Hospitality careers

More than 15 related businesses—including hotels, cruise lines, airlines, country clubs and tour operators—make up the tourism industry, which is the second or third largest employer in 29 states. There is great demand and competition among these companies for top-quality managers. What makes a great manager in this industry, however, is not the same as in other areas of the corporate world.

“At the end of the day, what counts is the customer’s experience,” says Gary Praetzel, dean of the College of Hospitality and Tourism Management at Niagara University. “That experience comes from the personalized service that you deliver.”

In addition to having a passion to serve others, managers in the tourism industry must be self-disciplined and able to multitask, delegate, write well, use computers, work in a diverse group and motivate others. It also helps to be flexible because no two days are ever the same. Those who want to work overseas should have the appropriate language skills.

People with the correct skill sets may find a rewarding career in this industry. “I have been exposed to so many cultures, religions, ethnicities and personalities,” says Amy Rippelmeyer, sales manager for Ritz-Carlton at Half Moon Bay.

A real job
Think hospitality jobs are all burger flipping and toilet scrubbing? You’re not alone.

“There’s a misperception that a lot of people have that this is a lousy career choice because it is just low-paying and menial dead-end jobs,” Praetzel says. “That’s not the case at all. There are many professional opportunities available in this industry.”

The tourism industry employs 7.8 million people in the United States. Within that broad industry are four specific categories: lodging (hotels, cruise ships); recreation (spas, country clubs); food (restaurants, food and beverage departments); and tourism (city and state convention and visitors bureaus).

Lodging accounts for one of the largest chunks of the tourism pie, with about 2 million jobs. Of these, many are management-level positions that do behind-the-scenes work to keep hotels up and running.

Hotels are not just places where guests sleep, but also where they eat, meet for conferences and relax. As such, most hotels also include recreation food and tourism aspects. To make all of this happen, most hotels have many departments, including human resources, accounting, sales and marketing, reservations, housekeeping, guest services, and more. Within each of these areas are varying job levels, including management.

Big bucks
Contrary to common beliefs about the industry, a career in hospitality management
can actually have a substantial impact on your bottom line. “Managers will get the same kind of pay as they would across industries,” Praetzel says.

Lodging choices run the gamut from economy to luxury and from small inns to glitzy five-star hotels. As a general rule, however, the higher the room rate, the higher salaries tend to be.

At the top of the food chain at any hotel is the general manager. The most typical paths to this exalted position are through the finance, food and beverage, rooms or sales and marketing departments. Managers of these departments average salaries of $40,000 a year. On the low end, general managers make $32,000 a year. At luxury properties, they can make as much as $500,000 a year plus bonuses.

Of course there are downsides to consider. Hotels are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Hospitality careers can involve long hours, including weekends, nights and holidays.

Getting there
So just how does one break into this industry? Perhaps the most important factor considered by employers is your education. A degree in the hospitality field is typically preferred, which is why Ripplemeyer earned a degree in recreation with an emphasis in resort and lodging management from California State University at Chico.

A hospitality degree is not always required to get into the field. Hoping to work in corporate public relations, Laura Healan earned a degree in corporate communications from the College of Charleston. Her career choice, however, was modified after a summer internship at Amelia Island Plantation Resort in Florida.

Healan was able to combine her degree with her new passion for the tourism industry when she joined the resort’s marketing department. You can head down your career path even before starting college. Although the industry spans the globe, it is actually a tight-knit community. It helps to have someone on the inside rooting for you. Seek out a mentor in a position you are considering and ask to shadow them for a few evenings. You may be surprised at how willing the person is to help.

“People in this industry are giving and willing to help others. That’s part of what this industry is about,” Praetzel says.

Once you graduate, don’t expect to be a general manager overnight. Rippelmeyer started with Ritz Carlton as a night reservations operator. Within a few years, she was managing that department and now, nine years later, she is in the lucrative sales manager position.

“There is no such thing as starting from the bottom,” Ripplemeyer says. “Even entry-level positions in the hotel are equally important. If you really want to move up within the company, there is ample opportunity. But you need to want it and to work hard for it.”

Culinary artist
By Ben Johnson
A career in food service is exciting and fast-paced, and I have found it to be an enriching and educational experience. To be a serious, competitive player in this job market, education—as well as skills gained on the job—is necessary.

Five years in the industry have given me a keen sense of teamwork and a passion for food, and I’m not talking about dunking fries at the local burger stand. The satisfaction of learning how to make a hollandaise sauce or producing perfect grill marks on a delicate piece of fish is what attracted me to the culinary arts.

I am pursuing a bachelor’s degree in the culinary arts to increase the number of opportunities available to me. I decided to attend culinary school after being passed up for a sous chef position because I did not have enough experience. After studying my options, I decided that a degree in culinary arts would be beneficial to me and my career.  

After graduation, I hope to land a sous chef position at a good restaurant, which will make use of my current skills and also teach me new things. In the next 10 years, I plan to advance to executive chef and eventually own at least one restaurant.

This industry has many, many positions for interested individuals with the right credentials. That means a combination of real-world experience and an education from an appropriate institution to back it up. With both, the possibilities for exceptional job opportunities increase dramatically.

Ben Johnson, 22, of Aberdeen, Md., is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in culinary management at Baltimore International College.

Article provided by