The hospitality industry is a broad category of fields within the service industry that includes lodging, food and drink service, event planning, theme parks, and transportation. It includes hotels, restaurants and bars.
WHAT DO THEY DO?
Many jobs in the hospitality industry involve dealing with customers face-to-face in a variety of ways. But there are also behind-the-scenes jobs that include positions in sales, marketing, and accounting. Food services jobs also abound in the hospitality industry, including wait staff and food preparation jobs.
Given this range, jobs in the hospitality industry can either involve a lot — or very little — customer interaction. Many jobs are entry-level, but hospitality, like other service industry occupations, is an area where you can climb the ladder to a managerial role accompanied by more responsibilities, along with a higher salary.
Career Options
Graduates of hospitality management degree programs can find work as hotel general managers and restaurant managers, or in a wide variety of other hospitality industry careers. Managers in the hospitality industry use their skills in business, human resources and customer service to coordinate staff members and give guests an excellent experience. Below are descriptions of career options for hospitality management majors.
Hotel General Managers
Hotel general managers work to ensure customer satisfaction for hotel guests by overseeing the provision of amenities such as concierge services, wireless Internet and cable television, conference rooms and more. They manage hotel staff, direct financial activities and oversee the smooth operation of all day-to-day services offered to promote positive guest experiences and maintain profitability.
Restaurant Managers
Restaurant managers oversee the general operations and perform administrative duties for stand-alone restaurants or for those housed in hotels, casinos or other establishments. They seek to provide a high-quality dining experience for guests in terms of menu options, price, presentation and speed, while maintaining profitability for the restaurant. As administrators and human resource managers, they coordinate work schedules, set budgets, maintain financial records, order food and monitor the workflow of servers and kitchen staff. Restaurant managers report to restaurant owners or investors, implement their policies and make suggestions regarding plans and objectives.
The BLS noted that with much faster than average job growth projections for all food service managers of 11% from 2018-2028, those who hold a degree in hospitality or food service management should have a competitive advantage over other job applicants for management positions. May 2018 BLS median wage estimates for all food service managers were $54,240 per year.
Industry experience plays a bit part in moving up the employment ladder in the field of hospitality management. However, formal postsecondary degrees may be preferred and in some cases required, to secure a management position. Degree programs often require the completion of an internship.
REQUIREMENTS
There are various requirements for Hospitality that they need to fulfil to pursue a career. The requirements are classified under three heads –
1. EDUCATIONAL AND GENERAL QUALIFICATIONS:
A bachelor's degree or less is usually the educational requirement for hotel, casino, resort and restaurant managers. Hospitality management degree programs include a strong core of business courses, including accounting, economics, marketing and human resource management. Additionally, students take a range of industry-specific courses in restaurant and bar management, food service safety, tourism, resort management and hospitality ethics. Most degree programs require an internship or field study in a partnership with hotels, casinos, restaurants and resorts.
The minimum qualification necessary for opting for a degree or diploma course of hotel management is passing class 10+2 from any recognized school or institute. For specialisation in any specific field of hotel management, you can pursue certificate courses after passing class 12. For opting for postgraduate, you need to be a graduate from any recognized hotel management university.
The basic personality skills of a person applying for hotel management courses should be charm and the ability to handle disputes and criticism with patience. The candidate should be polite and cooperative towards the guest in every situation.
2. SKILLS:
A career in hospitality is both vast and demanding. Those working within it have to be constantly adapting to change, placing the needs of the customer at the forefront of every decision. Click here to see full list of Hospitality courses. Whether you like cooking, waiting, planning or hosting – in order to be employable within the hospitality industry, here are some of the essential skills you must have for a career in hospitality:
1. High Level of Customer Service
A career in hospitality means working in a customer-facing environment. In order to succeed in this industry, it is up to you to ensure that your guests are constantly entertained and having a good time, without a care in the world. Good customer service ensures that your customers needs are always met, putting their happiness at the forefront. If your service isn’t up to scratch, negative feedback can spread quickly. So remember, in hospitality, the customer is always right!
2. Good Communication Skills
Working in hospitality can be both physically and mentally demanding. It requires a lot of communication between customers, staff and management, and without it, the whole ship can sink. Because it is such a fast paced environment, everything needs to be running to schedule at all moments of the timeline. In order to ensure this, effective oral and written communication must be executed at all facets of the operations. To succeed in this industry, your ability to effectively communicate will be relied on time and time again.
