Harbus

Issue date: 9/2/08 Section: News

Sitting at a slot machine during a competitive shop in Las Vegas

Fun and work were two words I thought I would never say in the same sentence. This summer proved me wrong. My brief experience with Harrah's Entertainment made me realize that it was possible to work in an environment that was fun, exciting, engaging, and challenging all at once.

My summer began with a rotation through all the front-line operational units of Harrah's Joliet Casino & Hotel. I worked dispatching slot hosts for jackpot payouts on a busy Saturday night. I cleaned malfunctioning bill validator machines in the tech shop. I used noisemakers and congratulated winners as a member of our Prize Patrol during a popular promotion. I observed members of the security staff as they settled tense customer disputes. I stood in the table game pits observing player bets and tracking customer behavior. And I watched in awe at the center of our count room as all the day's earnings were tallied by large sorting machines. It was an exciting two-week period, and I truly gained an in-depth understanding of how the casino business functions from the ground up.

However, the excitement was only just beginning. Week three involved a flight to Las Vegas to the company headquarters for our global intern training. I might be breaking the rules of the old adage "What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas," but the brief trip to Las Vegas was certainly one of the summer's high points. The intern class wined and dined with executives and former interns at popular Vegas locales, such as Rao, Voodoo Lounge, Margaritaville and Pure. Our training sessions included interactive meetings with top executives such as Chuck Atwood, the Vice Chairman of Harrah's Board of Directors. We visited high-roller suites at Caesars Palace and toured the World Series of Poker, two of Harrah's most world renowned brands. We even broke out into groups to do a competitive shop. My group was given money to eat at the Wynn's steakhouse and check out the action on their casino floor, where my teammates taught me the excitement of a Craps table.

Despite the good times in Las Vegas, I was happy to return to Joliet and finally dig in to my summer assignments. The projects I worked on spanned the full gamut of the casino's operations, including analyzing the profitability of making layout changes to the casino floor and designing revenue generating projects for the hotel. I worked on several projects simultaneously, four of which I was able to complete and present to the management team at Joliet. Having more than one project on my plate added to the excitement and engagement I felt at Harrah's. I was dealing with most major areas of the casino hotel, and I never had to worry about being bored.

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