Career in Hotel Management
With the growth of hotel industry propelled by foreign and domestic tourism and business travel, the demand for well-trained quality personnel in the field of hotel management has grown impressively. It is estimated that the current demand for core professionals in the field is around 2,00,000. It is a glamorous profession that has a bright future.
If you take up a Hotel Management Career you'll be involved in all aspects of the culinary industry while working with business, legal, financial, communication, and human resource management issues, not to mention you'll have your choice of local hotels or vacation hot-spots.
The diversity of experience in hotel management is greater than in any other profession. Hotel industry involves combination of various skills like management, food and beverage service, housekeeping, front office operation, sales and marketing, accounting.
Qualifications
There is fierce competition for jobs in good hotels. Formal schooling, like a bachelor's degree in hotel management, is preferred though a liberal arts degree might be acceptable if the applicant also has experience at a hotel or resort. A person who is willing to go beyond the BHM and complete either an MBA or a specialized diploma will have an added advantage.
Many courses of study involve internships. These are extremely important as they provide both experience and opportunities for networking, and so will increase chances of getting a job significantly.
Skills
Hotel management demands a friendly, helpful, outgoing personality. Ability to take responsibility and coordinate work with others, a methodical approach, organizing and administrative ability, self-confidence, and good health to withstand irregular hours of work are equally important traits. One should be able to get along with people from diverse backgrounds, be patient, understanding, decisive and handle conflict situations.
Career Options
Lots of lucrative and interesting openings are there for hotel management graduates in various fields like:
- Hotel & Restaurant management
- Airline Catering and Cabin Services
- Club management
- Cruise Ship Hotel Management
- Hospital administration and catering
- Hotel and Tourism Associations
- Forest Lodges
- Guest Houses
- Institutional Management (supervising canteens in college, schools, in factories, company guest houses etc.)
- Catering departments of railways, banks, armed forces, shipping companies etc.
- Hotel and catering institutes
- Self employment
Entry-level positions for graduates of hotel management programs generally consist of trainees to assistant managers. Many hotels have training programs for new employees that involve a rotation through all the operations of the hotel. New or recently expanded hotels usually don't offer much training and so they value managers with experience.
Career tracks for managers differ greatly based on size and type of establishment. Large hotels chains have more established chains of command and give managers better opportunity for advancement, as managers can transfer to another hotel in the chain or to the corporate headquarters. However, this can involve frequent relocations. Small or privately owned hotels may not have as many opportunities.
Remuneration
Earnings differ based on experience, level of responsibility, type of establishment, and location. Salaries are often supplemented by large bonuses. Some managers may get benefits like housing, food, and other services provide by the hotel like laundry and fitness centers. Some hotels offer other benefits to their employees like compensation for education or profit sharing.
After completing the diploma or the bachelor's course, a graduate is usually taken as a trainee. Starting salaries range between Rs 4,000 to Rs 7,500. After successful completion of training, they may be absorbed in higher positions with salaries ranging from Rs 5,000 to Rs 11,000 plus perks. After this, the sky is really the limit. Depending on performance, a person may expect regular promotions.
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