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Hospitality Management as a Career |
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You are very rapidly nearing the end of your final year at school. Real life beckons, but do you know what you are going to do with yours next year? To gain an upper-hand in the job market it is highly recommended that you further your education post matric so that you can be competitive in your chosen field. Perhaps you are considering a career in the hospitality industry: in hotel management, banqueting management, or a career as a chef, a receptionist, or a front office manager
This is a competitive environment in which the best positions are most likely to be given to applicants with the relevant qualifications. The title ‘hotel manager’ in this article refers to managers of smaller establishments, such as boutique hotels, B&B’s, resorts, etc, as well. Hospitality management (though not for everyone) is a fun, exciting and rewarding industry in which to work. This industry, under no illusions, does however require a huge amount of commitment from those who wish to pursue it as a career.
When it comes to travel, whether for business or leisure, people will look for accommodation that will serve as a temporary home away from home. It is the duty of the hotel, or establishment, manager to ensure that their guests’ stay is a relaxing and satisfactory one. A competent staff, good food, and a secure and restful room can go a long way toward making people enjoy their time away. Hotel managers have many varied duties to fulfill; these include ensuring that guests’ needs are taken care of by providing clean and suitable facilities, by providing amenities like television, fresh linen and towels, and by providing meals that are of the highest standard. They may also provide services for business travelers, like helping to arrange conferences, by providing meeting rooms, and the required electronic equipment and catering. At a smaller establishment all of these functions may fall to the manager, whereas at a larger concern these functions will be delegated to an entire support team of managers and their staff.
Due to the 24 hours a day, 7 days a week nature of the hospitality industry it is often required of a hotel manager to dedicate more time than the traditional 40-hour week to their position. Guests have arrivals and departures, requests and demands that do not necessarily keep office hours. Therefore, there will often be weekend and night shifts involved. Special events or conventions provide another set of responsibilities for hotel managers. They are often held accountable for making sure the convention runs smoothly and are blamed when it does not, so being able to multi-task would be a definite advantage to you in this occupation.
The opportunities in the hospitality sector are limitless, and as South Africa heads towards the 2010 Soccer World Cup there is going to be even more demand for employees in the hospitality industry.
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