Hospitality Career Internships

Tips In Finding Hospitality Career Internships

Hospitality career is one of the industries that would require having an internship. This is because of the nature of the job itself. Practical skills are considered to be much important in this kind of career rather than theoretical knowledge and competency. However, a mix of both is still preferred.

The Course And Its Internship

If you’ll be studying this kind of course, for sure you would be required to undergo internship during your last year of college. There are various sources in which you can find internship programs and for sure, you would not have a hard time finding one. However, the challenge here is how you can find a good internship program.

School Provision

For some students, finding a program would not be a problem anymore. Not because they have lots of connections, but simply because their school would be the one to provide the program itself for them. Most schools offering hospitality courses nowadays usually partner up with an establishment. For instance, your school could have an agreement with a prominent hotel, resort or restaurant in your area.

Here, they would usually have a deal in which students of your school would automatically be interns in the establishment once they have had reached that certain part of the curriculum where internship is held. If your school would be the one to provide you with an internship program, then good for you!

Going International

One good thing with this type of career is that you can easily access international companies. This benefit does not only start when you are working already but even at your internship. There are a lot of companies out there that hire hospitality students and provide them international internships. The good thing here is that these are most of the time paid.

Some companies that offer international internships also partner up with schools. If your school has this kind of program then good for you. If not, don’t lose hope. It is still possible for you to get into a program like this. All you have to do is contact the company. For sure they would be more than happy to assist you with processing your documents and living arrangements in the country you would be going to.

The Internet

If your school would not be the one to provide you with a program any you are to look for an internship by yourself, one good place to look in would be the Internet. With a little effort of browsing, you can find various companies that are looking for interns. However, it may be tough for you to find a paid internship program on the net. Nevertheless, finding one that is not paid would be quite easy.

Big Companies

One thing you should remember if you’ll be internship hunting is that you should not be afraid of big companies. It is possible for you to land an internship position with big and well-known companies. Do not be blinded by the notion that they only hire professionals or those that has extensive experience in the field. They do hire students as interns. So, don’t be afraid to approach them and send your CV.

Local Establishments

Sometimes the best internship programs are found not with the big names but with the local ones. Don’t hesitate to ask local companies or establishments around your neighbourhood if they have programs in store for you. However, do not expect to get a high pay with such kind of companies.

Hospitality Job Opportunities In The 20th Century

Hospitality Job Opportunities In The 20th Century

Just like with any kind of industry, the hospitality industry has trends too. If you are planning to have a career change and you are considering taking advantage of hospitality job opportunities that could be an easy thing to do. However, it is best that you are updated with the trends of the industry in the time being. So, here are some of the latest and to watch out for trends in the field of hospitality career.

Thank You For New Properties

Be on watch for new properties. These are said to drive employment growth in the coming years. The launching and opening of newly built high-end resorts along with their restaurants, hotels and other amenities would drive job growth for the industry in 2008 and years to come.

This is pretty good news for you. For instance, big hotels and properties usually need about 1,600 people to staff the place full time. Now, just think of how many new hotels and resorts would be opening in a year? That would definitely be a number of 1,600 staffs per hotel!

All-Inclusive Packages Means Jobs For You!

As you can observe, “All-Inclusive Packages” are the trend nowadays. So what does this mean? More job positions of course! Whether guests would need room service, a masseuse, or some help with game, the industry would have to hire lots of people just to pamper their guests.

It is undeniable that everybody gets their dose of stress once in a while. Because of this, people seek out to have a vacation. And when they do get a vacation, they want nothing else but to be babied, pampered and served!

Too Much For Cooking

Another seen trend is that culinary schools are everywhere nowadays. In fact, you could even see their ads on daytime television. So, what does this mean?—they’ll be producing tons of graduates of course! Hence, there would be more competition. So, if you think you don’t really have the heart for cooking, it would be best that you skip this kind of specialty and try to go for a different one.

Less For Management

If the industry is having an over supply for chefs, the contrary is happening for management. Unknown to many, there is a great need for managers in this industry. This is most especially true for food chains. Most companies are not in need for trained chefs anymore, but instead what they need are managers and supervisors that could efficiently deal with people, do the math and plan things right. So, if you think you have this knack, then why not try management for a change?

Go For Business Based Establishments

It is also better if you go for hotels that primarily serve businesses. If you’re working in a hotel that primarily serves individuals that book their vacation one week ahead then your company is more prone to travel slowdown. It is inevitable in this kind of trade that you encounter client back-outs and cancellations, which is why it is safer to go for business based establishments.

