Careers in Hospitality Management

With a degree in hospitality management, your career opportunities are truly limitless. The global industry continues to grow, change and diversify every year. In fact, hospitality is one of the world's fastest growing employment sectors and it is predicted to continue growing strong for the coming years. Luxury hospitality and tourism careers also present a unique career track for professionals who specialize in creating the finest guest experiences. Here is a breakdown of the kinds of jobs can you get with a hospitality management degree.

ehl-mjc

Hotel Management Jobs

Traditional hospitality careers often start in hotels and resorts, and the accommodation sector is growing more diverse with new properties and new concepts coming to the industry. You could start in Reception, Guest Relations or Rooms Division and work your way up to a Director or GM position. You could choose a company you identify with and grow your career with openings in new locations. Or you can develop a career in marketing or finance and work for a variety of different hospitality companies.

Examples of hotel management career progression:

  • Front Office Supervisor >> Rooms Division Manager >> Assistant Director of Operations >> General Manager
  • Night Manager >> Guest Relations Manager >> Director of Sales >> Group Regional Manager
ehl-restaurant-manager

Food & Beverage Jobs

Another core area of hospitality careers is the Food & Beverage sector which includes restaurants, night clubs, catering, food trucks, fine wines & spirits, bakeries and sweets, recipe design, and more, as the industry evolves quickly. Hospitality students receive significant training in this area, and demand is quite high, so it's easy to find a supervisory or management role right after graduation.

Examples of F&B career progression:

  • F&B Outlets Manager (hotel) >> Culinary Director >> Director of F&B
  • F&B Coordinator >> F&B Catering & Events Manager >> Entrepreneur
ehl-tourism-manager

Travel & Tourism Jobs

A hospitality degree also prepares graduates to work in businesses related to travel and tourism, where hospitality services and skills are essential to the customer experience. This includes airlines, cruise ships, private jets and charters, and the career paths vary widely from guest-facing positions in the service areas, to back-end marketing and sales and finance roles. Career opportunities in tourism are booming as the number of tourists continues to grow and visitor expectations change with every generation. It includes positions in the tour-bus market, planning and marketing excursions, travel writing, tour packages, destination management and tourism planning.

Examples of travel & tourism career paths:

  • Hospitality Services Coordinator (Cruise) >> Guest Experience Manager >> Director of HR & Training
  • VIP Lounge Assistant >> Guest Services Coordinator >> Director of Operations
  • Communications Specialist >> Digital Marketing Manager >> Business Development Director
ehl-event-manager

Events, Sports, Wellness & Leisure Positions

Hospitality degrees open the doors to the MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Events) sector and some closely related sectors such as sports, spas and wellness, and leisure activities.

Some examples of career paths in events, sports and wellness:

  • Hotel Event Coordinator >> Conference & Banqueting Manager >> Project Manager
  • Sports Event Executive >> VIP Services Manager>> Director of Group Sales
  • Spa Attendant >> Wellness Area Manager >> Hospitality Services Director
ehl-finance-sector

Other Sectors for Hospitality Graduates

A hospitality degree opens the doors to other types of careers as well. In fact, hospitality-related soft skills are highly valued in the job market as is international experience and cultural awareness, both of which are covered in hospitality degree programs. Here are some examples of career paths from EHL Alumni on LinkedIn who are not working in the hospitality sector:

  • Digital Marketer >> Sales Funnel Manager >> Assistant Director Marketing
  • Office Coordinator >> Merchandising Expert >> Marketing Manager (Proctor & Gamble)
  • Sales & Planning Coordinator (Honda) >> Product Manager (Honda Motorcycles) >> Business Planning Specialist (Nestlé)
  • Finance & Control Intern (Nestlé) >> Expat Tax Associate (PWC) >> International Wealth Management Front Support (Credit Suisse)

How to access the best career opportunities in the hospitality industry

If you really want to get into the best positions in hospitality, you will need a hospitality degree from a well-reputed school like EHL, which is ranked the best hospitality school in the world for employer reputation and academics.

Discover the EHL Bachelor's program meticulously crafted by us to meet the evolving needs of the hospitality and tourism industry.

increase-student-employability

Hospitality Salaries & Benefits

Hospitality jobs are often associated with low-paying, entry-level service positions, but hospitality management and leadership positions are quite different. A hospitality degree gives you the advantage of bypassing the entry-level jobs to access supervision and management positions directly after graduation.

According to one of the USA's largest employment websites, Monster.com, the average salary among the top ten best paying hospitality jobs in the USA is roughly 68,000$ a year with a restaurant management job being closer to 50,000$/year and a General Manager being paid closer to 100,000$/year.