Are you a ‘people person’? Have teachers complimented your organization, communication, and leadership skills? Do you believe that variety is the spice of life?
If so, then you might be tailor-made for a job in the tourism industry. More than 15 related businesses—including hotels, cruise lines, airlines, country clubs, and tour operators—make up this 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. “First and foremost, it’s a people industry. You have to want to work with people,” says Gary Praetzel, dean of the College of Hospitality and Tourism Management at Niagara University (http://www.niagara.edu/hospitality). “At the end of the day, what counts is the customer’s experience. 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 the computer, work in a diverse group and motivate others. It also helps to be flexible because no two days are ever the same.
Also, 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 love the hospitality industry, mainly for the people I meet,” says Amy Rippelmeyer, sales manager for Ritz-Carlton at Half Moon Bay. “I have been exposed to so many cultures, religions, ethnicities, and personalities.”
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 the hotel up and running.
Of course, 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. “This industry has to pay comparable to other industries or they would lose their people.”
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 the 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. It can take as little as a couple of years to become general manager of an economy property and as much as a decade at larger properties, Praetzel says.
In addition to a solid pay base, there is also the opportunity to travel or live abroad with the larger, international chains. As part of her job for Ritz-Carlton, Rippelmeyer lived in Dubai, India, for two years and worked in Barcelona, Spain, for one month. 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. “The hospitality industry is a fast-paced one and sometimes work comes before anything else,” Healan says. “If you can handle that, you will really enjoy the fruits of your labor.”
GETTING THERE So just how does one break into this industry? First, set a goal. Start thinking about what do you would like to do and for which type of company. This will drive all of your career decisions, including choosing a college, internship, and even your part-time and summer jobs during high school and college. The more knowledge you gain through education, training, internships and apprenticeships, the bigger advantage in finding a high-paying job you will have over your peers.
Perhaps the most important factor considered by employers is your education. A degree in the hospitality field is typically preferred, which is why Ripplemeyer choose to earn a degree in recreation with an emphasis in resort and lodging management from California State University at Chico. If you choose not to enter the industry after graduation, a hospitality-focused degree can be applied in many other fields, Praetzel says. “A lot of people see hospitality as narrowly focused, but this industry actually gives you skills that you can apply in many different settings,” Praetzel says.
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. “I learned a lot from my internship,” Healan says. “That was really when I decided to focus my career in that direction and to focus on the hospitality and tourism industry.” Healan was able to combine her degree with her new passion for the tourism industry when she was hired to join the resort’s marketing department.
Internships not only help you decide which departments you enjoy, but they also give you an edge over other prospective employees. As happened for Healan, internships can often lead to full-time jobs with the company. “Get an internship, or even a summer job in the business,” Healan says. “Learning all the aspects will make you that much more marketable as a good employee. Also, you will learn if it is the right fit for you.” 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. “They are interested in developing more people to go into the industry as employees because they need qualified people,” Praetzel says. “People in this industry are giving and willing to help others. That’s part of what this industry is about. It’s a people business.”
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.”
This is an industry with a strong future. Many of Praetzel’s students have been hired while they are still in college. “Once they get into a company, then tend to get bumped up into some very good management positions because there is a hole in mid-management,” Praetzel says. “There are not enough qualified people in the pipeline.”