Those hotels that serve businesses are usually booked for conventions one year ahead. This trade has more security put to it than those depending on individuals. So, it is recommended that you carefully consider the type of company you’ll be applying for.

Job Positions In The Hospitality Industry

The Must Know List Of Job Positions In The Hospitality Industry

The hospitality industry involves a vast array of expertise. It is not limited to the four corners of hotels and restaurants. This industry is the type that you can find almost everywhere you go. It involves various people working in different positions and has varying responsibilities too.

It is really difficult for you to know all the positions in the field. Hence, here is the must know list of job positions in the hospitality industry.

Food Oriented Positions

One main category of jobs in this industry would be food oriented ones. These positions basically involve responsibilities dealing with and creating food in the kitchen. It would also involve other aspects such as serving food and making sure they are of good quality. Some of the job positions are, but not limited to:

1. Waiters and Waitresses
2. Banquet Servers
3. Cocktail Servers
4. Food And Beverage Servers
5. Room Service Servers/ Waiters
6. Car Hops
7. Deli Clerks/Delicatessen Clerks
8. Deli Managers
9. Dietary Aides
10. Drive Thru Window Order Taker
11. Prep Cook
12. Line Chefs
13. Executive Chefs
14. Back Line Cook
15. Banquet Cooks
16. Fry/Grill Cook
17. Pastry Bakers Saucier
18. Dish Washers
19. Bartenders
20. Cafe Baristas

Accommodation Oriented Positions

There are also positions that are accommodation oriented. Thus, the main responsibility you would have here is to make sure that the guests are enjoying their stay in whatever facility you are working for, whether it be a hotel, resort or a restaurant. Some of the job positions are, but not limited to:

1. Dining Room Supervisors
2. Greeters
3. Hospitality Coordinators
4. Hostess
5. Hotel Managers
6. Hotel General Managers
7. Supervisors
8. Bell Hops
9. Luggage Carriers
10. Hotel Receptionists and Concierge

Cleaning And Maintenance Oriented Positions

You can also opt for positions that involve cleaning and maintenance of the facility. If you’ll be getting a position like this, your responsibility is to check whether the environment assigned to you is clean; not only that, but clean to the point that it would pass the general requirements and standard set by your company. You would not only check, but you would also maintain this cleanliness.

For those involving maintenance, you would have to take care of the machines and other facilities found in your working place. You would do repairs whenever they are broken. Here are some of the positions with this kind of orientation:

1. Housekeeping Cleaners
2. Maids
3. Chamber Maids
4. Building Maintenance
5. Building Mechanic
6. Equipment Engineering Technician
7. General Maintenance Technician
8. Maintenance Electrician
9. Maintenance Engineer
10. Maintenance Mechanic
11. Process Technician
12. Maintenance Supervisor

Travel Oriented Positions

There are also travel oriented positions that you can choose from. Here, travelling would be part of your job. You might work for a cruise ship, airline or a land touring company. Most of the time, you would be on tours. Thus, you are going to be away from home for a couple of days or even weeks. Jobs like these are usually inclusive of lodging and food allowances. Here are some of the positions that has this kind of orientation:

1. Transportation Ticket Agents
2. Reservation Agents
3. Travel Clerks
4. Tour Guides
5. Escorts
6. Museum Guides
7. Land-Tour Guides
8. Docents
9. Flight Attendants
10. Other food/ accommodation/ cleaning/ maintenance oriented positions that are based on cruise ships and airlines

Future of Hospitality Careers

The Promising Future Of Hospitality Careers

Hospitality careers are one of the fastest growing fields of work nowadays. It is not only popular in the US but even in different countries that you go to. This industry has an international scope which makes it a popular one.

A lot of literature says that the future of hospitality careers is very promising. But how come do they say this? Well, there are a couple of factors why you can have a very promising future in this type of career. Here are some of them.

The Market: Tourists And Locals

The common misconception about careers in this category is that it only pertains to job positions that could be found in hotels and restaurants. It is true that there are a number of positions in hotels and restaurants that take the responsibility of being hospitable but there are also other industries that have this kind of role such as: car hiring trades, air-conditioning services, building industry, plumbing, airlines, casinos, entertainment organisations, IT companies, taxi operators, recruitment agencies, and retail services.

All these and more are included in the category of hospitality. As you can see, most of these are what you may call the “essentials” in the realm of tourism. And for sure, you know how important tourism is in whatever place or country you may be. Thus, you can expect that an industry like this could definitely bloom even in the coming years.

However, it is not only tourists that these jobs serve. Even locals alike are served too. For sure you make use of the services of taxi cabs, plumbers and most of all restaurants. This factor makes the whole industry more stable. Even if it’s not the peak season of tourists, locals are still there to keep the industry alive and beating!

