Hospitality Education and Careers

HOSPITALITY EDUCATION AND CAREER

I was gazing out of the window like every Monday evening. Empty streets, stray dogs toiling over the pavements and Mrs. Ruby, the sassiest character in my neighborhood yelling at the kids for no reason. What attracted my attention was a salesman. He must have been in his late twenties, if not younger, was wearing a well tailored suit and his perfectly gelled hair added to his professional appearance. My interest grew, as the young fellow approached Mrs. Ruby. I was sure that he would be running for his life after a minute chat with the devil of our block. But top my utter surprise, for the first time in her life, Mrs. Ruby smiled and even let the salesman in her home. That day I understood the true meaning of the phrase A good salesman can sell an Eskimo, a refrigerator.

Have you ever wondered why do managers in hotels you visit, or waiters in restaurants you dine in, behave so eloquently and are always on their toes to serve you and make sure that you do not have any discomfort? Why do all these people be the hotel staff, the bartenders, the waiters in eating joints, the airhostesses in airlines, the receptionists at offices and even the customer care lady who picks up your call and answers in a the sweetest tone possible, as if she all the time in the world are so well behaved, strong on work ethics and more or less highly professional?

Well.. . The answer is Hospitality Education.

The idea of hospitality dates back to prehistoric times. Even before the establishment of the first hotel in the world, Hoshi Ryo, the concept of hospitality was flourishing at the banks of Ilisos, where the Greeks had been enjoying hot spring baths and spa treatments, centuries before the first

hot spring was discovered in the Belgian town ‘spa’, accounting to the English usage of the same.

The word ‘hospitality’ finds its roots in the Latin word ‘hospes’, meaning the host. The hospitality industry grew out as the man’s urge to travel increased. Monasteries and shrines came up as the first hotels and as transportation improved, it was in 1794 when the famous City Hotel, New York came into existence.

According to Wikipedia hospitality education can be defined as “the education of the hospitality industry” and hospitality management as “the course or collaboration of courses offering degrees in hotel management.” However if we further dwell into the subject we may discover hospitality education to be lot more than just a “degree in hotel management”. In simpler words, hospitality education is the study of hospitality industry by learning various subjects like human resource management, human psychology, administration, strategic and quantitative analysis and public relations.

The hospitality industry is one of the largest industries in the world, employing about half a billion people worldwide directly or indirectly. This multi billion dollar industry covers large fields of service, including accommodation, transportation, tourism, event management, human resource development, communication, medicine and food. For instance, the global hospitality industry earned about $830 in the year 2016.

The industry not only provides financial stability but also provides safe and hygienic working conditions and a comfortable workable environment, especially for women and is one of the few industries with the ratio of employed females higher than that of males.

So why not pursue a career in hospitality?

“The guest is always the king.”

Hospitality management can indeed prove to be a gold mine of opportunities for all those who are keen to shoulder responsibilities, are compassionate for others and who understand the importance of work ethics and team spirit.

Contradicting the general misconception, hospitality management does not offer jobs exclusively in the hotel industry but also in airlines, as airline officials, airhostesses and stewards, in multinational companies as PR managers, HR mangers and customer care units, and in the tourism sector as tour guides and chefs. Receptionists in hospitals, government offices, sommeliers, baristas, HM authors, one can find hotel management graduates in almost every sphere of life.

Adding to the financial stability, HM graduates also enjoy a rich and comfortable lifestyle, which other working professionals do not. For example the services a top MNC official enjoys as a part of her company’s policy are given to a hotel manager free of cost, that too on a daily basis.

If you want to live a life full of adventures, work in the tallest buildings in the world, like in the JW Marriott Marquis, Dubai, travel different places around the globe or set off shore on a cruise ship and never set foot on ground again, like ‘The World’, that is on a voyage since 2002, or if you want to shower others with love and kindness,it is inutile de discuter . You should not waste your time and pursue a career in hospitality management.