Anthony Robbins quotes in his famous book “Awaken the giant within“ that It is in the moment you make a decision your destiny is shaped. Another famous quote comes from Muhamed Ali, who said: “Once you made your decision, never look back and never , ever second guess your decisions !”
In the moment You decide to become a Career Hotelier You must free yourself from any doubt, if it was the right decision. There is no right or wrong ever Trust me: You have made an excellent choice ! Few industries provide so many opportunities in such a wide spectrum of jobs and people. Few industries and jobs offer so many opportunities to see and travel the world. It does not matter, where You are from, it does not matter if You are an Introvert or Extrovert, if You are a creative and free spirit or if You are of a more logical and structured person. The hotel industry has definitely countless career options available for You.
My personal recommendation is, to start with an apprenticeship or a company internship, which can be very similar. In both cases you will be working in all hotel departments for a certain amount of time and during this time, you will find out, which part of the hotel is right for you. For some people, it is the Front Office Department, for some it is in the Food & Beverage field; others choose Housekeeping and some will move into Sales & Marketing or Accounting. Whatever your choice will be, know this: there is a way to the top. The classic way was to cover different positions in Food & Beverage or Front Office but since the 1990ties more and more people in Sales have made their way into general management. However, the knowledge of Front Office and Food & Beverage are always required. I have seen even Executive Chefs become General Managers. So which way you choose is up to You. You need to keep in mind, that ultimately it is your own performance and mindset , which is the decisive factor how fast You move thru the ranks, as long you have the ambition. Also you should never base your own decision on the advise of those, who do not have to bear the consequences. There will be many people who will give you valuable advise, however at the end of the day you have to keep your own personal career objective and goal in mind. Advise from another person will always be based on his or her point of view and seldom on your own. If you think this thru point by point, always with your goal in mind, your decision making process will definitely improve.
After a successful apprenticeship or an Internship You can stay with the company or decide to obtain a hospitality degree. The experience You have already accumulated during your apprenticeship and internship will help You a great deal to apply practical skill and experience to your studies. Should You obtain a hospitality degree ? That depends on your personal situation and ambition. I was fortunate enough to qualify for company sponsored training programs at Cornell University in Ithaca, NY in 1987, 1996 and 2005. However this took place after I had already become a Food & Beverage Director at the former El San Juan – now Fairmont Hotel in Puerto Rico; I completed my BA and my MBA in 2006 and 2009 more for personal reasons than for practical ones. But this is my situation. For you – a University degree will always be of help and look good on your resume. Most companies insist on a Degree today. There are many opinions about it but ultimately a degree is a good investment. You should keep this in mind. Today You can study of course online which can save You time and money while You continue to work. The disadvantage of online courses is, that you will hardly be able to network. The personal relationships you built during a real on campus experience in Cornell or Lausanne or any other major university will last a lifetime even beyond your career. The opportunities arising out of these relationships are amazing and should you ever have the opportunity to go for real life, on campus studies you should 100% go for it. While the learning is important, the relationship building and networking opportunities are equally valuable if not even more. Based on the above you can decide on the way forward, it is completely up to you. There is no right or wrong here.
So much for building your foundation. Once You have reached the first plateau you need to decide if you want to conquer the world and enter the international hotel arena or if You stay in your home city or country. There is no right or wrong in this neither and whatever you decide you will have ample opportunities to grow. Faster growth comes with you – being flexible and eager to get to work internationally. To speed up your career and knowledge there is nothing better. Nevertheless, important are your performance and relationships with your superiors and colleagues Let your superiors know, that you are looking for international posting opportunities. This is a choice You have to make for yourself. Another important aspect is, that you should stay with one company for a number of years. They will look after You and sooner or later offer you an international placement. If this does not happen, then and only then should you check out other opportunities but also find out the reason why it is not happening.
I myself was forced to look for other opportunities because the company I was working with did not have any overseas hotels. I absolutely wanted to work internationally. Even if it meant less money and a lower position. I was almost obsessed to get out of my country. Not that I did not have a good position. The opposite was the case, I had just been promoted and was working for an excellent GM who should later become a Leading Hotelier with Kempinski Hotels. A flamboyant personality with a great understanding of hotel sales and marketing. I really enjoyed working with him. But my plan to accelerate my career internationally and see the world, was stronger. I bought a ticket to NYC and really knocked on the doors of the Plaza, the Helmsley Palace, the Pierre and many other great hotels and finally got a job as Restaurant Manager at the “Greatest of them all” as it was called in those days, The Waldorf=Astoria. I was immensely happy and proud returning to Berlin, quitting my job and preparing for my journey to the New World. Three months later left the old world with 700 German Mark in my pocket and started my new job at the Waldorf=Astoria Hotel Park Avenue. It was one of the most important decision I have ever made in my life. It was my decision to follow my dream, no matter what and despite potential challenges which would eventually come. (… and they did). But I never, ever looked back or doubted the decision I had made.
