Kimberly Lerner

Hometown: New York

Current Location: New York

Why did you choose SHA?

I always knew I would end up in the hospitality industry, so it was an obvious choice for me to transfer into SHA from CGS.

What was your first full-time job? How did you end up in your current position?

My first full-time job was as a hostess at Aureole, NYC during my first summer in SHA. I knew I wanted to work at Union Square Hospitality Group after graduation, and ended up working there for almost 7 years. During that time, Culinary Agents was developed and we were one of the first clients to implement the tool when hiring new candidates at the restaurants. I later moved to Miami for a year, where I encouraged the company I was working for to use Culinary Agents to find and hire applicants for the restaurants. When I was ready to move back to NYC, I met with Alice Cheng, the CEO & Founder, and the rest is history!

Please describe your current role. How did your SHA education impact your career?

I’m the Community Manager. I establish relationships and partnerships with schools, organizations and associations within the hospitality industry in the US, in order to build a stronger sense of community and to encourage talent to create their free profiles. My SHA education had a huge impact on my career.I learnt the skills I needed to understand how a business is run.

Any advice for current and prospective students?

This industry is hard work, but if you have the passion and drive, you will be very successful! I always tell young talent to stay humble, and it’s worth it to start at the bottom to get your foot in the door; you’ll have the opportunity to learn every aspect of the business and you’ll find yourself more prepared to step into a management or senior role.