There are careers beyond MBA, Medicine and Engineering, Management, etc. that have equally great scope. There are more than 150 rewarding careers many of us are not even aware of. And those few, who are willing to take the chance, lack the right amount of knowledge and the remaining others are discouraged by their parents and become sceptical, and end up following the crowd. One such field is Hotel Management.
Often, when people hear this word, they visualise a man wearing a white apron, serving food. At least, 70% of people still think hotel management is just about cooking or serving food. If you too are one of those who fall in this category, read on.
Here are 5 myths about a career in Hotel Management, and a quick reality check:
MYTH 1- Hotel Management Is Just About Cooking And Serving Food
Reality: Hotel Management is much more than just cooking. It is a serious business that involves food and beverage service going up to the housekeeping department – who maintain clean and comfortable environment in the hotel, front-office operation – who ensure smooth operations between departments and look after the needs of the guest on arrival and during the stay in the hotel, event planners – who are involved in conception and completion of the events such as conferences, festivals, etc, and sales and marketing people and accounting department to name a few. Hence, there are numerous specialised career paths to explore in the hospitality industry.
MYTH 2- You Are Restricted To Hotel Industry After Pursing Hotel Management
Reality: With a hotel management degree one is not constrained to the hotel industry but sky is the limit. This industry offers a myriad of exciting and diverse career opportunities, which is directly related to the HM degree such as,
- Accommodation manager in hospitals, conference centers, care homes, etc.
- Event manager, working in exhibitions and fairs, conference, product launch, etc.
- Airlines, work as a cabin crew, culinary manager, flight attendants, etc.
- Travel & tourism sector open up avenues such as travel agents, sales managers, and tour managers, etc.
- One can work as cruise manager or a casino manager in cruses and casinos
- Working as a professor in education sector
MYTH 3- Low Score In School = Hotel Management Degree
Reality: It takes a lot more than just marks to own a Hotel Management degree. One needs to be skillful to be a part of this exciting yet challenging industry. One has to go through a rigorous process before getting admission, starting with a written examination that tests one’s analytical, logical, mathematical, language abilities & service aptitude, followed by a group discussion and lastly an interview. Students scoring high marks are also opting for this rewarding career as it not only provides exposure in terms of meeting new people or developing one’s overall personality, but with globalisation, it is also one of the fastest-growing industries, and is ranked 2nd in terms of employability after the IT sector. So, today is the perfect time to get started.
MYTH 4- You Will Take Time To Establish And Get Less Paying Job
Reality: Isn’t this true for any career? In the beginning of any career, you have to start with trivial duties, to get an understanding of the basics of business and have a firm foundation. You don’t reach a higher position until and unless you work hard for it. Once you graduate with a hotel management degree, there are limitless opportunities waiting for you. You are eligible to join the hospitality sector as a management trainee moving up the ladder as a director general in a few years. The initial salary can be less but it can go up to lakhs per month, with experience. You get to work with chains like Hilton, Hyatt, Radisson and you can also get an opportunity to transfer from India to overseas. So, it’s not wrong to say your degree can also become a passport to the world.
MYTH 5- Women Don’t Have Good Prospects In Hospitality Industry
Reality: Despite significant progress in many years, it is still believed that women can’t do well in the hotel industry. Many hold a perception against women stating they are not firm enough to make tough decisions. But the hospitality industry is quite incompetent without the grace and elegance that a woman brings with herself. Take an example of guest relations – women employees are more preferred over male due to their pleasing personality, and women also fare better at verbal and interpersonal skills, and are also good at handling pressure. According to the reports of TOI 2013, women perform a large chunk of hospitality jobs, and the proportion of women in senior positions has also increased. So, it is fair to say the industry today holds more potential for women than ever before.
Skills Required
- Good written and spoken communication skills
- Good Interpersonal skills
- Pleasing personality
- Ability to keep calm during stress
- Business skills
- Energy and enthusiasm
Career Path To Follow In Order To Pursue Hotel Management:
Path 1 – Pursue graduation in Hotel Management at undergraduate and go for Post-graduation
Path 2 – Pursue Diploma in Hotel Management for 6 months to 1 year, then pursue Diploma/Postgraduate Diploma in Hotel Management for 1-2 years
Career selection is one of the most important decisions of one’s life, one needs to come out of the vicious circle of tunnel vision, and not depend on half knowledge/information, and make a wrong career choice. Just like the right amount of salt can take your food to a different level, similarly making the right career decision can bring you the same amount of happiness and satisfaction. The Hotel Industry is beyond cooking or answering phone calls and surely has a lot of scope in the coming years. With globalisation it is here to stay, and has large employment opportunities. If you have the soft skills, and you’re ready to communicate with people from different countries and backgrounds, and work really hard, a degree in hotel management is worth pursuing.
Do you wish to dive deep into a career in Hotel Management? You can try out our ‘Virtual Internships Program’’ in Hospitality today and get yourself upskilled and certified from Mindler.
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