Begin a Career in Hospitality Management
If you are a people person who enjoys serving others and making sure that they have a good time, a career in hospitality management may be the perfect fit for you. Working in a dead-end job can be frustrating and demoralizing, but when you can go to a job every day where you feel valued and find happiness in your path, you are more likely to find satisfaction. Instead of putting off your dream of working in the hospitality field, look for a program that meets your specific need and begin a new career that utilizes your unique skills and talents.
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Deciding Which Part of the Industry to Work
Within the field of hospitality and tourism management, there are many different focuses to choose from. Depending on your personal preferences and skill set, you may want to work towards employment in one specific area. Luckily, with a degree in hand you are more likely to find hospitality management jobs that incorporate several different areas. You may be able to find a career that requires you to combine the varied training completed while earning your degree within one setting, giving you the opportunity to apply what you learned in more than one way.
Travel and Tourism
Many students who complete hospitality management programs want to focus their careers around travel and tourism. If you enjoy travelling yourself, you may find that your enthusiasm makes you a good fit for a wide range of jobs in this area, including the following:
- Cruise director
- Tour manager
- Travel agent
- Sales manager
Job openings can be found in both the private and public sector, with some graduates starting out as authorized travel agents for governments at local and federal levels, or as in-house travel agents for large corporations.
Food and Beverage
Hospitality management jobs in the food and beverage industry may be found in many different settings, in addition to a traditional restaurant. Some degree-holders are employed for hotels, corporations or resort properties, but anywhere that serves food needs a qualified individual to manage day-to-day operations. Some of the most common duties for food and beverage managers include the following:
- Customer service
- Product ordering
- Employee training
- Financial tracking
- Human resources
Working closely with both employees and the general public, these management professionals have to balance making people happy with running an efficient food service operation.
Lodging
Hospitality management graduates may choose to work in the field of lodging, but often find themselves in jobs that go beyond the basic hotel manager position. At any property where travelers stay, managers are needed to maintain customer satisfaction. Within this area of hospitality management, graduates can expect to earn between $30,000 and $100,000, depending on the property. Those who manage small motels may earn less, while those who take on large resorts may get larger paychecks.
Those who manage lodging facilities are often required to wear many hats. In general, those who choose this career path can expect to be in charge of virtually all of the daily tasks needed to keep a property operating smoothly, including the following:
- Budgeting
- Sales
- Customer relations
- Marketing
- Employee relations
Without an educated and well-trained manager, lodging facilities are often unable to keep up with the constant turnover of guests.
Casinos
For many in the hospitality industry, a career as a casino manager is the ultimate goal. The positions typically pay the most of all the career areas, but they are also the most challenging. With large sums of money involved in regular facility operations, these managers also have to deal with security to protect the money. This type of career is typically earned by starting at the bottom and working your way up.
With a hospitality management degree in hand, those who want to make their guests' experiences as positive as possible can find a career that is exciting and fulfilling.