5 Jobs You Can do in the Hotel Industry
From special events and staff management to business development and marketing, the field of Hospitality is vast. Earning a degree in hospitality management can mean the power to choose from many aspects of the industry.
So what is hospitality management?
Hospitality management is the study of the hospitality industry, including the administrative aspects of running a property, operations, hiring, event planning, and more. In the last decade degree programs in hospitality management have grown at Universities across the country.
And rightfully so. There is a demand.
Hospitality management is expected to grow by six percent between now and 2026, according to the Bureau for Labor Statistics. And hospitality management - specifically “Event planning” was among one of the fastest-growing jobs in 2019.
So what jobs can you do with a degree in hospitality management:
Events and Planning Manager
Each year there are millions of meetings, conventions, and special events are held at hotels and convention centers across the country. Event and planning managers are usually the first points of contact for these events. They coordinate all the details of these events, including logistics, preparation, registering guests, organizing programming, and making sure all the I’s are dotted and T’s are crossed. These hospitality professionals have to be a jack of all trades including providing estimates for the cost of events and ensuring that vendors are paid and insurance is secured for events. Event and planning managers are sticklers for details, organized, and able to multitask at a high level.
Sales Manager
Another popular career path in hotels is in the sales department. Sales Managers are directly responsible for group sales, creating exposure, acquiring, and maintaining National and Local Corporate accounts. Great candidates are people who are well organized, detailed, energetic, and highly motivated to continually network for new business. These are social people! If you are outgoing and love building relationships, sales is for you.
Hotel Manager
Many who obtain hospitality degrees often go on to become lodging or hotel managers. These managers ensure that guests at a property have a good experience. They are responsible for managing all aspects of the hotel including hiring, operations, and customer service. This job is a high impact and often requires long hours since hotel properties operate 24 hours a day.
Food and Beverage Director
Food and beverage directors are some of the highest-paid professionals in the hospitality industry. Food and beverage directors are often employed by resorts, casinos, and restaurants. Their role includes budgeting for food/drink purchasing, meal and menu planning, and organizing food service for large events.
Revenue Manager
If your strengths are numbers, data, and reporting, then revenue management is for you. Being a newer department in the industry, Revenue Managers are high in demand by most companies making it a great career path today. Revenue Managers develop, implement, monitor, and control rate strategies for hotels. Analyze and optimize distribution channels for the maximum benefit of penetration. They work closely with all departments to develop reports on performance as well as forecast future performance.