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Your Guide To Securing A Job In Hotel Management
In today’s economy, finding a job as a hotel manager is not on the list of easiest things to achieve. You work hard at updating your CV, you apply for jobs online, and you go for countless interviews, yet you aren’t offered a job. What are you doing wrong?
First off, remember that when you upload your CV onto job listing websites, you are not actively job hunting. Yes, you may be giving employers a chance to find you, but there are so many CVs out there that yours might never be seen by a suitable prospective employer. You have to go a step further.
Here are some suggestions for steps you can take to secure a job in hotel management:
Get Some Formal Training Behind Your Name
If you haven’t already completed a course in hotel management, now would be a good time to do so. If you’ve already studied a course in this direction, you could consider studying a short course to update, increase, or refresh your skills. You don’t have to limit yourself to studying hotel management: you can also enrol for a course in related areas, such as human resource management or public relations.
By studying a course, you will show prospective employers that you are committed to developing your career, that you are able to take initiative, and that you are always willing to learn new things.
Know How To Sell Your Skills
You know you have what it takes to do the job – but do you know how to convey that message to your prospective employers?
Make sure that you know how to promote your skills (without sounding overconfident or arrogant), and that you pay special attention to this aspect of your cover letter when applying for a job.
Also make sure that you have a clear vision for your hospitality career. If you know where you want to go, it’ll be easier for you to convince your future employers that you’re the right person for the vacancy they’re trying to fill.
“For some reason, many new professionals enter the hospitality industry because they think it will be fun, but in reality, it’s a very serious business behind the scenes. A long-term strategic plan for what they want to be and how to get there is critical.”- Source
Be Open To Starting At The Bottom
One of the key factors in finding a job in hotel management is experience. And in order to gain the relevant experience to qualify for a managerial job, you need to be willing to start at the bottom, and to work your way up from there.
If you don’t have any experience, you could start by approaching hotels and guest houses and asking them whether they have any positions available for receptionists, housekeeping staff, or general assistants. While these jobs may not sound like they align with your goal of working in hotel management, they will give you the experience that you need to start working your way up in the industry.
Working as a hotel manager requires you to make plenty of sacrifices in terms of being away from your family for long hours, being required to work shifts, and sometimes even being called to assist guests in the middle of the night. If you feel that you have the skills and the personality to succeed in this industry, however, and if you are able to build good relationships with employers, colleagues, and guests, you will be able to build a rewarding career in hotel management.