The
hospitality industry has taken on new proportions thanks to increased
international travel, more affordable airfare, and increasingly diverse
consumer demands. However, in order to
excel in larger field of hospitality (hotels, leisure, restaurants, etc.),
on-the-job training is not always sufficient.
A hospitality degree from an accredited program is quickly becoming the minimum
requirement for many of the more prestigious establishments.
What Type of Hospitality
Training Will You Need?
It's
important to understand that hospitality is a very fluid industry that has many
part-timers and seasonal workers. If you
plan to pursue these types of occupations, your hospitality training doesn't
need to be terribly advanced. But if you
plan to make a career out of hospitality, securing an associates degree or higher
is strongly recommended. This is
especially true for positions such as catering managers, gourmet chefs, hotel
managers, travel agents, and related fields.
A typical hospitality program will stress not only the specific
techniques germane to your given field, but it will also expose you to areas
such as conflict resolution, communications, business administration, customer
relations, marketing, and advertising.
Job Outlook
with a Hospitality Degree
According
to the US Department of Labor, job opportunities in food services, hotels, and
recreation will be plentiful between 2004 and 2014. Of course, some of these figures highlight
the seasonal nature of the larger hospitality industry, but it's also worth
noting that discretionary spending and leisure are becoming increasingly
popular in today's global economy. With
the right type of hospitality training, you can pursue a very comfortable
career helping others become more comfortable.
