Career in Hospitality Industry: If you love to entertain guests and you also have a mind for business, then you may have a future in the hospitality industry. There are many facets of this business, from tourism to hotels and even restaurant management, and if you set your sights just right then you can have a very successful and long-lasting career in this exciting field. While there is a lot of success to be had, you need to set your hospitality career up just right in order to stand out from the competition and help your business thrive.
How to Have a Successful Career in the Hospitality Industry
Starting Your Hospitality Business
When you decide to join the hospitality business, you can decide to work at an existing company or start your own business. If you decide to start a company then you will need a plan, including deciding the type of business you want to start. Do you love food and cooking? Then maybe you can start a restaurant or become a chef at an existing property. Does the idea of meeting new people from all over the world excite you? If so, you could work in a hotel and check-in guests from exotic locations. If you love to see new sights, you could become a tour guide. The sky’s the limit. Pick a career that interests you and see where it goes.
If you are starting your own business then you also need to think about financing. You’ll need money to market your business and pay your employees, and you’ll need a financing source. The most traditional method is to take out a bank loan that you will pay back over time. If your credit could be better then there are other options, like crowdfunding or using money from your personal savings. Before you borrow any money, make a plan on how you will pay it back over time.
Build the Proper Skills
No matter what facet of the hospitality industry that you decide to join, there are several skills that you will want to have under your belt. In addition to the ability to work a computer and understand basic math, you will also need many soft skills. These are skills that can’t be quantified but that you learn while on the job.
One of these soft skills is the ability to effectively communicate with the people within your business and the customers that you are there to serve. Being a “people person” means that you can understand your client’s needs and do whatever is necessary to leave them satisfied. Everyone has a different communication style, so you will need to adapt on the spot.
You’ll also need a sense of empathy. Even if you are great at your job, it is inevitable that you will have an upset customer from time to time and the key is not to argue with them but to understand their position and make things better. Upset customers are just a part of the business, so if you want to succeed in hospitality, you will need to learn to smile and do what you can to help. Career in Hospitality Industry
On-the-Job Experience
In order to gain both the hard and soft skills that you need to be successful in hospitality, you need to get out there and get some real experience. You can obtain the basic skills and become more comfortable around people by finding a job in fast food or even working as an Uber driver. If you plan to be a manager in a hotel, then you may have to start at the bottom in an entry-level position. It may not be the best-paying position, but you will learn the ins and outs of the establishment and work your way up.
When you get your first hospitality position, ask a lot of questions and volunteer for new assignments so you can get hands-on experience in all departments. If you like what you see, then you might even consider going to school for a degree in hospitality management. With that accreditation, you can start at a higher position, like a restaurant manager or front-end manager at a hotel.
Reputation Management
In this increasingly digital world, it is more important than ever that you conduct business in the most responsible way possible so that customers will be confident that your hotel or restaurant is the best option for them. If you don’t have that sense of empathy and customers leave your establishment unhappy then they have no problem going online and making their opinions known. They say that once something is on the internet, it is there forever, so in order to have a successful and long-lasting career, you will need to keep a positive reputation.
There are several ways that you can improve your reputation online such as having an engaging website with high-quality images that show what your establishment is all about. You also need to respond to all reviews. Thank customers for good reviews. If you see bad reviews, ask how you can help. Other customers will see that and know that you take your reputation seriously.
