Hotel and Lodging Managers - Training and Advancement Opportunities
Unlike in the past, when many hotel, resort, and lodging managers were promoted to management positions from within the organization, management training from a recognized hospitality or culinary school is increasingly a requirement for the job. Other factors include internships or work experience in a hotel or restaurant and work-study programs. This demand for trained workers has led to over 800 colleges, trade schools and vocational schools offering training programs in hotel or restaurant management.
Preferred training programs include courses or degrees in hotel management. Training in restaurant management and experience can help, because of the importance of the hotel's food and beverage operations to its profits. Liberal Arts degrees, or other generalized management degrees can be useful, particularly when combined with work experience in a hotel, restaurant, or resort.
Hotel management training programs typically include coursework in hotel administration, housekeeping, maintenance engineering, and food service management or catering. Additional coursework develops skills in accounting, computer operations, marketing, and personnel management.
In addition to formal training, hotels hire candidates who exhibit the ability to get along with people, can solve problems, and are self-disciplined and detail oriented. Good communications skills and the ability to organize and direct the work of subordinates are also a requirement.
Hotel Career Paths and Advancement Opportunities
Newly hired graduates of hotel and restaurant management programs typically begin their careers as assistant managers. Some larger hotel chains offer formal programs where new hires rotate across several assistant management positions in different parts of the hotel in order to gain experience in all areas of the hotel.
After several years experience, hotel managers can advance to positions offering more responsibility. This is particularly true in the larger hotel chains. This may mean relocating to a different city, as positions open up at existing hotels, or new hotels are opened. Larger hotels or motels also have headquarters management staffs, with additional promotion possibilities.
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