In my last blog, I shared my recommendations on the questions many young hoteliers have. What to do once they have graduated from hotel school or finished their internships or apprenticeships. The subject is simple yet complex. It deserves a complete- and realistic answer, not only to what kind of job you should choose and what company, but also to the location, depending on the part of the young world hoteliers live in. Not every location offers the same opportunities or actions to be taken.
Location plays a significant role in advancing job- and career goals in the hotel industry. Some cities and countries have more opportunities for growth and career advancement, particularly those where many international hotel brands have their hotels. Remote or unknown locations offer much fewer advantages for young hoteliers. Here is my recommendation on how to overcome the geographical challenge.
Working in places with a thriving hospitality industry can give you more exposure to different hotels and businesses and increase your chances of developing your skills and making valuable industry connections. Working in popular tourist destinations will allow you to gain experience managing high-volume operations. Ultimately, your choice of location should align with your long-term career goals and aspirations.
At this stage, since you know your career goal and have selected a set of companies that will be most suitable for your career, you will need to choose the location and, eventually, the city and the country you are inspired to work in. This depends 100% on your site, your situation, and where you are beginning your career. Of course, this is easy for those hoteliers living close to these locations or in the respective country, which offers a good infrastructure with many international hotel companies. However not everyone shares these advantages.
In my book, “The Perfect Hotel Career,” I have described my journey in detail. I realize this will not be an option for most of my readers. But, like me, you may live in a small town or even a village. Be it in Asia, Africa, Europe, or the Americas.
The first practical step is straightforward. Find a hotel or restaurant within your vicinity and enter an entry position. If there is no suitable hotel nearby, you will not have any choice but to go where there are hotels. You can learn the basics of hospitality simply by taking on any line job. I did it, and it worked. From here, you will need to explore the options at your hand: a larger city and a better position which will add to your essential insights and knowledge. I am talking about a timeline of up to six months. And I am sure that with the right attitude and mindset, you will have learned more than just “washing dishes or serving meals.” As for myself, I had no education and was only 16 but determined to make it one way or another. Back in the early 1970s, there were no job portals, LinkedIn, computers or even an Internet. Compared to today finding a job was hard work.
The above scenario is describes a scenario which we find often and can be considered the most challenging, I can think of. Most young people today who are considering the hospitality industry have at least a school degree and do not live in a village but at least in a small town. They have multiple options depending on country and location. They can apply for an internship or an apprenticeship. If you live in North America or Europe, your start will be very different and far more accessible. You will have a high school degree and are ready to apply directly for an internship or apprenticeship. Alternatively, you can also opt to study in a hotel school and enter the workforce after obtaining the necessary certifications. Young hoteliers worry too much of what to do after they graduate from hotel school or finish their apprenticeship. They should not and maybe it is a generational issue. Despite living in the information age I find that many young hoteliers are not properly informed about the job opportunities in the hotel industry but also want to much to soon. Just because someone has a hotel school degree will not make him or her a front office manager or food&beverage manager right away. These are leadership positions one has to earn thru hard work and continued good performance.
Our industry is wonderful and provides many jobs and career options for young people from all walks of life, nationalities, and gender. Only some industries offer this kind of diversity but also low entry barriers. A high school degree is sufficient to enter, and even for those people without a high school degree, it is not impossible to work their way up into management. However, this takes proper planning and know-how.
Consider applying for entry-level positions that will allow you to gain hands-on experience and develop your skills in a specific area of the hotel industry. Some entry-level jobs with the best potential for your career are:
- Front Desk Agent: responsible for checking guests in and out of the hotel, answering questions, and providing information about the hotel and its services.
- Housekeeping Attendant: responsible for cleaning and maintaining guest rooms and common hotel areas.
- Food and Beverage Server: responsible for taking food and drink orders and providing excellent customer service in the hotel’s restaurant or bar.
- Guest Service Agent: responsible for handling guest requests and complaints and providing information about the hotel and its services.
- Sales and Marketing Coordinator: responsible for assisting with sales and marketing efforts, such as creating promotional materials and researching potential clients.
- Revenue Management Analyst: responsible for analyzing and forecasting data and making recommendations to optimize hotel revenue.
- Event Coordinator: responsible for planning and executing events and meetings in the hotel
The beauty about these entry-level positions is, that you might get one even without internships or apprenticeships. They will provide valuable experience and help you to build your professional network. You will be shortlisted for promotion in both cases, depending on your performance. There are many discussions and opinions about what is a better route. Hotel School first and then a line job or an apprenticeship or internship. There is no correct answer. It depends on your country, location, personality, and career goal.
My personal opinion is to get into an excellent company to work with. Once you get a job inside this company, you can chart your career course. I have seen young people who worked as dishwashers becoming line cooks and later chefs, chief stewards, restaurant managers, and Food & Beverage Managers without a hospitality degree. Good companies today hire their employees for attitude and potential performance, not only for paper certificates. Again, it depends entirely on your personality and your career goal. The most important task you have after graduation to get a job and get going. My advise here, use the school time and apply while still in school. Often the chances are higher to get an opportunity then. You can also work parallel to school on weekends. This gives the potential future employer the chance to get to know you. If done it right, you will have a job by the time you graduate and you can switch easily from school into employment.
The chances are high that you do not find work in one of the top hotel companies I have mentioned earlier. The more important is, therefore, to outperform your colleagues in attitude, skill, and overall job performance. While you are in the job enriching your knowledge and personal development, you need to look out for an opportunity to get into one of the top companies, even for same-level positions. This is about you positioning yourself correctly.
