One the most frequently asked questions we receive at the International Hotel School from prospective students is this: Will I be able to find a job when I graduate? It’s a very real concern for young people who are starting out with their studies these days. The good news is that the hospitality industry is showing incredible growth and between 2013 and 2023, Travel & Tourism worldwide is expected to GROW by 4% (that’s a whopping 317 million jobs coming our way). With these fantastic job opportunities on the rise, what sorts of jobs can you expect to do when you graduate with a top notch qualification from International Hotel School? We explore 10 of the most popular job categories:

Departmental Supervisors or Managers

The staff who work in various operational departments within a hotel, resort or lodge are key to ensuring that every aspect of hotel operations happens, every day, on time and within budget. They manage staff, budgets, processes and more. They essentially are responsible for running the day-to-day decision making of the department they are working in. Examples of operational departments you could work in, supervise or manage include: Food & Beverage; Front Office; Guest Relations; Security; Housekeeping; Spa Management or Human Resources.

Concierge

Often one of the most valuable staff members at a hotel, the Concierge is the person who ‘gets everything done’ when you’re staying at a hotel. He/she is the person who can get guests into a restaurant when it’s full, or books transfers at the touch of a button when a guest has forgotten and is now late for their plane, and so much more. Concierges are very versatile – they can carry out a number of job roles, ensuring that guests have an amazing ‘overall’ experience. They are organisers, fixers, guest relations experts and all round super important people to have in a hotel.

Event planning

Event planning is a career path that’s in high demand as many corporate companies require a full-time planner for their company events. Additionally, wedding or party planners are becoming valuable at helping clients save money, so the job market in this sector has seen a boost in recent years. Event Planners are the people you turn to for assistance with organising, conceptualising, planning and executing an event on your behalf. Event planners often come up with creative concepts for décor, space and food; help to secure good prices with vendors or suppliers of furniture, flowers, music, lighting and so on. They put together a workable budget for the event, co-ordinate the planning of all aspects of the function from guest invites to paying the DJ or suppliers and finally, they oversee all processes from legal to financial and just about everything in-between

Spa and recreation Manager

Due to the rise in popularity of healthy lifestyle choices, more and more hotels now offer a pampering onsite spa or wellness centre for their guest’s convenience. Being able to manage a luxurious service that offers great retail options and meets operational requirements (housekeeping, front-office and financial) is down to an efficient, hospitality driven Spa Manager.

Sales and Marketing

Exceptional Sales and Marketing strategies are directly related to the growth and development of any hospitality brand. Designed to improve not only brand awareness and market share, sales and marketing leaders use their talents and skills to create strategies that ultimately lead to increased sales and profits. Sales staff should be able to communicate well with people at all levels, have a strong network of contacts and be able to ‘close a deal’. Marketing staff need to have an understanding of various markets as well as different marketing mediums (and how they work). They also need to work with budgets and create workable strategies designed for growth and increased market share.

Training and development

If you have a love for sharing your skills with other individuals, training may be a perfect avenue for you to pursue. Because hotel trainers need to be experts in the field in which they train staff, they need to possess a solid hospitality qualification coupled with significant experience in the area that they train in. Additionally, trainers are required to update their skills and knowledge from time to time in order to stay current and they are often required to travel for their work in order to train staff at various locations. A strong command of the English language is essential as trainers often have to write their own material.

Financial roles

Accounts staff in the hotel industry keep a record of money out, money in and record all of these transactions on spreadsheets. Discrepancies need to be investigated, corrected and reported as to why they happened. They may also handle payroll, debtors, creditors and financial reporting. A Financial Manager is a hotel’s head honcho when it comes to money. He or she plans how to spend it, save it, and increase it.

General Manager

A General Manager or Hotel Manager oversees the efficient operation and profitable running of the hotel or lodging property and is responsible to the board of directors or owner of the property. The General Manager’s duties depend on the size and main function of the hotel (for example, a convention centre). A General Manager at a large full-service hotel will have more of an administrative job, overseeing managers and departments, while a manager of a smaller hotel is likely to take on some of those roles himself.

Chef

Whether you’re a line cook, a Chef de Partie, a Sous Chef or the Head Chef at a swanky hotel, entering the world of culinary arts offers a variety of different job roles you can pursue. Specialise in pastry, become a sushi chef, master the art of the perfect sauce or plate hundreds of identical gourmet dishes as the banqueting chef of a large hotel – whatever you choose, you will always have the skill to try new culinary job roles with a qualification from IHS.

Private Caterer

For those individuals with a flair for entrepreneurial adventure, why not open your own catering business? Skilled in hospitality management or culinary arts, private caterers look after offsite events, parties, weddings and much more. A good understanding of food, hospitality, budgets, staffing and marketing means you should be an all-rounder to pursue this option.

Get in touch with us if you would like to know more about the qualifications we offer at International Hotel School. Email info@dev.brokenpony.club or call us on 0861 44 33 00 to speak to a consultant today.

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