Globalization

In relation to tourism, there is the factor of globalization. It is undeniable that globalization is hastily coming into being. More countries are getting connected with one another in terms of business relations and investments. This is a pretty good sign for the hospitality industry as they can expect more international visitors to be coming their way in need of hospitality and their services.

The Lucrative Compensation

Another factor why this career has a brilliant future ahead is because of the huge possibility of attaining a very lucrative pay. The basic salary already pays well. But there is that big chance of getting promoted, which gives you a higher projected income. Unlike in other fields where you’ve been working for 10 years and nothing have changed, in this industry, the more experience you’ve got, the more the chance you can get a higher position.

The Perks

Other than the high income you’ll be getting, you also get to receive a lot of perks and benefits. For instance, tips are very rewarding with this kind of jobs. Just think of the many customers you can serve and the high potential of meeting good tippers in just one day. The perks you get from companies are great too. There are a lot of bonuses and benefits. However, it highly depends on the company that you’ll be working with.

Stressful Lifestyle

It is undeniable that times are pretty hard these days. This is why a lot of people resort to paying others to do things for them. This is somewhat an important factor in this industry. Since they’ve got the money, then they’ll simply pay others to do it for them. It is that simple in the life of the rich and famous. So, why not take advantage of it?

Jobs for Hospitality Students

Future Jobs For Hospitality Students

If you’ll be observing career recommendations for high school students, you’ll see that most of them recommend students to take up hospitality career. A lot of students have had considered this choice in the past years and most of them are now studying different courses related to the field. However, a lot of people still do not know what exactly the future jobs are for hospitality students.

If you are one of those who are clueless with this subject at hand, here’s an overview of the possible job positions that students in this kind of field could have in the near future.

Hotels And Resorts

The number one environment that people would think about when they hear you are a student of this kind of course would be hotels and resorts. They are correct for thinking that way. However, your possible working environment is not limited to these two. Studying hospitality could bring you places, literally.

But in the case of hotels and resorts, there are also a number of positions that a hospitality student can have. For instance, you can be a receptionist, room service personnel, desk clerk, usher, lobby attendant, baggage porter, or a bellhop. With some experience you could be a lodging manager, operations manager or a hotel general manager. These are just jobs related to the lodging portion of the hotel.

Recreational positions are available too. You can be a lifeguard or skipatrol. You can also be an activities personnel, activities planner, recreational assistant, recreation therapist, gaming supervisor, spa attendant and a lot more!

Casinos

Although being hospitable is not outright associated to places such as Casinos, these are actually one of the biggest industries that are in need for workers. Positions would usually include being a gaming dealer, gaming manager, bartender, pit boss, gaming host, blackjack dealer, or any other table games dealer.

Restaurants found inside casinos would also need chefs and waiting services to attend to the hungry gamblers waiting to be served.

Events

You can also take part in any kind of social event. Positions like events planner and meeting planner are also viable. Here, your main job would be to organize whatever event it is that you are working on. Wedding planners also fall into this kind of category. You provide the program according to your client’s demands. You also make sure that everything goes smoothly during the event itself.

Airlines

Since hospitality and tourism are closely related, airlines also hire students from this field of study. You can be a flight attendant, flight stewardess, travel and tours organizer, ticket taker, usher, or lobby attendant.

Cruise Ships

Another place that you can work in would be cruise ships. Just like in other places you can be a ticket taker, usher, bellhop, receptionist, attendant, recreations manager, executive chef, chef, room service personnel, events manager, baggage porter, general manager, housekeeping personnel, housekeeping manager, janitor/janitress, gaming host, waiter, food and beverage director, gaming dealer, bartender, lodging manager and a lot more. Positions are basically the same; it’s just that you all these jobs in a cruise ship.

Tours

You can also work in places such as museums or other establishments in which guides are needed. Positions would include: Docent, Historical Interpreter, Discovery Guide, Interpreter, Guide, Museum Docent, Science Interpreter, Museum Guide, Tour Guide or Museum Educator.

Four Careers in Hospitality

The Top Four Careers In Hospitality

Hospitality Career does not only pertain to a single job. It is mainly a field in which you can choose from a vast variety of specialties. It is a fact that learning about these different fields could be fun. However, a person can only do much to a limited extent, which is why having a specialization is a must.

With all the possibilities in this career, there are those that top the list. So to help you out, here are the top four careers in hospitality that you may want to consider venturing into.