Again, my readers in Europe or North America benefit from being in a market where companies cannot fill positions. This opens up the door to many opportunities with a fast growth potential.
In other regions, mainly in South Asia and many African countries, young hoteliers are much more disadvantaged and work much harder to advance. However, I have seen with my own eyes that this group of future hoteliers is “HUNGRY.” They are driven much more by ambition to make it than their European or American counterparts. So, it is no wonder that we see more and more managers from these geographical regions becoming managers worldwide. They silently take up jobs that are not filled or not good enough for many entitled Europeans or Americans and climb the ladder without complaint, just keeping an eye on their career objective. Another aspect of their successes is that they are usually much better informed about opportunities and requirements, and W.L.B. plays no role during their formative years. They also seem to be much more resistant to “Burn-Out” something I have gotten to know only when I arrived in Germany a few years back.
In his book “Excellence Wins,” Horst Schulze, former CEO of the Ritz Carlton Hotel group, describes a young man from Kenya working as a dishwasher in a Ritz-Carlton Hotel in the USA . He had left his country with the ambition to make it in America. Over the years he slowly worked his way all the way up to General Manager.
Horst Schulze spends considerable time describing this Gentleman’s attitude and mindset, which is an excellent example of everything being possible. I can only confirm this, and there are many other examples out there where young hoteliers, males or females, with very humble beginnings and without a degree or hotel school, made their way to the top thru hard work, the right mindset, and attitude and intelligent choice of the companies, they worked in. Instead of wasting valuable time on social networking, they follow a strict routine, perfecting their resume and applying strategically to those companies they are interested in. They are, what I call “Job-Shoppers” not “Job-Seekers”.
So by applying this technique and dedicatino you will find work in a city with a decent amount of hotels, preferably branded hotels. Seek engagement and eventually employment with the top companies and start applying from the top slowly down. Avoid non-branded or locally-branded hotels. I am not here to downplay these hotels, but I know your career will not be on the manager’s radar. They will have you as a good worker and maybe even pay well; however, I consider this to be the exception. Even in larger hotels, let’s say in India or in Dubai, I have seen young people work hard and being massively taken advantage of. The salaries are a fraction of what these employees could make in other countries. So, if you are a young hotelier in India, work with IHCL (Taj Group) or one of the international chains like Hyatt, Hilton, or Marriott. I know this is not always possible, but you should make every effort to get into one of these companies. Networking via LinkedIn will be very helpful.
Once you have overcome this first challenge and are finally working in one of these selected hotels, you get your break. Getting into these companies is more challenging since there are many applicants compared to the same hotel groups with locations in Europe, the USA, and Australia. Please avoid getting into lesser-known brands like ITC hotels or similar ones if you want to work internationally. If you wish to remain in India, these groups will be ok, but keep in mind that they have nothing else to offer you besides salary and a minor career.
Don’t listen to the “People are our biggest asset” talk. Find out on your term what companies can do for your career besides paying a salary. They need people with vision and ambition to do a job that, most of the time, is underpaid. So the company which gets you should have other non-monitary benefits. Most take little interest in your ambition and dreams. The genuinely international hotel chains are your passport to the world. They can take you anywhere you want. They have systems and training to help you become a better performer over time, resulting in promotions and growth. One group I hold high are the Taj Hotels of India. Not because I have worked with them, but rather because of their employee dedication and high standards. Even though, they do not have many hotels outside the sub continent they are an excellent choice to work for if you do not plan to work internationally. However, they provide some work opportunities in their hotels in Dubai, Zambia, South Africa, and the UK.
I quote Henry Ford again: “If you think you can do a thing, or you think you cannot do a thing, in both cases, you are right.” There will be considerable challenges along the way—more for hoteliers not in Europe, North America, and Australia.
How this plays out is up to you and depends on your circumstances and goals. If you have no international ambitions and instead stay in your home country, your choice of hotels to work with is much broader. They also will offer you career opportunities. It would be best if you decided how rewarding these will be in the long run. I say, reach for the stars!
Once you have found your hotel company and have been consistently working for at least two years in one, your vision will sharpen, and you will have a much better understanding of the way forward. This is also the time when you must make mistakes. You have found solid ground, and most hoteliers enjoy a comfort level, often providing them with a false sense of security.
At this stage, you need to review your career plan and modify it for the future. There is 95% no straight line. There will be changes, disappointments, and frustration. Still, you will eventually get where you want to be with consistency and never-ending improvement in your job performance, personal development, and skill development.
At this stage of your development, it is time for a good mentor. That mentor should always be someone other than your superior or department manager, in many cases, not even your General Manager. Of course, there are exceptions, but they are not frequent and are primarily self-serving. Finding a good mentor is not always easy, and I will elaborate on mentorship in a future blog.
For now, I hope you have been able to follow me and have digested all the information. I keep my blogs on a personal level and a balanced mix of my experiences and that of many of my former colleagues from all over the world.
Feel free to subscribe to my blog. I will not spam your mailbox. However, I am dedicated to sharing my experiences with those who are just starting their careers. My knowledge is based on my own experiences and a 45 year long career in the international hotel industry and my purpose is to assist, guide and mentor young hoteliers on their journey.
My word of wisdom: Travel is the only expense that makes you richer! I wish you an incredible journey, and if you have a question, ask on my website.
Helmut Meckelburg