“Gaining work experience is worth more than cash.” This is the motto that helped University of Central Florida Rosen College of Hospitality Management alumnus, David Moskovitz, achieve unprecedented success, early in his career. Since graduating in the spring of 2012, the 22-year-old alumnus has been promoted three times in 10 months to become an assistant general manager at a AAA four Diamond beach resort in Clearwater, Fla.

As a hiring manager, Moskovitz recently returned to his alma mater for the UCF Rosen College Spring 2013 Career Fair. In addition to interviewing and recruiting some of his former classmates, the young hospitality leader also wanted to share some of his secrets of success with his future fellow alumni.

“As the assistant GM of Tate Island Grill, recreation and activities for the Sandpearl Resort, I directly oversee 50 different employees,” said Moskovitz. “I am not only responsible for my employees, but also for our hundreds of guests. It’s a lot of work, but my philosophy is to not ask for a lighter burden, but for broader shoulders.”

Moskovitz explains that hard work and “going the extra mile” are not clichés, but rather guidelines for success.

“If you go to work and solely focus on your own job responsibilities, than you will only ever be good in that one role,” said Moskovitz. “You need to go beyond your job; take the time to ask co-workers about their jobs and learn from them. For example, if you work at the front desk, spend an hour before or after work talking to the housekeeping engineer or F&B specialist to learn how and why they make the decisions that they do. The more versatile and well-rounded you are, the more valuable you become to a company.”

The former Hospitality Management major explains that he was initially hired out of college to be the food & beverage manager at a historic, AAA four Diamond hotel in New York. In his spare time, Moskovitz began learning about the operations side of the lodging industry and was then quickly promoted to front desk manager at a resort in the Florida Keys.

“If you put in the extra time to learn new things, new opportunities will open for you,” said Moskovitz. “Also, in the hospitality industry, you have to be willing to relocate. I know that a lot of students don’t want to move away from friends and family, but it is worth it. I’ve moved three times in less than a year and because of my flexibility, I was able to advance my career much faster than I anticipated.”

Moskovitz also credits part of his success to the opportunities available at UCF’s Rosen College.

“Exactly one year ago, I was at this very career fair applying for my first full-time job,” Moskovitz recalls. “The college really sets you up for success, you just need to work hard and take advantage of all the networking events, internships and opportunities that Rosen has to offer.”

If any current UCF Rosen College students are looking for career advice, Moskovitz encourages them to email him at davidmoskovitz1@gmail.com.