fong, Luk, & Law, 2014).
For the continuing future of the food and beverage industry, young, highly qualified
people are regarded as necessary; therefore, the industry requires eager and well-
educated employees (Siu, Cheung, & Law, 2012). However, a bad internship experience
arising from poor working conditions (Kang & Gould, 2002) can discourage a young
person, who initially intended to make a career in this sector, from working in the
industry (Busby, 2003). This issue may be the reason behind the increasing rate of
unwillingness for students to become involved in the hospitality sector (Seyitoğlu &
Yirik, 2015). Industry representatives should understand students’ attitudes towards the
industry, which would provide better insights as well as play a crucial role in developing
an eager workforce (Wan, Wong, & Kong, 2014). This is especially true for food and
beverage companies, which are providing a service.

3. Methodology
The aim of this study is to understand the way in which gastronomy students perceive
internship. In accordance with this, students of the gastronomy and culinary department
 JOURNAL OF TEACHING IN TRAVEL & TOURISM 5

of one faculty of tourism in Turkey were selected as the sample group. As it has been
previously shown that qualitative case studies are useful for analyzing complex social
phenomena (Creswell, 2009; Yin, 2014), this study undertook such a case study method.
It has also been stated that with the help of face-to-face qualitative interviews, it is
possible to draw out and modify human experience into knowledge (Denzin, 2001).

3.1. Participants, data collection, and analysis

A total of 25 gastronomy students voluntarily agreed to participate in the study. The
interviews were stopped after the 25th student because themes and categories were
being repeated and, thus, theoretical saturation was reached. Theoretical saturation is
the phase of qualitative data analysis in which no new data appears (Glaser & Strauss,
1967). The research participants were informed about the study and then given struc-
tured question forms, based on the literature review; these were filled out by the
students from February to March 2017. Students of the second, third, and fourth grades
were chosen for the study. The selected students needed to have completed at least one
internship experience. Therefore, since the first internship experience starts at the end of
the first year, first-grade students were not asked to participate.
In accordance with the literature review, four open-ended questions were developed
and given to the participants: (a) “What are the benefits of your internship(s)?” (b) “Have
you had any problems during your internship(s)?” (c) “How did the problems that you
encountered affect your career perspective?” (d) “In general, did internship affect your
career plans? If yes, in which ways?” A systematic content analysis approach was
followed in order to classify emerging themes and categories. Initially, the raw data
was filtered and then participants’ statements, which matched the study’s research
objectives, were identified. Hence, specific themes and categories emerged (Thomas,
2006). The coding process was independently and manually implemented by three
coders who had knowledge and experience in qualitative research methods. Finally,
the chosen themes and categories were agreed on by the three coders.

3.2. Demographics of participants

The participants consisted of 15 males and 10 females. Their ages ranged from between 19
and 24 years. Five participants came from the second year, 9 from the third year, and 11
from the fourth year. They had all worked as an intern at least once while studying (see
Appendix).

4. Findings
Based on the answers to the four open-ended questions, the findings were classified
into three major categories: benefits (learning about the hospitality industry and the
kitchen environment, vocational contribution, and personal development), challenges
(related to employees, working conditions and salary, and other issues), and career
perception (negative and pessimistic, negative but optimistic, and positive).
6 F. SEYITOĞLU

