Get Matched With Hospitality Management Programs
What Does a Career in Hospitality Management Entail?
One of the top ten biggest industries, among 48 states, is the hospitality industry, according to the American Hotel and Lodging Association (AHLA).
Dictionary.com defines the word hospitality as, “the friendly treatment and reception of strangers and guests” and hospitality is tied closely to the food service industry, food and beverage management, and hotel management or lodging operations.
Although this sounds similar to customer service, there is a difference. Customer service representatives aim to solve customer issues whether they are working in finance, lodging, medical services, etc., whereas those in the hospitality industry are looking to accommodate guests who may or may not have issues during their stay. They may do this by managing food supplies, performing some human resource management tasks, making strategic management decisions based on risk management, and more. Hospitality leaders need to keep their eyes on many things.
Someone working in the hospitality industry would ensure that each guest is made to feel welcome, comfortable, and important in their place of business. The ability to cater to strangers is one of the many qualities one must possess in this industry.
A survey conducted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) estimated that in the hotel and restaurant industries alone, there are more than 328,000 business, management, and financial occupations and out of every 15 workers, one is employed in the hospitality industry or in positions tied to hospitality organizations.
As for your career options, there are more than just working at a hotel. You might work in the food service industry, in revenue management or risk management, in human resources for hospitality services, food and beverage transportation or in food preparation, and more. For these jobs, you might need hospitality skills, business management skills, and more. Hospitality organizations make their presence known in the tourism industry, service industry, lodging operations, and more across the nation and the world. When students attend a state university or college, they can gain admission to a variety of hospitality and tourism management-related positions, which include:
- Food Service and Food and Beverage Catering
- Hospitality Management
- Hospitality and Tourism Management
- Hotel and Restaurant Management
- Human Resources Management in the Hospitality Industry
- And More