Hotel Staff

It is undeniable that hotels are rampant nowadays. You could see high rise hotels being built almost anywhere as long as there is a site to see or place to visit. This is true not only for the United Sates, but other countries as well. Whether it be a five-star hotel or a not so glamorous hotel, a hotel is a hotel and one thing’s for sure: they need people to work for them.

Positions in this kind of career could also vary and they are numerous too. You can be the front desk person who assigns rooms for guests or you could be the lifeguard at the pool area who watches over the kid’s pool—there are abundant numbers of hotel staff positions that you could consider. Other than the number of positions, the number of establishments you can work for is also high. There are small bed and breakfasts and there are 5-star accommodations.

How high your compensation would be would depend on your job title. This factor would also decide how you will be paid; whether by hour or in a yearly basis.

Event And Meeting Planner

This position includes responsibilities of being in charge of the features regarding vital business meetings or wedding receptions held in hotels. You basically have to act out as an event planner or organizer so that your client would have a smooth program flow for their event. Also, it is part of your responsibility to take care of the accommodations and amenities of a facility of site. Thus, you need to have some knowledge on contract negotiations.

For this kind of specialization, you would need to have a bachelor's degree in a particular area, along with 2-4 years of experience in the field are necessary. The usual salary would be anything from $39,355 to $74,268.

Executive Chef

This career would generally involve managing the flow and direction of a kitchen. You would be responsible for arranging menus and tables on hotels, cruise ships, and other hot spots that tourists go to. You also keep track of inventory and try to keep costs down. You decide which supplies and food items are necessary to purchase. As time passes by, you will establish and modify the menus so that there is an increase in profits and decrease in monetary loss. You are also the one who is in charge of overseeing the overall satisfaction of your customers.

A comprehensive understanding of local food sanitation regulations and rules, along with federal state laws are vital. Generally, you should have a bachelor's degree in a field of specialty and at least 7 years of experience for you to anything from $45,562 to $101,865.

Travel Coordinator

A travel coordinator is the one who takes control whenever companies need coordination for their travel plans. The typical responsibilities you may encounter would be scheduling flights and hotel stays, as well as assisting travelers obtain their passports, visas, and other required travel documents. The usual salary would be somewhere in between $29,879 to $53,482.

Hospitality as Career

Is A Hospitality Career For You?

Although striving for hospitality career could be quite tempting, especially with the very lucrative pay waiting for you and benefits in store, this is still not a venture for the weak hearted. Getting into this kind of field is not all about perks, benefits and big tips. A big ordeal of work is also included in the package.

So, before you pass that resume or application to undergo training, try to think carefully first if this kind of profession is really for you. Here are some points to ponder on to help you see the big picture more clearly.

Humility: Do You Have It?

One very important thing you should remember with this type of work is that it is service oriented. You are the provider of the service. Thus, you should have humility towards the person you are serving. If you are the type of person that cannot lower your pride, then this would be a pretty tough ordeal for you. However, if you are the type who loves to serve and accommodate the needs of other people, this would be pretty easy on your part.

A Perpetual Smile

Being in this kind of profession would mean having a perpetual smile on your face throughout your working hours. You could never grunt or complain about work, especially in front of your guests. No matter how bad your day has been, you should be prepared to serve people with a smile.

Smiling is one way of being hospitable. It is also one good way to make people feel that they are welcome in a new place. So, if you think you can’t keep that smile plastered on your face even if you’re not in the mood, then this kind of job is not ideally for you.

Ready To Work The Graveyard Shift?

Jobs in this field usually involve working in hotels, cafes, casinos and restaurants. All of which are establishments that are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. In most cases, you are not the one who will be setting your schedule but your manager.

Thus, you should be ready to work the graveyard shift. Schedules of working duty also vary. This is why you should also be prepared to adjust to whatever schedule was given to you. This doesn’t mean that you only adjust your daily schedule of activities. You should also be ready to adjust physically and mentally.

Goodbye Holidays!

Holidays are the busiest time of the year for this industry. Hence, you should be prepared to give up your own holiday celebrations while you serve other people so that they can have their holiday vacation of a lifetime. This part of the job does not only affect you, but even also your family. Thus, they should also be prepared and be able to understand the nature of your job. In most cases, you would have to celebrate your holidays the next day after the real date.

Home Away From Home

Travelling is a part for most positions in this career path. If you’ll be working in a cruise or airline setting, then you should be prepared to have your home away from home, which would be your ship or airplane. There are also tour guide positions in which you would sometimes be on tour for a number of days. You get to go home for about a day or so and you’ll be off on another tour once more.

So, do you think you can handle all these? If yes, then good luck with your hospitality career venture!