Angelica Correa
Angelica Correa (’13, Management/HR)
Director of Human Resources
Bel-Air Country Club
Q. What fueled your interest in the field of human resources?
A. When I first enrolled at SDSU, I was planning to become a Spanish teacher, but after meeting other students and learning about their majors, I realized I might be happier in a different career. I still wanted a career that positively impacted others, and after doing some research into SDSU’s human resources specialization, I switched my major. I loved the idea that a career in human resources allowed me to act as a business partner that involved the training and teaching of employees, employee engagement and assisting them to reach their full potential.
Q. Would you say the hospitality industry is a good place for women seeking executive management positions?
A. Definitely! I have been very fortunate to have worked in some of the leading hospitality companies such as Starwood Hotels and Resorts, Marriott International, and Hilton to name a few. They all provided outstanding learning and development opportunities, succession planning, and cross training to assist any employee who wants to grow into an executive leader role. I can genuinely say that many hospitality companies are committed to having a diverse and equitable workforce while diminishing the glass ceiling, especially in the top leadership positions. I never once doubted I could reach my goal of becoming a human resources director because in each of those companies, I saw dedicated women executives serving as general managers, regional directors of HR, finance directors, executive chefs, and so on. To this day, I still look up to these women.
Q. Do women in the hospitality industry face any special challenges or advantages? If so, what are they?
A. The hospitality industry is truly fun, fast paced, and dynamic. However, it is also a very demanding industry since working in a hotel environment is a 24/7 commitment. Those who seek a career in the hospitality industry should understand that weekends and many holidays will be spend working and this will have a negative impact on women seeking to become mothers and finding true work-life balance.
Q. What is the best part of your job at the Bel-Air Country Club?
A. Other than having breathtaking views of West Los Angeles? Outside of that, I truly enjoy interacting with our employees on everything from teaching them how to use our new payroll application on their mobile devices, to assisting them in locating a new doctor in their medical network. Ironically, I also earned a second degree in Spanish from SDSU and I use it everyday when I connect with our Spanish-speaking workforce. I ended up with the best of both worlds.
Q. Are there any lessons you learned at SDSU that you still use in your job today?
A. My participation in student organizations, such as the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM SDSU), taught me to be resourceful, learn to network and embrace change. These skills have been the key to my success in my HR career.
