Blog

A Career in Hotel Management – A Starter Guide for the Newbies

16-Jan-2023 AUTHOR - New Delhi YMCA

Blogs

Hotel Industry sets the most upscale atmosphere when it comes to professional roles and career choices. When you check into a five-star hotel, you are mesmerized by the outstanding hospitality it offers to you. But, behind the face of that warmth and hospitality, stays the dedicated hotel staff endeavoring to offer you the finest experience. Is making a career in Hospitality & Hotel Management your dream? If yes, then this starter guide would help you launch yourself on the track, successfully. 

A tourist or traveler checks into a hotel to stay for a while. During their stay, all they want is comfort and security. The features looked at by the guests are miscellaneous depending on the type of service they are choosing and the scale of payment they have made. However, a competent hotel management employee ensures guests luxury and peace of mind, regardless of the facility where they work. From one-star to five-star hotels, the concept of guest service is indomitable in hotel management, and that is how a celebrated institution will prepare you. Let’s dig into the concept that how you can start building your career as a hotel management professional.

Clearing the Basics

Are you ready to sail the boat? Have you made the provisions? That’s right! Before you set for your journey ahead, you have to plan the dos and don’ts. The qualified candidates from 10 + 2 are eligible to apply for a hotel management course. The different courses in the area of hotel management are- 
 
  1. Degree in Hotel Management 
  2. Diploma in Hotel Management 
  3. Diploma in Catering and Hotel Management 
  4. Certificate in F&B Management (Food & Beverages).

Do your fair share of research and find out the course that fits your aspirations the best. The career possibilities are bright and lucrative after each course.

Studying Abroad

 

To study abroad, there are three options. First, you can directly apply to an international university. Adequate funds, a passport, a student visa, demanded qualifications, and sponsorship or residential arrangements are a must if you are interested in applying to an international university. 

Second, you can choose to enroll in an exchange program. To fulfill that requirement, you have to search for the universities hosting exchange programs every year. Besides, you have to write language proficiency tests, such as IELTS or TOEFL to prove your reading, writing, and spoken English skills. Third, you can opt to study abroad for pursuing post-graduation. In case, you are searching for post-graduation, you would require 2 to 3 years of work experience before you apply.  

The Demanded Skills for Hotel Management

Hospitality is a broad term and to justify its spirit, every student has to demonstrate certain skills that are inevitable to enter the industry. Do not go by the repetitive norms, but do understand what exactly the hotel industry demands considering you are competent to work in it. Here are the skills-set that matter, if you want to make it to a hotel management career that pays off well.

Superb Communication: As Robert Morris puts it, “words have enormous power.” The way you communicate with someone builds a strong impression on the person who is listening to you. The eloquence of your speech builds confidence in a person that they take your word for anything. Such kind of communication is a strength, which the hotel industry demands. 


Affable Personality: It is cliche to say that you need to have a presentable personality for working in a hotel. What the industry, actually, demands is affability. Travelers from around the world must be willing to stay at a hotel where you are going to work. They would be coming from different cultures and various backgrounds. Besides being pleasant, you should be willing to listen to what people have to say. It is the only way to address the concerns of your guests.   


Discipline and Leadership: Do not judge the industry by reading about sundry job options in the field. If you are aiming for top-notch positions then you should divert your attention to acquiring the skills of leadership. Moreover, if the person in charge is not disciplined, it is tough for them to keep the staff members under regulation. 


Creativity: The hotel managers are supposed to be a part of policy-making. There would be times when you have to mend or renew the policies to ensure client satisfaction. You have to be a part of the recruitment process and train the new recruits, which makes creativity a must-have trait for interested candidates. 


Patience: To deal with the wide-ranging clients that you would come across, you need the virtue of patience. Not all the guests would be easy on you, some would be very demanding, and your patience will guide you in making the right decision. 

It is not only important to acquire these skills but, also, to understand what makes these skills critical for the hotel industry.

Career Scope

The exceeding competition in the hotel industry may intimidate a job seeker, initially. But with a targeted approach, achieving your goal of establishing a remarkable career is not inconceivable. You have options in both sectors, government and private when you think of making a career in hotel management. These are listed below. 
 

Private Jobs

In the private sector, you can work for-
 
  1. Hotel Administration
  2. Restaurant and catering
  3. Airline catering
  4. Tourism companies 
  5. Motels and lodges 
  6. Tour management 
  7. Bistro and Bar
  8. Guesthouses
  9. Chef/Sous Chef in Hotels 
  10. Food styling

Government Jobs

Do you want to work in the public sector after completing hotel management? You surely can, and here are your options.
 
  1. Catering for Army
  2. Faculty at government institutes 
  3. Catering Manager for IRCTC 
  4. Catering for Railways
  5. Hospitality or catering services for the Indian Navy
  6. Catering Manager for Sports Authority of India
 
There are many options in the job pool for fresh graduates as well as specialists in the industry.
 

What are your major takeaways?

 
Now, that you have gone through this starter guide, here are the points that you have cleared off on your checklist.
 
  1. You know what the hotel industry is about. 
  2. You understand the basic courses offered by the colleges. 
  3. You got an idea of studying abroad. 
  4. You can understand the role that each demanded skill has to play in hotel management. 
  5. You are clear on the point that hotel management graduates can work for private as well as government sectors. 
  6. You have clearly understood the various job options that you have in the industry.