4.1. Benefits
The benefits of internship were concluded as being learning about the hospitality
industry and the kitchen environment (including knowledge about the industry, process,
employees, kitchens, hotels, and profession), vocational contribution (including learning
about cooking techniques, practical development, and menus, participation in seminars,
and putting theoretical knowledge into practice), and personal development (including
cultural knowledge, improving language and communication skills, socializing, gaining
confidence, and learning about time management).
These are some of the positive aspects regarding internship that the students experi-
enced and found beneficial. Except for one of the students (P23), all the participants
mentioned at least one benefit. A significant number of students (14 of them) agreed that
because of their internship they had the chance to learn about the hospitality industry.
Participant three stated that: “It was helpful to know the industry … I have had the
opportunity to see how the industry works.” Similarly, Participant 7 mentioned that: “[My]
internships were useful in terms of learning about the industry.”
According to the students, internships were also useful for learning about employees,
kitchens, hotels, and the vocation itself. To illustrate this, Participant 4 indicated that she
was able to learn about the knowledge levels of employees in the sector owing to her
internship experience. For example, she discovered that the chefs working in the kitchen
were not well-educated and did not make any effort regarding personal development.
On the other hand, Participant 8 stressed that he was able to learn about hotels’ working
systems: “I visited various hotels in the ‘Bodrum destination’ where I did my internship
and saw the hotels’ working systems and services.” Another student (P16) also stated
that: “[I] learned how the industry works, what advantages and disadvantages it has.”
The second category of benefits, vocational contribution, such as learning about menus,
cooking techniques and practical improvements, having the chance to practice theoretical
knowledge, and establishing a social network in the industry, were also seen as a positive
side of the internship experience by a significant number of gastronomy students (13 of
them). For instance, Participant 2 stated that he had a chance to learn about cooking
techniques. Moreover, Participants 5 and 25 both agreed that they had improved their
practical skills during the internship. Two participants (P11 and P24) indicated that thanks to
their internships, they had established a social network within the sector. Participant 10
highlighted another issue: “I had the opportunity for self-improvement by having some
beautiful experiences.” Participant 12 also expressed the vocational benefits of the intern-
ship by saying: “I was trained by experts, who are relevant to the things I want to learn and
do. Therefore, I have gained useful professional experience … I learned how to succeed in
the profession.” Other benefits were highlighted by Participant 17: “I learned how to hold
a knife, which is one of the basic items in the kitchen area … By studying the restaurant’s
menu, I learned what to pay attention to … I received the participation certificate from the
seminars.” Lastly, Participant 20 mentioned some advantages of internship: “I have gained
experience … I also learned how to improve my handcraft skills, how to behave in certain
situations, and how to behave with my superiors.”
Personal development, such as socializing, gaining confidence, learning about time
management, cultural knowledge, improving language skills, and improving communica-
tion skills, were also seen to be benefits of the internship experience by six of the students.
 JOURNAL OF TEACHING IN TRAVEL & TOURISM 7

To begin with, Participants 1 and 18 stressed that their experience led to personal improve-
ment in a social, cultural, and lingual sense. Participant 1 added that internship also helped
to improve communication skills, responsibility, and confidence. Participant 22 stated that:
“[I] learned to manage time better.” Another student (P13) mentioned the benefits of his
experience as follows: “I learned how to communicate … and what … behaviors I should
not do. I also learned about the different customs and traditions of different cultures …
I learned not to be so prejudiced.”
The literature confirms that the practice of internship is beneficial for students in
many ways. First, internships are helpful to understand the industry and its working
conditions (Chen, Shen, & Gosling, 2018). Moreover, students have the opportunity to
meet and make connections with sector workers and managers (Marinakou &
Giousmpasoglou, 2013). Internships also give students the opportunity to gain confi-
dence in working among different people (Lam & Ching, 2007) and allow students to
become more familiar with the work environment (Seyitoğlu & Yirik, 2015). They also
offer students the chance to put theoretical knowledge into practice (Stansbie et al.,
2016). Jack et al. (2017) pointed out that internships can help students to manage their
time effectively. Gaining experience, having a connection with employers, benefiting
from vocational development and employment opportunities, enhancing skills such as
problem-solving, communication, team-working, interpersonal, customer service, and
creativity, and learning administrative operations are all other advantages mentioned
in the related literature (Barron, 1999; Yiu & Law, 2012).

4.2. Challenges
The challenges that students encountered during their internship were related to
employees, working conditions and salary, and other issues. Firstly, some challenges
were highlighted by a great number of participants (12), which were mainly related to
other employees in the workplace. These issues were generally linked to the low
education levels of other employees with whom the students worked. The students
indicated that, due to their inadequate education, other employees caused problems,
such as insulting and rude behaviour, being treated inappropriately by superiors, poor
communication, and general conflict. To give an example, Participant 2 mentioned that
workplace employees were mostly uneducated, and this caused several problems for
him and the other interns. He added that: “Problems arising as a result of insults from
other employees destroyed my willingness to work in the kitchen.” Another participant
(P3) stated that: “[t]he language used at work was inconvenient.” This was due to the
employees’ lack of education, in his opinion. Moreover, Participant 5 commented on his
superior’s behaviour as follows: “The superior’s bad treatment has of course demoralized
me.” Participant 7 underlined the communication and behaviour problems caused by
employees: “Another problem is the lack of communication among employees …
Employees who are very polite in front of the guests, can show such rough behavior
to us behind the scenes … this type of behavior causes a lack of respect among
employees.” Participant 10 also emphasized that employees’ lack of education had
a negative impact on the hospitality industry, as a whole.
Another sub-category of challenges, working conditions and salary, included long
working hours, low salary, the difficulty of working as a woman, and a lack of professional
8 F. SEYITOĞLU

development opportunities. Participants 3, 7, 9, 14, and 18 talked about low salaries.

