Consultants from International Hotel School (IHS) often get to chat to matric students during school visits. A question that is often asked about hotel manager training is what it’s really like to work in hospitality, and what this industry could offer matrics who are keen to join. Here are a few great reasons why we think you’ll love the hospitality industry:

 

There’s opportunity at every turn

Did you know that the travel and tourism industry is the 21st century’s fastest growing industry? Approximately 337 million jobs worldwide will be created for the hospitality industry by 2023, or effectively, 1 in every 10 jobs on the planet. This industry offers great opportunities for those seeking employment both locally and abroad.

You gain a unique set of skills – or should we say, a global set of skills. Not only do you gain exceptional service-based and technical hospitality know-how, you also gain a set of business skills (Finance, HR, Marketing etc.) when you study Hospitality Management at IHS. This is valuable as these skills are transferable across many industries, offering you even more of an opportunity for career advancement.

You can work in different hospitality sectors – cruise ships, game lodges, luxury hotels or bed and breakfasts – whatever you fancy, your qualification and skills will open doors to careers you have always dreamed of. We’re the kings of diversity in the hospitality industry, so take your pick. There is plenty of scope within the hospitality industry ensuring that there’s never any need for you to get stuck in one niche.

Live, work, travel, explore

You get to travel, live, and work with new people all the time. You meet people with different languages, multi-cultural backgrounds and different ideas on service delivery. It’s a great way to learn new strategies and skills in order to be able to work alongside different genders, cultures, nationalities and backgrounds as one big team.

It’s creative! There will be times when you get to create a memorable experience for a guest using your own ideas or initiatives, or creating a menu or dish that’s completely unique and has your style written all over it. Those are brilliant creative hospitality moments that make great memories.

You can get ahead quickly. In hospitality, hard work and dedication equal an easy and fast-tracked path to promotion and growth. You don’t have to be stuck as a junior forever – you can quite easily surpass your friends and become a young entrepreneurial supervisor or manager very early on in your career. It just takes hard work for those who have the drive…

What about the hours of work and pay?

Your hours are quite unique. Some may call them anti-social (which they may well be), but others who work in hospitality see the benefits. You see, shifts can offer flexibility in scheduling – so if you know you have a commitment on a certain day, you can ask to be scheduled on a later shift that doesn’t conflict with your commitment. You may be required to work shifts or business hours, depending on the department you have chosen to work in.

Money is important. Traditionally, the hospitality industry has had somewhat of a bad reputation when it comes to pay. Nowadays, hoteliers enjoy great salaries the world-over, so improvements have been made to pay, hours of work and other benefits within the hospitality sector. Live-in positions usually offer comfortable accommodation for staff, coupled with nourishing meals and discounts at in-house facilities like gyms or entertainment areas.

Get on board with a qualification from IHS

IHS’s international recognition and status as a leading provider of quality hospitality education has led us to enjoying an excellent placement rate in our 20 years of operation. We pride ourselves on recruiting the cream of the crop from aspirant, energetic, passionate young people who, when qualified, are headhunted all over the world, and reach top positions within the hospitality industry.

Whether you would like to study full-time or part-time, IHS offers a variety of programmes to suit every matric student. Get in touch with one of our consultants for further details by emailing info@dev.brokenpony.club or call 0861 44 33 00 and let IHS open doors for you!

(Sources and images: http://talentegg.ca/incubator/2015/05/06/7-reasons-explore-career-hospitality-tourism/; http://www.caterer.com/careers-advice/life-at-work/ten-reasons-why-hospitality-jobs-are-great; http://www.gatewayjobs.co.uk/blog/hospitality-employment/top-10-reasons-work-hospitality/)