What can I do after studying a Hotel Management Degree?

Travel and tourism is a burgeoning industry that offers a plethora of job opportunities. Hotels are one of the largest employers in the travel and tourism industry and offer many educational, internship and certification opportunities for professionals who want to pursue a career in the field. Hotel employees can rise to management through formal education requiring degrees in management coupled with plenty of work experience.

Students can choose a Bachelor of Hotel Management degree following which they can go on to work at an entry level management position within hotels, motels, airlines, banquets and restaurants. They usually study communication skills, general studies, English and other languages whilst taking up a business course in hotel management. A majority of hotel management schools provide hands-on experience and practical projects for their pupils. Furthermore, students can also move into business accounting, food and beverage service, sales and marketing, human resource management, etc positions after completing some amount of practicum. Pupils can further their education by either pursuing a Master’s degree in Hotel Management or an MBA in the same after gaining relevant work experience.

So what exactly does a General Manager do then one might ask? A hotel’s General Manager is responsible for every aspect of the hotel such as customer service, food quality, catering, supplies, etc. He or she also has to look after scheduling and conference planning, travel and transportation services, etc that the hotel needs to provide to its guests. Hence, the role that the manager entails is a pivotal one. Moreover, he or she is also to some extent responsible for hiring, training and supervising other members of the staff who generally report to an Assistant Manager who keeps on coordinating with the General Manager. His job description also encompasses scheduling of shifts and assigning duties to his subordinates. Reporting, negotiating, coordinating, conflict resolution, etc also come under the purview of the Assistant Manager.

So what are the benefits or working in a hotel then? Well hotel management professionals enjoy highly discounted rates in their hotels and partner entities. Even though the job entails a lot of struggle and hard work initially, once you have reached a higher position, the salary and perks are well worth it. Salaries in the sector vary from position to position. A student generally starts as an Executive Housekeeper, Front Office Manager, Food &Beverage Manager, Convention Service Manager, etc; which are primarily roles that feed into the General Manager. Salaries usually also depend on the responsibility an employee is given and bonuses can exceed twenty-five percent of the basic salary.

The initial stage will be quite hectic where one wouldn’t know how time flies and will be asked to do odd job tasks such as cleaning dishes, etc. The job will require a lot of patience, energy and excellent communication skills to tackle the most difficult situations and the most difficult customers. However, at the end of the day it will be well worth it!