Hotels: A Great Place to Work

Two executives at hotel desk; one taking a phone call. Photo courtesy of Shutterstock.

Working in the hotel industry provides the job seeker with a more interesting and relaxed career path as compared to other industries. Customers at hotels or resorts are much more enjoyable and relaxed and dealing with them is much easier. There, people come to relax and to remove the stress from their daily lives, hence, they tend to be laid back.

Not only are the customers friendlier, but the environment itself is. Since the customers are there to relax and enjoy themselves, the décor and the facilities of the hotel are geared towards creating an environment which is conducive to relaxation and enjoyment. While the décor is primarily aimed at the customer, it also makes it a very relaxing place to work at, in contrast to the cramped cubicles of other work environments.

• Pay

Hotels pay good money and there are many hotel jobs that one can find in the larger service resorts and properties or franchise based properties which have lucrative salaries and advancement prospects. Hotel companies are willing to pay a lot of money for efficient and welcoming hospitality staff in order to run their hotels and boost the hotel’s loyalty.

There are competitive starting wages and regular pay raises and bonuses. There is also the possibility of earning tips which is a great way to earn some extra non taxable money. Bartenders, restaurant servers, spa attendants get paid almost $40 an hour and that too without the need for a college degree or work experience.

Hotel management is an even more lucrative field which can compete with other fields such as finance in terms of the salaries offered. General Managers of hotels earn upto $100,000 a year.

• Entry Level Jobs

Hotels offer a wide array of entry level jobs and careers whether it be in management or non-management. The hotel industry requires good guest service above all else and thus their recruiters place a strong work ethic and an outgoing personality above the value of a college degree or work experience.

One can find hotel jobs such as reservations, front desk concierge service or guest service agent at an entry level and then make their way up the hierarchy of the hotel. There are also opportunities for other allied fields such as engineering, security or culinary departments which seek applicants and thus those who have prior experience can apply too and receive a more focused profile.

• Career Advancement

The hotel business has now turned into a multinational industry worth over $3.5 trillion. There are now franchise motels, service hotels, casinos and resorts and corporate offices which handle them. Thus there are various avenues to seek career growth in and the potential to work comfortably and make a lot of money is endless. The number of departments in a hotel such as house-keeping, sales, landscaping and guest services allow for a large and varied employee base. Even if one leaves the hotel job to find careers in other fields, their resumes will be considerably boosted by their experience in hotels, which teaches important lessons and skills which are valuable in every field.

Once one finds a department where they feel comfortable, they can grow into property level management, to regional management to executive position. Over three thousand managers at Marriott started their careers in entry level jobs, now that’s saying something.

If you get bored at the same location and scenery, you can relocate to one of the franchise’s other locations and seek a different sort of challenge and crowd. All in all, the hotel industry offers an alternative and more relaxed work environment than other industries which are present in the job market.

Bio:

Michael Roth is a career consultant who provides advice to prospective job seekers about their chances in various fields. Roth has been working in career consultancy business for the past ten years and his experience in alternative careers has proved invaluable for those who seek to find hotel jobs and jobs in other such industries.