Earning a hospitality degree can unlock opportunities that you might not have access to otherwise. When employers see the degree on your resume, they know you’ve invested a significant amount of time into learning about the industry and that you’ve received guidance from knowledgeable professors and mentors. Plus, hands-on training is typically a component of academic hospitality programs, so you’ll likely have acquired some experience as an intern or entry-level employee by the time you graduate.
There are many paths your career might take after you complete your schooling. Here are just a few of the jobs you may qualify for.
Assistant general manager
If you’ve done well in business classes and have strong communication and computer skills, you’ll likely excel as an assistant general manager. This role involves overseeing a property’s operations and ensuring that all procedures run smoothly. From here, you might progress to an operations manager or general manager position.
Competitive candidates will typically already have some hotel experience, such as from working as a guest service agent, assistant front desk manager, or night auditor.
Revenue manager
A revenue manager position may be a good fit for you if you’ve completed some finance coursework and enjoy analytical challenges. In this role, you’re tasked with studying the local market and developing a strategy to maximize revenue. You’ll need to be able to understand data, spot patterns and trends, and communicate your findings to other team members. Success as a revenue manager can put you on the path to eventually become a director of revenue or a vice president of finance.
Any financial or accounting experience is a plus when applying for this role, even if your previous work wasn’t in a hotel or restaurant. For example, employers will likely be happy to see an internship in real estate finance or a stint as an accounting assistant for an airline on your resume.
Sales manager
Many employers prefer candidates who have a bachelor’s degree in hospitality for sales manager roles, which require excellent communication skills, business knowledge, and the ability to be persuasive and respectful. A sales manager needs to seek out new prospects and to promote brand loyalty by actively listening and finding solutions to customers’ pain points. Doing well in this role can ultimately lead to a rewarding career as a director of sales, strategy, or business development.
Previous sales experience might boost your chances of getting hired, although simply being able to deliver a convincing elevator pitch for yourself can also go a long way toward demonstrating you have the capability to succeed in sales.
Event coordinator
Applicants for event coordinator jobs are typically expected to have a bachelor’s degree in hospitality or a related field; you’ll also need to be creative, organized, and comfortable collaborating other stakeholders. This job involves planning events and conferences, coordinating between different departments, and taking care of behind-the-scenes details so that events proceed without a hitch. If you enjoy working as an event coordinator, you might want to pursue other event or banquet management roles. Alternatively, you could start up your own event planning or catering business.
To be competitive for an event coordinator position, it will likely help if you’ve worked as a front desk agent or in guest services or administration.
Casino floor supervisor
An associate’s or bachelor’s degree in hospitality is often a prerequisite for casino floor supervisor positions. In this role, you’re responsible for managing staff on a gaming floor, making sure that operations follow the applicable laws and regulations, and monitoring for fraud. If you aspire to lead a casino department someday or to become an executive in the gaming industry, consider spending some time working as a floor supervisor before applying to a higher-level position.
Experience in gaming is expected for this role, so try to get your foot in the door as a casino tech or host first.
Assistant purchasing manager
If you feel at home with numbers and computer applications and have completed business coursework, an assistant purchasing manager job might be a good next step for you. This role involves researching vendors and comparing bids, placing orders, receiving deliveries, and keeping track of invoices. From here, you can move up to another procurement role or other operations jobs.
To show that you’re a good fit for the position, it may help if you can point to previous experience in another role that demands attention to detail and multi-tasking.
Concierge
If you’re a born problem-solver with impeccable people skills, you may find your niche as a concierge. This position involves answering guests’ questions about a hotel or the surrounding area, recommending places to eat and entertainment venues, and helping guests make reservations and connecting them with services they need. It’s possible to move up to more advanced and higher-paid concierge jobs if you can provide especially in-depth assistance or if you bring specialized talents (like speaking multiple languages) to the table.
Ideally, an applicant should have previously worked in guest services or in another customer-facing role. A hospitality degree isn’t always a requirement for a concierge, but it could give you an advantage over applicants who lack this credential.