Many students pursue hospitality jobs after graduating from college with bachelor’s degrees. The field of hospitality includes opportunities to work in theme parks, restaurants, hotels, resorts and casinos all around the world. Because so much of the work deals with travelers and tourists, it is a great industry for people who love to help and provide leadership with an upbeat attitude. Hospitality degrees are offered at hundreds of prestigious accredited schools across the country. Cornell University has a School of Hotel Administration that is ranked highly by research organizations. Students are required to fulfill 800 hours of work in a hospitality related position to earn a degree. Michigan State University also offers a School of Hospitality Business, also highly ranked. It is one of the country’s oldest schools and also requires 800 internship hours.
5 Popular Hospitality Jobs
Becoming a food service manager or executive chef is rewarding for students who have studied hospitality. This career path involves meal planning and managing the overall kitchen operations. He or she also creates dishes and ensures that customers are satisfied with their meals. Essentially, this employee is in charge of the other kitchen staff. It is common for food service managers to make about $48,000 each year.
Many hospitality graduates go on to work as hotel managers. In this career path, a degree is a requirement. These managers evaluate the quality of hotel rooms and assist customers in their travels. They also manage hotel finances and interact with both staff members and guests. They set room fees and might be placed in charge of public relations and advertising. They typically make about $46,000 a year and may work in specialized locations, such as a finance office.
Resource: Online Hotel Management Degrees
A meeting and convention planner is in charge of coordinating special events at hotels, resorts, lodges and convention centers. Events might range from weddings to conventions. They take the budget and try to figure out ways to provide entertainment and refreshments in an efficient way. They take care of transportation, technology and equipment for their guests. After about one year of training on the job, these event planners can earn more than $60,000 in one year.
Graduates can also find work as a reservation ticket agent, whose role is to answer questions via email, phone and mail about travel arrangements. They might meet with customers to suggest travel opportunities and to create a pleasing itinerary. He or she gives quotes about room and flight rates. In this field, a college degree is heavily preferred to a high school diploma. The average salary for a ticket agent is about $28,000.
The responsibilities of a maitre d’ include being the head waiter of a restaurant. He or she will assign tables to staff members and ensure that customers make and receive their dinner reservations. This is the person in charge of making sure the dining area is satisfactory for all clients and that each waiter is doing what he or she is supposed to be doing. A maitre d’ typically makes $30,000 or more, making it one of the most desirable hospitality jobs for recent graduates.