Individuals with a degree in Hospitality Management have an interest in working with people, planning and organizing in the areas of lodging, travel and tourism, conventions, restaurants, and recreation.
Before you begin to look at the different types of opportunities available to Hospitality Management majors, you must look at yourself and ask yourself a few basic questions:
Understand your major strengths, skills and accomplishments. Some examples of skills and qualities employers look for are:
Interpersonal
Teamwork
Willingness to take risks
Attention to detail
Stamina
Problem solving
Initiative
Organizational
Open to relocation
Examine your interests. What kind of life style do I want to lead? Examine your values...is money what you're after, job security, challenging work?
If you are having trouble answering these questions, you are not alone. Make an appointment with an advisor in the Career Center. We want to help you!
Once you know yourself, you are ready to decide where and how you want to apply this knowledge.
The typical areas of Hospitality Management that one can build a career in are:
Banquets and catering
Food and beverage
Front office operations
Human resources
Leisure and recreation management
Restaurant management
Sales and marketing
Travel and tourism
A bachelor's degree in Hospitality Management and the appropriate skills and/or experience can lead to positions as:
Meeting planner
Marketing representative
Recreation manager
Advertising representative
Public relations representative
Industrial/Institutional buyer
Sales representative
Customer service representative
Manager trainee
Experience in the field or an advanced degree could lead to certain positions as:
Food and beverage manager
Restaurant manager
Front office manager
General manager
Controller
Director of marketing and sales
Human resources director
For information on graduate schools, consult Peterson's.
Typical places of employment are:
Hotels/Motels
Restaurants
Travel agencies
Car rental agencies
Convention halls
Cruise lines
Catering halls
Corporations
Food and beverage companies