Insider tips you need to know to choose and succeed in the right career
Career | Reported Satisfaction |
---|---|
Chef | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Food And Restaurant Manager | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Hotel Manager | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Travel Agent |
Examples of likes and dislikes:
Like
"seeing the look on people's faces when they pick up their vacation documents and, later, hearing about their trip when they return. It gives me great satisfaction to see their responses."
Dislike
"having to close the door and ask the last customer to leave. But it's not much fun either when profits are down and hours have to be cut."
Hospitality is a broad service industry that includes hotels and resorts, restaurants, airlines, cruises, theme parks and attractions, event planning, and other leisure and recreation activities within the tourism field. Any time a person eats in a restaurant or travels, for example, they are receiving service from individuals working in hospitality. This vast industry creates a wide array of career opportunities for individuals who enjoy working with people and are interested in a food, travel, and tourism career. Jobs in this field include those working directly with clients such as waitresses, concierges, and travel agents, or those working behind the scenes in planning and preparatory positions such as chefs, event planning, or hotel housekeeping.
Career Skills
Excellent customer service skills and the desire to cater to people are essential for anyone interested in working in this field. The hospitality industry is competitive and demanding, with ambitious employees needed that are able to meet customer requests in a timely manner. Business skills have also become increasingly important for management professionals. Additional skills vary depending on the job, such as culinary skills required to be a chef, or strong computer skills for a travel agent.
Education
Educational requirements vary greatly depending upon the specific job. Many occupations only require a high school diploma, such as housekeeping or waitressing, with most jobs requiring a combination of hands-on-experience and some form of higher education. A bachelor’s or master’s degree has become increasingly important for individuals interested in a management position. Many vocational schools, community colleges, and public and private colleges and universities offer certificate and degree programs focusing on a segment of the industry such as culinary, hospitality management, and travel and tourism. These programs provide a wide variety of options, from more skills-oriented certificates to graduate degree programs.
Career Options
A wide variety of career options exist in the hospitality industry, with many individuals starting at low-level positions and moving to higher level jobs through on-the-job training and experience. The following are some examples of hospitality careers: