Often I am being asked, if it is possible to begin a hotel career without having a degree or even an apprenticeship. The answer is a clear sounding ” YES ” ! I am living proof of it. When I was 16 I started as a dishwasher in a large resort on the Baltic Sea in Germany. I started at the buttom. Not because I liked it, but because I wanted to get into the industry and this was the entry door.
Because I was wiling, and good in my job ( I took pride in my work ) I soon was asked to perform extra duties and special assignments, often generating overtime compensation for me. Only 4 weeks later I was asked to help out during special events and large banquets as a bar boy and soon was asked to leave the dishwashing department and become part of the Beverage Department. I worked hard, did not challenge my boss, was always available for overtime and soon became known to be a reliable and service oriented individual, who would outperform most of his colleages. In other words, I was a “Performer”. During my high school vaccation I worked full time and during normal school I worked part-time. This was not necessary benefitial to my performance in school but eventually I graduated. In the meantime the Bartender I worked for as a bar boy had gotten married and asked me, if I would be ready to begin an apprentice ship in the hotel of his wife. Of course I accepted and started my first apprenticeship for hotel business administration. Due to good performance I was able to do my final examen and test one year earlier. The company offered me to stay on however I decided to move on and invest into another apprenticeship, this time as cook. Again, like in the previous apprenticeship I excelled, worked hard and often long hours, silently tolerated hardship and exploitation – (quite normal in the 1970ties) and did my final examination – again one full year earlier. The first learning of these 4 years of hardship besides the things they teach you as an apprentice were that it is important to excel in your work and assignments any way you can. The second one was to keep on going this path, get a job but no longer with a private company because exploitation there was rampant. I got accepted at the Intercontinental Hotel in Berlin were I worked as an Asst. Department Head in the huge Food and Beverage Department. Working with an international and worldwide company was like day and night compared to privately owned hotels. The compliance with legislation, the way people were treated and the many career options were impressive, however I was still to unexerienced to take full advantage of the many offerings the company had for good employees. I have to say, that I was obsessed with rapid progress and promotion to prepare a proper plan. I jumped at another opportunity in another hotel company, also in Berlin which was equally professional however did not offer the international opportunities which Intercontinental Hotels offered at that time. By now I was well on my way into becoming a Food & Beverage Manager, however I was simply not patient enough. On the top of my priority list was to move out of Germany. My first visit to the USA in 1982 had shown me a new world, a less reglemented world and a world of opportunities one could only dream of in Germany. So I decided to get myself a job in the USA. I was fixated on this and would not tolerate other peoples opinion or recommendations. I bought a ticket and travelled to New York, where I had exactly 8 days time to find “My Job”. My mind was made up ! Nobody could reason with me. Not even my Inner Voice.
Not really understanding the logistics of a job search I would visit the famous Hotels, the Plaza, The Pierre, the Helmsley Palace. I would sit in the Hotel Lobby, ask for the Director of Food & Beverage´s name, then call his office from the lobby phone and ask for a 10 minute meeting. My story, that I had travelled all the way from Germany to meet him gave me the 10minutes almost every time. Only at The Pierre, there was a friendly , yet somewhat not very helpful german Front Office Manager I did not get those 10 minutes. My last meeting I managed with the Food & Beverage Director of the Waldorf=Astoria and after 5 Minutes of samll talk, a cup of coffee he followed thru with a tough interview. 25 Minutes later I had the job confirmation and 2 months later , back in Berlin I received my contract for a F&B Management position at the “Greatest of them All”, as Conrad Hilton used to call the Waldorf=Astoria.
So, if someone wants to work in the hotel industry, does not have a degree or even an apprenticeship, there is a way to get started. The main ingredient for a success is to have a clear objective and will to work in this industry and an unshakable determination to overcome any challene which might come in the way (and it will come). Having a degree is of course helpful but not always a requirement, if someone is already working within a company. The Hotel Industry is a people industry and one needs to built and develop relationships. This is today more important than ever and also much easier. Technology and digitalisation make it possible. If someone says, one could not get a job without a degree then this person makes a limiting statement. Degrees are, in my opinion overvalued and there are plenty of examples in the hotel industry to support this opinion. I hold a MBA , BA and BS but go so far to say, that none of these degrees were essential to get me into a General Manager position. However I am also saying that if one wants to have a degree that person should get it quickly. The one thing no degree can buy us is time. And time is the most valuable asset there is. We cannot buy it, so depending on what career aspirations and objectives someone has, it should always become a part of the plan. The buttomline is, one can begin a career in the hotel industry without a degree. Why many Human Resources specialists maintain the argument, that a degree holder can do a better job than a non degree holder is hard to accept. Why companies putting in place these barriers is hard to understand, especially since the hotel industry suffers from historic and chronic high turnover, one of the highest of any industries world wide. If you have more questions contact us or sent us a question.We are happy to provide a reply which will satisfy you. Good luck in your career.
Helmut