Hospitality Management Degree: Is it Right for Me?

Perhaps one of the best things about a career in the hospitality industry is you’re seldom bored. But if you do get bored, you have plenty of career options, and all of them are equally intriguing! The word “hospitality” describes someone who enjoys being the host – a person who takes charge of the comforts and needs of others and strives to ensure they have an enjoyable experience.

Hospitality Management Options

Five career paths hospitality management are:

1. Food and beverage

If you’re a foodie, one sector of hospitality management could be your niche: food. You can manage a restaurant at a 5-star hotel or run your own catering service. Food and beverage careers include:

• Bar manager
• Catering supervisor
• Kitchen supervisor
• Restaurant manager

2. Hotels, destination resorts

When you visit a hotel and it operates smoothly and efficiently, you hardly notice. That’s what you expect. But so much more goes on behind the scenes. The housekeeping staff is managed by someone you may never meet. Security, spa equipment maintenance, chefs and kitchen staff, servers, groundskeepers and so on. So many people are responsible for your good night’s sleep. A hospitality manager should be able to oversee a dynamic business.

Small motels may only require a high school degree, but the better-paying, more desirable hotels and resorts usually request hospitality managers with an undergraduate degree.

3. Spas, relaxation resorts

Relaxation resorts can include bed and breakfasts, weekend getaway retreats, and day spas Resorts offering massage therapy or yoga menus for hard-working guests who want to “recoup and regroup” are soaring in population, as we focus on healthier lifestyles for better living.

4. Special events, conference/meeting planning

Working in special events can be challenging and include travel. When an organization has a national or international membership and want to hold their annual conference in Hot Springs, Arkansas, get busy! You’ve got to know about the nearest airports, rental cars, mass transportation to and from, large venues in that area, and accommodations for thousands. That’s just for starters.

5. Travel

Airlines, cruise ships, rental cars, travel tours, in addition to hotels and many restaurants rely on the travel industry to keep them in business. They employ education hospitality management staff to focus on the best possible customer service.

Your Clientele

The hospitality industry is a dynamic, growing field and rapidly changing. Today’s customers are not a group of people to be satisfied with simply traveling or dining in a new place; these savvy and demanding customers want a great experience. They have above-average standards for restaurants, hotels, resorts, and more. The hospitality industry is responding to their demands!

What You Need to Succeed

What qualities do you have that would lend themselves to hospitality management? You may be honest, for example, but are you ethical? You may be a people-person, but are you sensitive and polite? Good qualities can be learned. Here are qualities that will help you succeed in the hospitality industry:

• Commitment to service at every level of operations
• Computer knowledge
• Effective communicator
• Enthusiasm
• Motivation to lead others
• Organizational abilities
• Safety conscious
• Teamwork driven

As far as education goes, there are usually two ways of making a splash in this business. You can start working from the very bottom and work your way up, or gain experience and education through a degree program. Those who are educated generally start above minimum wage and sometimes in supervisory positions.

What You Can Learn

• Business research/analyses
• Business, economic, financial reporting
• Decision-making processes and solutions
• Effective communication in a global business environment
• Leadership capabilities
• Personal and professional integrity, ethical behavior, and social responsibility
• Strategy development for business growth and development

Your Career Choices Can Begin Here: ECPI University

Are you interested in working in the hospitality field? If you want to earn a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration with a Concentration in Hospitality Management, ECPI University offers this course of study with an accelerated pace. For more information on this exciting program, connect with a friendly admissions advisor today.

It could be the Best Decision You Ever Make!

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Gainful Employment Information – Hospitality Management - Bachelor’s

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