Hospitality industry is a vast field which offers various hospitality careers. There are always various job options in this field. As per the report of Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the number of jobs in this field will increase by 17 percent by 2014. There are various hospitality careers available for people with various skill sets and educational qualifications.
In this field, for middle level to high level job positions, levels of compensation are on the lower side. At the entry-level position, employees need less training. Housekeeping and gatekeeper jobs hardly need any education or training. Also, they have minimum opportunities for advancement in their career.
Hospitality careers also include sales job positions with some previous experience. Travel agent is a favorite career option which requires a high school diploma along with good sales skills as well as computer skills. Some of the states in U.S. require travel agents to be registered. There are travel institutes which provide online educational courses to gain a certification. Also, the American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA) offers some useful information about the hospitality industry.
Though this industry offers many careers options and good remuneration, it is not easy to work in the hospitality industry. You may have to face some unpleasant situations like impolite guests. Rush during the vacation period is terrifying, and you need to work seven days a week.
Hotel managers are responsible for monitoring and coordinating all the segments of the hotel including housekeeping, recreation, food services, maintenance and security. They also oversee accounting, budget, revenue management, personnel management as well as advertisement departments. Some hotels have a resident manager who lives in the hotel and manages it for 24 hrs. For the smooth operation of the hotel, everyone is responsible, from the hotel manager to the housekeeping personnel.