Depending on who you talk to, a career in hospitality may or may not be a dream job, but for those who truly love it, they couldn’t imagine working in any other industry.
It’s never been an industry that’s attracted a workforce in search of building great wealth for its own sake, but there always seems to be that elusive “hospitality gene” that drives the most successful hospitality professionals to achieve great things.
Most often, those seeking a career in the hospitality business usually come in search of other forms of personal enrichment and are largely driven by a passion for the industry. Here are 10 ways that working in hospitality is one of the most personally fulfilling career paths you can choose:
1. Hospitality is a gateway to the world. Land a job at a hotel brand and after a few years of demonstrating talent and dedication, you could be eligible for a position at one of the company’s properties abroad or in another part of the country. Even local hotels expose staff to international customs as they cater to the specific needs of guests traveling from other parts of the world. Don’t forget that hotel companies with a global footprint also offer their employees discounted stays.
2. Meet new people … every day. Whether you work in a hotel with a large international, national or regional clientele, you’ll have daily opportunities to interact with people from all walks of life – and that includes co-workers. This isn’t a business where staff congregates around the water cooler each day for a few stolen moments of socializing.
3. Never get stuck in a rut. If you fear spending the rest of your life staving off endless emails from the confines of a dimly lit cubicle, then the hospitality industry is exactly where you need to be. This is a business that rewards employees who show initiative and volunteer for tasks that are not necessarily part of their job description such as leaving the back office to assist the banquet team prepare meeting space for an upcoming event. And in hospitality, these instances can be frequent, especially when occupancy is high.
4. Be part of a team. Benefit from the encouragement and collaboration that comes with working alongside supportive colleagues.
5. Refine your palette. Those who appreciate eating well – be it fine dining, locally sourced ingredients, or healthy dishes – will find that working in a hotel with food and beverage service comes with perks such as sampling new menu items and learning about ingredients and preparations in order to share that information with guests.
6. Flex your creative muscle. Service standards only ever increase in the hospitality industry, which is always evolving. So there’s ample opportunity to bring new ideas to the forefront at work, whether they pertain to dining, the guest experience, or even new marketing tactics or possible ways in which to improve revenue management.
7. Increase your prospects for career advancement. The hospitality industry truly does reward employees who work hard, maintain a positive attitude, excel at customer service, and foster good relationships with coworkers. Career moves can be upwards through the ranks of management or laterally for exposure to other sectors of the business.
8. Work for employers that encourage community involvement. Because guests expect hotel staff to not only have detailed and current knowledge of the local area but also the ability to secure local experiences like restaurant reservations and event tickets, hotels must be contributing members of their local communities. For that, staff members who are involved with the local community will be recognized for their participation, especially if done through the hotel.
9. Enjoy a positive work environment. The mood in the hotel industry is always upbeat. After all, no traveler is going to pay for accommodations in a tense or hostile atmosphere. Plus, as hubs for social gatherings like weddings and business events such as conferences, there’s almost always something going on in a hotel that generates excitement.
10. It’s an industry with staying power. The original hotel concept – the inn – has been around since biblical times and not even today’s technology has replaced travelers’ timeless need for accommodations. Moreover, the global hospitality industry has consistently expanded over time, despite wars, economic crises, and politics. Like the industry itself, experience working in hospitality is equally enduring.