3. Formal Training
Because the hospitality industry relies a lot on government regulations and laws, having the correct formal training and qualifications is essential when attempting to progress within it. Strict regulations govern each venue, so it is essential that their employees reflect this high standard. Whether it is completing your Responsible Service of Alcohol (RSA) and/or you Responsible Service of Gambling, there are minimum legal requirements that a hospitality career requires. As well as these, completing a TAFE course can help to elevate your skills within this industry. It can also help you to break into the career you have always dreamed of, giving you the hands-on knowledge, skills and experience in all areas of food and beverage service, reception, reservations, housekeeping and events. Kangan Institute’s Certificate IV in Hospitality (SIT40416) will help you to develop the practical skills and experience needed to secure an entry-level position within this exciting field. As part of your training, you’ll enjoy 12 weeks work placement at Mantra Hotel Tullamarine, where you’ll gain real-world experience in a four star hotel.
4. High Levels of Cultural Awareness
If you plan on progressing in hospitality, you are going to encounter a lot of different people from a lot of different places. In order to succeed, you must be sensitive and understanding to different cultures, religions, races, nationalities – and everything in between. Having an open mind can help you to embrace the people around you and help your customers feel more comfortable and at ease. This will in-turn help to elevate their customer satisfaction and make them more likely to spread the word about what an amazing hospitality worker you are.
5. Have the Ability to Multitask
Almost every job you have in hospitality will require some degree of multitasking. Within a typical day, you may handle hundreds of customers at a time, juggling several tasks while still trying to remain personable and organised. You will wear many hats, handling multiple responsibilities simultaneously. In order to succeed, it is important that your skills are up to scratch, keeping time management at the forefront of your mind. Your employer will want to know that you can handle the fast-paced nature of the industry, while still retaining a high level of satisfaction amongst your customers.
6. Work Well in a Team
Like many jobs, having a career in hospitality will often mean working within a team. In order to succeed in this industry, not only must you be able to function in a team, but you should also prosper and remain productive in a group environment. Employers value those that speak up and make significant contributions to discussions, as well as those that work to contribute to the organisation’s overall success. You should be able to take instructions from others in order to completely satisfy the customer. Your other team members should feel supported by you, as you work together to achieve one common goal.
7. Be Flexible
Those employed in hospitality jobs often work longer and more unconventional hours than your traditional desk job. The 9—5 routine is ditched for a more flexible working arrangement. You must be constantly ready to work if unexpected situations arise, being able to adapt wherever you are required. Being a versatile worker will make you invaluable to employers, as they will see that you can easily transition into a variety of roles.
KNOWLEDGE:
COMMUNICATIONS SKILLS ARE PARAMOUNT: While there are many different jobs in the hospitality industry, all require that employees possess outstanding communications and teamwork skills.
OPPORTUNITIES ABOUND: Unlike many career fields, the hospitality industry offers many chances for people to work their way up from entry-level roles to management positions.
DEGREES ARE OPTIONAL: Although some hospitality roles require formal training (and while college degrees or professional certifications are always desirable), it is still possible and common for people who only have high school diplomas or GEDs to enter and advance, through on-the-job training, as long-term employees of hotels, cruise companies, or restaurants.
SALARY
The average Hospitality monthly salary ranges from approximately ₹ 13,900 per month for Candidate Manager to ₹ 40,587 per month for Flight Attendant. The average Hospitality salary ranges from approximately ₹ 1,20,000 per year for Associate to ₹ 2,74,787 per year for Flight Attendant.
Salary information comes from 409 data points collected directly from employees, users, and past and present job advertisements on Indeed in the past 36 months.
Please note that all salary figures are approximations based upon third party submissions to Indeed. These figures are given to the Indeed users for the purpose of generalised comparison only. Minimum wage may differ by jurisdiction and you should consult the employer for actual salary figures.
JOB OUTLOOK
The following is a list of some of the most common job titles within the hospitality industry.
Concierge. A concierge interacts directly with customers, providing them with various services. They may respond to requests (for instance, "Can you book me a restaurant reservation?") or anticipate what customers might need. These services could range from providing a babysitter to getting tickets to a show to suggesting a restaurant.
