Personal Feelings about a Career in Hospitality - Essay Example

? Interview project assignment Interview project assignment Introduction In hospitality industry, there are multiple career paths depending on what an individual wants to focus on. Many hotels, restaurants and travel firms have formal training programs in which graduates are recruited for a period of six months to two years. During this period, the recruits gain experience on how to handle various matters in different sections of the company. After the expiry of the six months or two years, the graduates can then be absorbed into the company as an employee or released to seek opportunities elsewhere depending on their performance level and dedication during probation under training program. This paper reports an interview with marketing manager in a five star hotel exploring his career path, job duties and personal feelings about a career in the hospitality industry. Career Path of the Interviewee According to the sales personnel, getting to the position of marketing manager was not an easy ride. He has been working at the hotel for the last twenty-five years. From the information that he divulged, he was one of the few lucky who was recruited through graduate trainee program of the hotel. After working in different departments for two years, he was absorbed into the hotel because of his astounding performance as a management trainee. His main aspiration was to land in the position of a marketing manager one day. Having pursued a bachelor degree in hotel and hospitality management, he felt that he really needed to pursue a marketing degree, which would make him a more suited candidate for the job. As such, he enrolled as a part-time student for a degree program in marketing. After completing his marketing course in three years, it took another two years before he was promoted to the rank of assistant marketing manager of the hotel. Through hard working and dedication to his duties, he finally weaved his way through to the present position, which anyone would salivate for- marketing manager. According to him, it takes hard work and total commitment backed up with clear personal goals to get what one really wants. The hospitality industry offers a flexible career path so long as one knows where he or she wants to be. Job Duties From the interview it emerged that the main responsibility of a marketing manager is to maximize revenues for the hotel through development of strategic programs that would ensure maximum use of the hotel’s facilities. He or she must be informed of current factors that influence the performance of the hotel industry and also know the need of the customers as well as their attitudes. He is responsible for marketing coordination and promotional drives aimed at meeting or exceeding the expectations of customers. He must work in conjunction with other staffs of the hotel in order to ensure high levels of customer satisfaction at all times. Basically, the interviewee mentioned his main duties at the hotel as research, promotion, creation of awareness, maintaining good customer relationships and develop training program for marketing staff. According to the information obtained, as a marketing manager, one must research on factors that appeal to the customers of the hotel. It is crucial to monitor comments by customers on the hotel’s website or on the hotel’s booking sites so as to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the hotel. Research also involves direct interaction with clients and making follow-up calls so as to discover areas that need improvement. Developing promotion programs is an intrinsic responsibility of the marketing manager. There is usually the need to increase occupancy during low seasons. Promotion drive may include running special events and giving coupons. Ensuring easy accessibility of the hotel to customers is also another important duty of the marketing manager. The manager should ensure that current information about facilities; services and rates are available to customers on websites and brochures. The marketing manager also ensures that good relationship exist between the hotel and its customers. Developing strong relationships with customer require the manager to establish loyalty programs and rewards to build a loyal base of repeat customers. Personal Feelings about a Career in Hospitality According to the interviewee, career path in the hospitality reflects the dynamic nature and pulsating of the industry. Many opportunities exist for individuals with interest in pursuing a career in hospitality industry and opportunities start right from the bottom up to management level. The extent to which an individual navigates his way through to the management level in hospitality industry depends on the level of experience, expertise and hard work, which basically demand that a person sets his goals and priorities right. The interviewee further asserted that it is in hospitality industry where one could even open a small business and grow steadily depending on his or her level of experience and expertise. However, the interviewee revealed that unlike other industries where career path tend to be vertical, career paths in the hospitality industry remains relatively horizontal. Many employees in the hospitality industry usually move sideways as opposed to vertical movement characteristic of other industries. For instance, a waiter working in a club may move to the same position as a waiter in a hotel. Also, one could shift to a different job within the same business, for instance leaving the position of a waiter for a porter in a hotel’s rooms division. The respondent concluded by affirming that career paths in hospitality industry are highly flexible and focused individuals can always attain their dreams with hard work, enthusiasm, experience and expertise. He revealed that people should prefer working in hospitality industry as it is full of fun and highly rewarding. He stated that if he was given a second choice to select a new career, he would go for one in the hospitality industry without a second thought. However, he warned that for one to be successful in the hospitality industry, he or she needs to sociable and embrace strategic thinking, which would ensure high customer service and overall organizational performance. Conclusion From the interaction with the interviewee, it appears that the hospitality industry is a vibrant industry where no one could easily miss an opportunity provided he or she has relevant qualifications. Career paths in the industry tends to be more horizontal than vertical as in other industries as most individuals move from similar jobs in one firm to another. However, opportunities exist at all levels and an individual can only be limited by his expertise, experience and personal focus to climb to a managerial position. Career paths are numerous in hospitality industry, but each particular career path depends on the choice and goals of an individual. Read More