Participant 7 stated that: “Since this is a labor-intensive industry, perhaps the most painful
side of it is the low salary.” Another participant mentioned that: “Due to the long working
hours and lack of qualified employees … customers are not well served.” Participant 20
pointed out an important issue: “In fact, the main problem is forgetting that the interns
are there to learn and treating them in the same way as normal staff … then, of course, it
is hard to learn something. Apart from that, I experienced a difference between what we
see in school and what they show us in the sector.”
There were also challenges regarding vocational development. For example, Participants
10 and 15 indicated that as interns they neither received enough attention nor opportu-
nities to professionally improve themselves. The reason for this, they believed, was due to
the fact that interns worked hard but were not well treated. Moreover, interns did not have
the opportunity to try out new things, and this prevented them from improving their skills.
Apart from these issues, another challenge described by six of the students was the difficulty
of working as a woman in a kitchen environment. Participant 4 made clear that: “As
a woman, it is very difficult to exist in a sector where men dominate because they expect
a woman to do everything that a man does. Yes, it is necessary to create an egalitarian
competitive environment. But it should also be remembered that men are physically
stronger than women.” Participant 6 stated that: “Women are not respected in the kitchen.”
Lastly, according to Participant 7: “… I say as a woman cook that women are not preferred in
the kitchen as employees and even if they work they are not well treated and there is
a general belief that they are not strong enough to work in the kitchen … but, in my
opinion, female cooks have at least as much potential as male ones.”
Other issues (adaptation problems, difficult customers, work accidents and mistakes,
and the incompatibility of theoretical knowledge with the sector) also emerged as
a category of challenges. Participant 5 pointed out that: “It was the first time for me
to work in the hospitality industry. Therefore, it was hard and not familiar to me.”
Participant 9 mentioned the subject of difficult customers: “I saw how much people
changed and became a problem when they drank too much in the bar.” Participants 13,
22, and 25 emphasized the challenges related to work accidents and mistakes, such as
burning food and experiencing problems when carrying kitchen equipment.
The extant literature makes clear that despite many benefits, there are also many
challenges, such as low salary, long working hours and shifts, the negative behavior of
superiors, the lack of mentorship, and a poor working environment, associated with
internship (Collins, 2002; Richardson, 2008; Teng, 2008; Yiu & Law, 2012). Furthermore,
failure to meet expectations is also stressed as a problem which can cause a negative
internship experience (Farmaki, 2018).

4.3. Career perception

According to the gastronomy students who participated in this study, the internship
experience had an effect on their careers in various ways, which can be divided into three
categories: (i) negative and pessimistic, (ii) negative but optimistic, and (iii) positive.
Nearly a third of the students (eight) believed that the experience of internship affected
their intention to stay in the hospitality sector in a negative way. As a result, they did not
wish to remain involved in the industry. For example, Participant 2 expressed his opinion
 JOURNAL OF TEACHING IN TRAVEL & TOURISM 9