At some hotels, this is an entry-level job. However, some luxury hotels require concierges to have years of hospitality experience. A concierge needs to be a problem solver with extensive customer-service skills who is unflappable and can handle difficult patrons.
Other front-of-the-house hospitality jobs include:
Casino Host
Cruise Ship Attendant
Front Office Attendant
Front-of-House Manager
Gaming Dealer
Guest Relations Manager
Guest Services Associate
Guest Services Supervisor
Hotel Clerk
Hotel Receptionist
Reservationist
Reservations Agent
Event Planner. Many hotels have conference rooms or event spaces that they rent out for various events, ranging from meetings to weddings. An event planner works with a company, or an individual, to arrange the event and then ensures it runs smoothly.
Hospitality jobs in the field of event planning include:
Events Manager
Executive Conference Manager
Executive Meeting Manager
Meeting and Convention Planner
Meeting Coordinator
Meeting Manager
Meeting Planner
Meeting Specialist
Special Events Manager
Wedding Coordinator
Executive Chef. An executive chef is a managerial role that involves a lot of work behind the scenes in the hospitality industry. An executive chef oversees the food operations in restaurants, hotels, casinos, or other venues that serve food. People in this role supervise cooks, sous chefs, and other kitchen employees. They typically order all of the food, plan the meals, and prepare food in the kitchen.
While it is not necessarily required, many head chefs have some training through a culinary school, technical school, community college, or a four-year college.
Most people work their way up to executive chef from entry-level roles like line cooks. Over time, they develop the managerial skills required to oversee an entire kitchen, and the cooking skills to develop menus.
Other jobs related to executive chef, including jobs many people have while working their way up to executive chef, include:
Cafe Manager
Catering Manager
Chef
Cook
Food and Beverage Manager
Kitchen Manager
Pastry Chef
Restaurant Manager
Sous Chef
Hotel General Manager. A hotel general manager, or hotel manager, makes sure that a hotel (or inn, lodge, or any other venue with sleeping accommodations) is running smoothly. This involves interacting with guests, managing staff, handling the finances of the property, and much more.
Some hotel managers have a degree or certificate in hotel management, while others have a high school diploma and a few years of experience working in a hotel. Hotel general managers need to have strong business skills, management skills, and interpersonal skills.
Other jobs related to the management and/or administration of a hospitality facility include:
Back Office Assistant
Catering Sales Manager
Director of Hotel Sales
Director of Marketing and Sales
Group Sales Manager
Guest Room Sales Manager
Hotel Manager
Lodging Manager
Sales and Marketing Manager
Shift Leader
Shift Manager
Spa Manager
Wedding Sales Manager
Housekeeper. Housekeepers are responsible for maintaining a standard of cleanliness throughout a hotel or other hospitality venue. They clean individual hotel rooms as well as the common areas. Housekeepers within the hospitality industry make beds, do laundry, clean bathrooms, stock linens, and more.
Being a housekeeper requires some physical stamina because you often have to lift heavy loads and be on your feet most of the day.
There are many other jobs related to maintenance and cleaning in the hospitality industry. There are also opportunities for management positions within these areas. Some other related housekeeping job titles include:
Director of Housekeeping
Director of Maintenance
Director of Operations
Executive Housekeeper
Housekeeper
Housekeeping Aide
Housekeeping Supervisor
Lead Housekeeper
Maid
Maintenance Supervisor
Maintenance Worker
Porter. Porters are tasked with handling baggage for guests. They might bring luggage up to guests’ rooms or take baggage down to the lobby.
A porter is one of many support staff positions in the hospitality industry. Another common position is that of valet (also known as parking lot attendant). A valet parks patrons’ cars when they come to a hotel, restaurant, or other venue.
Other support staff positions similar to that of porter and valet include:
Baggage Porter
Bell Attendant
Bellhop
Bellman
Driver
Parking Lot Attendant
Valet
Valet Attendant
Valet Parking Attendant
Waiter/Waitress. Waiters and waitresses work in restaurants, bars, hotels, casinos, and other food-serving establishments. They interact directly with customers taking orders, serving food and beverages, and take payments from patrons.
While no formal education is required, waiters and waitresses must have strong interpersonal and communication skills. They also have to be detail-oriented because they need to remember customers’ orders, especially complicated drink orders. This job is ideal for people in the hospitality industry who want to engage with customers face-to-face.
Other job titles similar to waiter and waitress in the hospitality industry include: