What do you think of when you hear the word “hospitality”?
Hotels? Restaurants? Maybe resorts?
Those businesses certainly do live within the world of hospitality, but they’re just the beginning. In reality, the world of hospitality is wide-reaching, spanning dozens of careers across a great number of businesses.
Here are some of the possible careers in the world of hospitality management, and how you can get started on your way to one of them.
16 Possible Careers in Hospitality Management
So what do we really mean when we discuss a career in hospitality management? Think about any business centered around creating a welcoming, customer-focused environment for their guests. A food and/or beverage component is usually included, but not always. For example, a small hotel without a bar or room service option would still be included under the hospitality umbrella.
Need some examples? Here are 16 hospitality management careers that you could pursue with a degree in Hospitality & Restaurant Operations Management.
- Catering company owner or manager
- Banquet manager in a hotel, conference center, or banquet hall
- Hotel/resort manager
- Bar or nightclub owner or manager
- Restaurant owner or manager
- Cruise ship or cruise line manager
- Airline culinary operations manager or customer service manager
- Event planning or management
- Food truck owner
- Human resources for a restaurant group, hotel, or other hospitality business
- Distribution representative or manager for a food or beverage manufacturer
- Buyer or manager for food or beverage retailer like Costco, Sam’s Club, or Total Wine
- Manager with major food providers for schools, nursing homes, and hospitals like Aramark or Sodexo
- Educator at a culinary school
- Consultant for hospitality businesses
- Sports venue or theme park owner or manager
And this list isn’t even comprehensive. The world of food and hospitality is so much wider than restaurants!
“The great thing about the Hospitality Industry is that there are so many different career paths our students can choose to take. The path to a Management position may start in the Front of the House or the Back of the House.”
Maria Davenport, Escoffier Chef Instructor, Hospitality & Restaurant Operations Management
Tips for Choosing Your Path
With so many options ahead of you, how do you know which career path is right for you? Here are some tips to help you narrow down your choices.
Write Down What Interests You About Hospitality
What is it that draws you to this field?
Is it helping people to celebrate life’s big moments? Then event planning, catering, or managing a hotel or resort with a honeymoon or anniversary crowd may be good options.
Do you want opportunities to travel? Hospitality management on a cruise ship involves the service of a resort and travel to some of the world’s most beautiful places.
Are you excited about food, but don’t see yourself in the kitchen all day? Owning or managing a restaurant, food truck, or catering company could be a good fit.
This exercise can help you narrow down your options and find a career that suits your interests.
Think About What Work Environments Sound Appealing
The vibe of a Las Vegas nightclub is wildly different from a wedding venue! And yet, they’re both hospitality businesses.
Are you a night owl extrovert who loves to be in the thick of things? Or do you prefer a more structured work environment that has you at home every evening? There’s a place for both types—and many others—in hospitality management.
A career should play to your strengths. If you’re the sociable type, you may prefer a customer-facing position. If you’re more introverted, you may fare better in an office position that focuses on your employees rather than the customers.
Try It Out
You’ll never really know what a job is like until you try it. A quick way to do this without making a major commitment is to shadow someone for a few days, or to do an industry externship.
In Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts’ online Hospitality & Restaurant Operations Management program, all students will complete a hands-on industry externship before they graduate with their associate degree. You can use this opportunity to find out what these careers are like and “try it on” to see if it’s a good fit.
If you think you’ve found the organization for you, your externship can be a great way to get your foot in the door. Escoffier Hospitality & Restaurant Operations Management Instructor Maria Davenport says, “The externship class allows students–even those with no prior experience–to get their foot in the door. Once they gain that valuable experience, it is easier for them to determine which path they want to take with their careers.”
That initial externship could lead to bigger and better things down the line!
Where to Start with Your Hospitality Management Career
With so many opportunities ahead of you, you may not know where to start.
An education foothold is critical, especially for those who don’t have 20 years of experience. Hospitality management is management. These positions play a large role in the profitability of the business, and they are very often leadership roles as well.
Maria Davenport, Escoffier Chef Instructor, Hospitality & Restaurant Operations Management
An education will also help you to understand your employee’s job descriptions and challenges. This makes for more empathetic and effective managers, and gives graduates tools to help resolve staff issues.
With Escoffier’s online associate degree program in Hospitality & Restaurant Operations Management, students are provided with a foundation for a successful future in hospitality management, in all its many forms. Professionalism and communications, customer service, leadership, and human resources can give students an array of soft skills and management tools. Coursework in menu design, catering and events, beverage service operations, cost control, and facilities operations introduce them to the business side of hospitality.
This bird’s eye view of hospitality and restaurant operations management leaves students prepared for an entry-level management position in any hospitality organization.
And since the program is 100% online (with a hands-on industry externship), students can complete their education while they work full-time, part-time, and still have time for friends and family!
Is Leadership for You?
Some people just know they’re destined to be leaders. Whether they want to open their own restaurant or bar, keep things running smoothly in a boutique hotel, or climb the ranks with a major food and beverage provider like Sodexo, they’re all in hospitality management.
This career is exciting and fulfilling, and now is a great time to get started as the industry rebounds after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Gain insight into the industry and start from a place of business knowledge by getting your associate degree in Hospitality & Restaurant Operations Management from Escoffier.
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