as: “I don’t really want to work for the hospitality industry anymore … Before my intern-
ship experience, I wanted to be a chef …” Moreover, Participants 11, 14, 15, and 25 all said
that due to their negative internship experiences, they wished to find another area of
work. Participant 15 added that he wanted to become a vocational school teacher.
Participant 6 no longer wished to work for the hospitality industry; instead, he was
thinking of becoming an academic or a teacher. Participant 16 stressed that he was in
love with the profession but that after a bad internship experience, he also wanted to
become a teacher, academic, or something else.
Nine students indicated that their internship experience had been a negative one,
but they still felt optimistic. Participants 18, 20, and 22 stated that their internships
had taken place in hotels, and had been very disappointing. However, instead of
abandoning the profession, they decided to pursue their careers in restaurants or
other types of food and beverage outlets. Participant 18 indicated that: “… working
in hotels is a waste of time for my career,” and Participant 22 said that “I want to
open my own restaurant.”
Some students (P1, P3, and P7) stated that negative internship experiences had
affected them adversely but, despite this, they did not want to give up because they
still believed that the industry and working conditions could be improved with some
effort. Thus, they wished to remain in the hospitality industry either as an employee,
employer, or educator. Participants 4, 5, and 9 also thought that their internships had
not been useful and had negatively affected them. However, as they really liked the
profession (cooking, working in the kitchen, etc.), they still felt positive about working
in the industry. For instance, Participant 9 said that: “The problems that I’ve encoun-
tered during my internship don’t bother me because I was aware of them when
I started studying …” Participant 5 stated that: “I love my job … I want to progress
in the industry.”
Lastly, six participants believed that the internship experience did not negatively affect
their career goals; rather, they felt it had been useful in terms of their future career. For
example, Participant 12 commented as follows: “Thanks to my internship experience, I have
gained knowledge related to my job …” Participant 13 pointed out that: “Internship taught
me that it is not easy to get something … you have to work hard and have patience.”
Participant 23 stressed that: “Thanks to my internship experience … I worked harder and
harder … I became more ambitious than before.” Participant 10 mentioned another issue,
that of personal development: “… internship helped teach me how to improve myself.”
Studies from the related literature indicate that a negative internship experience
may have a negative impact on students’ intention to stay in the sector (Collins, 2002;
Farmaki, 2018; Richardson, 2008; Zopiatis, 2007). Therefore, student expectations
should be satisfied, which, in turn, will help keep them in the industry (Chen et al.,
2018; Kim & Park, 2013). Moreover, the negative behaviour of superiors and bad
working conditions may damage student motivation to remain in the sector
(Seyitoğlu & Yirik, 2015). Conversely, students experiencing satisfaction in their intern-
ships have a positive effect on their intention to stay in the sector (Jack et al., 2017;
Knouse & Fontenot, 2008). Positive and satisfying internships may strengthen
a student’s desire to continue in the industry and help them feel confident in their
chosen future career (Abdullah et al., 2015).
10 F. SEYITOĞLU

5. Conclusion and discussion

This qualitative case study has attempted to understand the way in which gastronomy
students, at one tourism faculty in Turkey, perceive their internships. Moreover, it has
also explored the relationship between the internship experience and future career
perception. This study contributes to the research on gastronomy students’ internship
experience and offers an insight into the internship experience of gastronomy students
(see Figure 1). The issues around the internship experience were classified into three
major categories: benefits, challenges, and career perception. Benefits consist of learning
about the hospitality industry and the kitchen environment, vocational contribution, and
personal development. Challenges refer to the problems related to employees, working
conditions, and salary, and other issues such as the problem of adaptation, difficult
customers, work accidents and mistakes, and the incompatibility of theoretical knowl-
edge with the sector. Lastly, career perception is divided into three sub-categories:
negative and pessimistic, negative but optimistic, and positive (Figure 1).
The existing literature supports the theory that internships are beneficial in terms of
learning about the industry (Seyitoğlu & Yirik, 2015), obtaining vocational experience
(Jack et al., 2017), improving social networking skills (Spowart, 2011), communication
skills (Daugherty, 2002), problem-solving skills (Yiu & Law, 2012), and managing skills
(Jack et al., 2017). Since gastronomy students carrying out their internships within food
and beverage departments are usually working in the kitchen, the findings show that
they can also benefit from the experience in terms of learning about the kitchen
environment. On the other hand, due to the challenges that are often encountered
during internships, students may feel unsatisfied, which can cause them to abandon the
industry. For instance, difficult working conditions, such as long working hours, low

Figure 1. The dimensions of the internship experience.

