The hotel industry is more interesting, more complicated and much more exciting than the denizens of TV's fictional St Gregory Hotel would ever believe. Not only may you specialize in a functional discipline like finance, marketing, human resources, food and beverage, etc., but the vast range of types, sizes and quality of hotel operations offers virtually unlimited career choices and opportunities.
This industry has traditionally been one in which you could rise progressively through the ranks to the most senior position hotel general manager. In fact, I doubt you would find many general managers who did not begin their careers at or near the bottom of the career ladder. In the staunch European tradition of hotel management, not much followed today in the U. S. industry and it would not be uncommon for newcomers to spend years in apprenticeship before being promoted to even the most junior management positions.
The Typical Hotel
From roadside motels to ocean-side resort hotels, the industry has grown and segmented, providing an array of facilities and services for the most frugal vacation traveller and the most discriminating business traveller. Career opportunities may vary considerably depending on the segment of the industry you enter. But to at least give you a basic look at the industry, let's discuss a typical hotel, its organizational structure, positions, and career paths.
At the Top
The top position in the hotel is the general manager. Reporting to him or her may be an executive assistant or resident manager, although this layer of management may, in some hotels, not be necessary. The next management layer includes the controller, director of marketing and sales, food and beverage manager, rooms division (or front office) manager, executive housekeeper, human resources director, and chief engineer. These positions make up the executive committee of the hotel and, under the leadership of the general manager, are responsible for the hotel's efficient and profitable operation.
Other departments within the hotel include public relations, security, laundry, computer systems, and purchasing. The successful operation of the hotel takes a great deal of communication and teamwork between all departments.
The major operating departments of a hotel-food and beverage, sales and marketing, human resources, accounting, rooms and housekeeping generally offer the greatest percentage of entry-level positions and provide the most clear-cut career paths.
Food and Beverage
The type and size of the hotel will greatly influence the size and functions of the food and beverage department. Within the kitchen operation, you will find a culinary team, directed by the executive chef, responsible for all food preparation, and a stewarding department, commanded by an executive steward, responsible for the proper maintenance and storage of the hotel's china, glass, and silverware. Executive chefs manage the entire food production side of the kitchen and report directly to the food and beverage director. The executive steward is faced with a most challenging dilemma the workforce he or she oversees is generally unskilled and uneducated, yet the value of the inventory for which they are responsible may easily exceed $100,000. Not surprisingly, success in this area demands exceptional people and organizational skills it is not a job for a prima donna or someone afraid to (literally) get their shirt sleeves wet. An entry- level position as an assistant executive steward provides immediate exposure to the challenge of managing people. It will also give you an understanding of the major supply line to the food and beverage operation insight which will prove valuable as you continue your career path up the departmental ladder.
Other career opportunities in the food and beverage department exist in restaurant management A hotel typically has at least one restaurant often more as well as room service. These restaurants may vary from informal breakfast and lunch cafes to jacket-and-tie gourmet dining rooms. The degree of food and beverage product and service knowledge required may vary considerably, therefore, depending on the type of restaurant in which you wind up working.
The restaurant manager is responsible for the profitable management of the restaurant including hiring, scheduling, coaching, counseling of staff, monitoring the operation in terms of service and product quality, forecasting and budgeting, and staff training. An assistant restaurant manager is a good entry-level management position; it may lead to assistant positions in other types of hotel restaurants, as well as to the position of restaurant manager. Typically, a food and beverage management career will lead to the position of assistant food and beverage manager and on to manager. The areas of room service and banqueting are also part of a career path to be pursued in preparing for upper level food and beverage positions.
Rooms Division
The rooms division is composed of the front office, reservations, telephone, guest services, housekeeping, laundry, and uniformed services (i.e., bell staff). The entire department may be managed by a room's division manager or its management may be divided between front office, housekeeping, and laundry. The latter is more typically the case. In this situation, the front office would manage the front desk, reservations, telephone, guest services, and uniformed services.
Entry-level management positions are generally in the front office area. The assistant manager position may lead to assistant front office manager and front office manager. The assistant manager oversees the reception and reservations area in the absence of department management and, in particular, responds to guests' needs and related problems. This position provides exposure not only to the front office area, but to the entire hotel as well, since guests' problems are not confined to the front office. Its high frequency of guest interaction provides an excellent training ground not only for "customer handling" skills, but for a heightened awareness of who the customer is and what he or she wants and needs.
Housekeeping
The housekeeping department is second in size (staff wise) only to the food and beverage department As you would expect, this department is responsible for the cleanliness of the hotel, including guest rooms, restaurants, public areas, and the "back of the house" the offices, laundry, locker rooms, etc.
Due to its lack of "glamour" status, housekeeping is not pursued as a career path as frequently as other operating departments. This, in my opinion, is unfortunate. The entry level candidate looking to gain managerial experience will find it quickly in the housekeeping department. The experience gained from supervising this work group will accelerate the learning curve when it comes to understanding basic managerial skills coaching, counseling, motivating, and scheduling. Furthermore, the expense budget of the housekeeping department is extremely large, and any exposure to managing a large budget will prove invaluable to your career climb.
This particular area offers very good opportunities to someone trying to break in to the hotel industry. A typical career path may begin as a housekeeping supervisor and may lead to assistant housekeeper, executive assistant housekeeper, and, finally, to executive housekeeper. Once you reach this latter position, you may decide to remain in housekeeping as a "professional" or choose (at this stage or prior) to pursue opportunities in the front office which were discussed earlier. Gaining housekeeping experience on the way to becoming rooms division manager is an excellent choice.