Having a strong sense for adventure , independence and freedom will help you in the learning- and adoption process should you decide for an international posting. If you choose the route to work internationally you are well advised to prepare yourself properly; however the real learning will only begin in the moment you leave the plane in your new and unknown destination. Based on my position I had to do everything on my own, without company protection and security. If You follow my advise, You can avoid many of the challenges I had to face along my path. However, having achieved everything on my own, without a safety net always gave me a sense of accomplishment and achievement. So based on my experiences You should absolutely strive to work with any of the large global companies like Marriott, Hilton, Accor or IHG just to mention a few. These companies have a culture, which is employee oriented and most professional, which cannot be said of the thousands of small lesser known companies or private owners. I have a confidential list of hotel companies and owners worldwide and how they stack up in order to add value to your resume or CV. There are some companies, which would actually not add value to your resume, rather do the opposite. This is a taboo subject and for understandable reasons not being talked about openly. Within my confidential network I advise my clients when they plan to leave or to join a company. . Choosing the wrong employer can break your career, so you are well advised to inform yourself and do the due diligence.
I have had many discussions with colleagues all over the world, why I am advocating the large international companies so much. They simply have learned to invest in their “human capital” , that they offer training, advancement and satisfaction to their associates, which small companies not only cannot afford but also have not built it into their culture. My three prominent companies are Hilton Hotels, Marriott Hotelsand Taj Hotels, Resorts and Palaces. Taj Hotels and Hilton Hotels I know from personal experience and Marriott I got to know from friends and colleagues who work or worked there.
When decisions are made there are also many hoteliers who are not very motivated to leave the safe career ground in their countries and there are those, who are open and actively looking for international postings. The longer You work for one of the “Bluechip Hotel Companies” as I call them, the better and safer are You when working internationally. These companies usually take good care of their employees, especially those who are flexible and can be posted around the globe. Yet, do not forget, even these companies are managed by people which do not always “walk the talk”. But the systems and processes in these “Bluechip Hotel” companies have in place are – let me be clear- very good and usually these companies know and appreciate the value of their employees and are willing to invest in them from the time of joining for the long term.
In the moment, that You are offered an international posting – no matter where it is- You should grab it. It is pure and real life decision time. Now – do not want to contradict myself -but chances are that if You receive an offer for a posting in the Middle East, it is very likely that you will remain in that region for a long time. You may for example get a position in the UAE (Dubai, Abu Dhabi) you should not hesitate for moment. If the posting is in a less spectacular city, you should still give it a go. If You receive a posting, lets say in India-Mumbai You should take it unless You really do not want to go there. If You reject the offer You might not get a second chance soon. So the decision you make here has an advantage and probably also a disadvantage. My Tip: choose the region You would like to have posting early on in your career and let your superiors and HR colleagues know about it. For your company You are simply the best candidate if they offer You a posting. You know the systems, the processes the corporate culture and the people. Your company safes time and money by not having to look outside their own company and eventually pay recruitment fees to a headhunting agency. Chances are also high, that your own position will go to one of your fellow colleagues.(Tip: Groom your potential successor). If your company offers You a posting internationally, it is also a proof of TRUST ! You should accept the opportunity coming to you.
Think about it: You are being relocated at no expense to yourself. You will either have a live-In privilege or housing is provided and paid for You. ( Every company handles this differently). You could find yourself in Los Angeles or in Dubai, in Havanna-Cuba or in Kuala-Lumpur, in Cape town or in Cairo. There are so many variances in this which I am not able to describe in this Blog. However as a member of Thecareerhoteliercom , you enjoy free consultations not only to help You making the right decisions but also to help You with a plan of what You should do before and upon your arrival. Naturally your outgoing colleague will prepare a solid “Handover” for You and You should spent as much time as possible with him or her, asking as many questions as You can, because once he or she has left, they will have a similar challenge as You and little time for You. For everything else you are most welcome to contact me by subscribing to my blog and become a free member. I am well connected to most global hotels through my personal network and can help you to make valuable contacts in most cities across 5 continents.
Your first international posting will be the beginning of your own personal adventure. A long international journey will make You work and live in many countries and cities if you decide so. If you do not enjoy the first exposure on foreign ground, you still have the opportunity to go back. Chances are, that most international hoteliers will pick a place during their working life and move there for retirement. As your career progresses it is very likely, that you will become a part of a small selective group of hoteliers, who are well connected across the globe. You will indeed become a true Expat. It is very likely, that you will also become something of a local public figure depending on your location and the company you are working with. You will be the Brand Ambassador for your company. If you are a 5 Star Career Hotelier you will meet many influential personalities, celebrities , politicians, influencers and of course the top people from your own company. This will be the stage You perform on for years to come, if You do things the right way.
I am myself a fortunate Career Hotelier and have lived and worked on 4 continents with wonderful experiences and stories which can fill books. I am convinced, that many of my more prominent colleagues will not only confirm but re-enforce my statements. Deciding to be a Career Hotelier shapes the way you live and the way you view life, it shapes your own standards and lifestyle. It shapes the way You travel and it will teach You to live with success and failure, with loyalty and sacrifice, with emergencies and crisis. It is a life which will control You if you do not learn to control it, with uncounted rewards and benefits but also with many traps. Make sure to know how to avoid them. This is one of the reason why I started Thecareerhotelier.com : To provide guidance, advise and possibly assistance. Do yourself a favor and register with us. As you keep reading my blogs and are planning out your career you will find, that having a mentor and a trusted source of advise cannot harm, rather the opposite.
I know you will make the best decisions in your career. Good luck on your journey.
Helmut H Meckelburg