 JOURNAL OF TEACHING IN TRAVEL & TOURISM 11

salary (Seyitoğlu & Yirik, 2015), negative attitudes of other employees and superiors
(Collins, 2002), are all mentioned in the findings of this study and in the related literature
as negative factors affecting students.
It can be concluded from the findings of this study that the level of benefits and
challenges encountered is the key indicator regarding gastronomy students’ career
choices. When an intern is satisfied and has benefited from the internship experience,
encountering fewer problems, his or her perception of the industry will be more positive.
This may help to keep students within the industry (Figure 1). As has been seen from the
findings, negative internship experience can influence some students’ desire to remain in
the sector. On the other hand, those students who experienced satisfaction from their
internships (P8, 10, 12, 13, 19, and 23) have a positive attitude towards the industry; these
students found their internship experience beneficial for their future career. For this
reason, it can be concluded from the findings that the level of satisfaction achieved
from the internship is an indicator of career perception. It is also stated in the literature
that satisfaction levels from internship have a significant impact on career perception
(Francis & Elangkovan, 2017; Robinson, Ruhanen, & Breakey, 2016; Tsai et al., 2017).
Moreover, those students who encountered more problems while carrying out their
internships had a more negative perception towards the sector when compared to
those students who did not (Seyitoğlu & Yirik, 2015). Some studies (Richardson, 2008;
Teng, 2008) also underlined the fact that although positive internship experiences may
improve career perception, negative experiences can have the opposite effect.
This study provides some useful implications for gastronomy educators and industry
representatives regarding better internship conditions and preventing gastronomy grad-
uates from leaving the industry. Initially, as stated by the participants, problems related to
co-workers as a result of low levels of education should be addressed. Food and beverage
businesses or hospitality firms should, therefore, hire better-educated employees in order
to provide a better working environment, which may affect the industry in a positive way.
Moreover, poor working conditions, such as low salary, long working hours, the difficulties
of working as a woman, and a lack of professional development opportunities, all of which
have been observed as obstacles by the gastronomy interns, need to be improved.
Both educational institutions and industry representatives must put in a great deal of
effort to provide better workplaces for students. First of all, firms should provide better
salaries for interns and pay for overtime, which may motivate them in a positive manner.
Moreover, working places should train students and provide them with development
opportunities. Another important issue which needs to be addressed is the working
conditions of female interns in the kitchen, which is largely responsible for them
abandoning the sector. It is believed that the reason for this problem is the inadequate
education of kitchen workers. If establishments hire better-educated people, this pro-
blem may be eliminated. Moreover, educational institutions and establishments should
work together to solve this problem by inspecting student working environments. On
the other hand, solving the problem of the incompatibility of theoretical knowledge
with the sector should be possible through the cooperation of educational institutions
and the industry. Thus, educational institutions should be in ongoing contact with
workplaces and follow the development of their students in the internship process.
Since the area of food and beverages is important for human beings and gastronomy
departments provide a skilled and talented workforce for the industry, compulsory
12 F. SEYITOĞLU

internships have gained significance. Thus, with a better internship system, students will
develop a more positive perception of their future career, which will encourage them to
remain in the sector. Despite all efforts to provide better internship conditions, students
still may have problems. Therefore, educational institutions should advise students
about the difficult aspects of the hospitality sector and food and beverage operations.
In this manner, students would be less shocked when they encounter problems in the
workplace and this may help to keep them in the industry, despite negative internship
experiences. Educational institutions should also help students understand that they will
be able to solve problems in the sector, as a manager or business owner, in the future as
a result of their qualifications.

5.1. The originality of the study

In the current literature, there are many studies about the internship experience of
hospitality students and its relationship with career perception and development. These
studies are focused on issues such as the problems associated with internship (Collins,
2002), internship experiences (Busby & Gibson, 2010), the effects of internship on career
perception (Chen et al., 2011; Farmaki, 2018; Lee & Chao, 2013; Seyitoğlu & Yirik, 2015;
Tsai et al., 2017), student perception of internship (Chen et al., 2018; Cho, 2006), and the
benefits of internship (Jack et al., 2017; Nghia & My Duyen, 2018; Wang et al., 2018).
However, no previous studies have been carried out concerning gastronomy students’
internship experience. Thus, this study fills a gap in the existing literature on the subject.

5.2. Limitations and future studies

The findings of this study, based on data taken from 25 students of the gastronomy
department at one faculty of tourism in Turkey, have some limitations. A qualitative
method was used in order to understand the perspectives of the gastronomy students
towards their internships. But the sample used only represents one tourism faculty in
Turkey. As such, the results cannot be generalized or applied widely because they only
represent a qualitative single case. Therefore, the results of this study may not apply to
all gastronomy students in Turkey. To expand these findings further, future research
needs to be conducted with gastronomy students in other universities in Turkey.
Moreover, for bigger sample size, a quantitative study may be beneficial. To better
understand the internship conditions of other countries, comparative studies may also
be applied.

Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

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Appendix

Table A1. Demographics of participants.

P1 P2 P3 P4 P5 P6 P7 P8 P9 P10 P11 P12 P13 P14 P15 P16 P17 P18 P19 P20 P21 P22 P23 P24 P25
Class 2 2 3 4 2 3 4 4 4 4 2 4 4 4 4 3 3 3 3 2 4 3 3 3 4
Sex F M M F M F F M M M F M M M M M F M F M M F M F F
Age 20 19 22 23 19 21 23 23 23 22 19 24 22 23 22 21 20 20 21 20 24 21 21 22 23
Number of internships 1 1 1 3 1 2 1 2 3 2 1 3 2 2 2 2 1 2 2 1 2 1 2 1 2
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