Stay or Leave? Internship Stress and Coping Strategies in the Hotel Industry By Shan Shan Chien, Master’s student from Thailand pursuing the Master of Science in Global Hospitality Business program share this article Photo: HFTP The hospitality industry has been regarded as the most challenging and stressful working environment compared to any other industry sector. As a former waitress in the banquet hall of a five-star hotel and a Michelin starred restaurant, I deeply understand the required components of multi-tasking in a fast-paced environment, while maintaining service quality simultaneously. Advertisements Even though almost every new graduate from a hospitality-related program is highly encouraged to participate in an internship program before entering the workforce, the burden of stress can sometimes twist the interns' intention to enter the hospitality industry. Indeed, working as an intern in the front-line is not much different from working as a full-time staffer in the hospitality industry. They share a similar workload and responsibility; that is, fulfilling the demands from both customers and supervisors.