ARAMARK Corporation is a world leader in providing award-winning food and facilities management services to health care institutions, universities and school districts, stadiums and arenas, and corporations, as well as providing uniform and career apparel. ARAMARK was ranked number one in its industry in the 2005 FORTUNE500 survey and was also named one of "America's Most Admired Companies" by FORTUNE magazine in 2005, consistently ranking since 1998 as one of the top three most admired companies in its industry as evaluated by peers. Headquartered in Philadelphia, ARAMARK has approximately 242,500 employees serving clients in 20 countries.

EMPLOYEES: Dedicated to nurturing and retaining the very best people, we strive to hire talented, goal oriented individuals who recognize the unique opportunities that ARAMARK offers.

PROGRAMS FOR MINORITIES: Central to our people strategy is Kaleidoscope– ARAMARK's commitment to diversity. Through Kaleidoscope, we endeavor to recruit people with diverse experiences, backgrounds and talents who are fueled by a common goal…to be an outstanding member of a high performance ARAMARK team.

WEBSITE: www.ARAMARK.com 

Why did you choose ARAMARK?

After working for four major corporations I had reached the point in my career where I could be very selective. I chose ARAMARK because I felt it was a place where I could have an impact and continue to develop. The nurturing culture at ARAMARK has been a good fit. People here are very genuine. I know that's not true everywhere. There is very little drama and dysfunction here. We have healthy disagreements and discussions. It's simply a cool place to work.

Why do think that minority students have selected ARAMARK as a top employer?

Students know about us because we serve many of the campuses and the students have had a good experience with us. The students find that ARAMARK is a relationship-oriented company where there are lots of people who look and think and work like them. As we serve all kinds of venues all over the world, we must understand what's important to different people in different situations in order to be successful. I doubt we could be successful if our workforce didn't reflect the diverse customers and clients we serve.

What is the value of diversity in your work?

ARAMARK is a company that values different people and what they bring to the table. Our commitment to diversity is part of the culture here. We value diversity as part of the value proposition, and diversity initiatives are integrated into the business model.

What advice do you have for people launching their careers at ARAMARK?

There are two things that are very important to success at ARAMARK. The first is delivering results. We are a "can do" organization and people who make it happen are highly valued here. One of the company's guiding principles is to be the company where the best people want to work. Second, we are a partnership-oriented company so building relationships with co-workers, clients and customers is very important. Networking should be a part of your career plan. If you deliver on those two aspects you will be successful at ARAMARK.

What are you most proud of at ARAMARK?

We are a company that serves others. That feels good. For example, the Astrodome in Houston is an ARAMARK-managed account. The tens of thousands of people displaced by Hurricane Katrina and moved to the Astrodome will be served by ARAMARK as long as they need it. Being a part of this environment really makes me feel proud.