I want to work in Hospitality

So you want to work in Hospitality? Here we list the job roles available and show you what companies look for in university graduates.

Job Roles - Tourism

Tourism Information Centre Management

Provides information to tourists about local attractions, events and accommodation. Deals with enquiries face to face, by phone, and post.

  • EMPLOYERS: mainly local authorities but also national parks, private organisations.
  • DEGREE: any degree subject, business, tourism, languages are all helpful.
  • TIPS: "Seasonal work is available at many tourist centres. Get experience in shops, hotels, travel agents etc. Gain a good knowledge of the locality in which you wish to work."

Job Profile Prospects.ac.uk

Travel Agent

  • INVOLVES: Clerical/technical sorting of travel arrangements. Financial & computer work after hours to ensure people & destinations match. Giving advice on travel matters. Marketing holidays & travel. Selling to customers. Meeting targets.
  • EMPLOYERS: Large agency chains
  • RELATED JOBS: tour guide, retail manager, hotel manager, tourism information centre manager, conference administrator.
  • DEGREE: Any degree subject is acceptable - languages, area studies (e.g. European), geography, tourism useful.
  • POSTGRADUATE STUDY: not needed for entry.
  • TIPS: Try speculative contacts with HQ of travel companies. Stress travel experience/sales /computing skills. Time out for travelling may be advantage for independent travel companies.

Job Profile Target Jobs

Holiday Representative 

Looks after holidaymakers at resorts. Meets people on arrival. Organises excursions and entertainment. Acts as a tour guide. Handles problems such as lost possessions or passports. Deals with illness of guests. Liaises with hotel managers. 

EMPLOYERS: Holiday companies, hotels, transport companies.
SATISFACTIONS: helping people, working abroad, variety.
NEGATIVES: Often seasonal, poor pay, pressurised and stressful, long and unsocial hours, work may be seasonal.
SKILLS: people skills, stamina, common sense, enthusiasm, tact, language skills.
TIPS: apply speculatively to holiday companies. Often a stepping stone to other tourism jobs.

Ecotourism 

Project manager, Tourism Ranger, Tour Operator. For further details see Conservation Careers

Tourism Officer 

Tourism officers are responsible for developing and promoting tourism for a specific region/attraction.

Job Profile Prospects.ac.uk

Tour Operator 

Tour operators create packages and tours combining resources from airlines, hotels, sightseeing tours and activity providers.

Job Profile Targetjobs.co.uk

Tourist Guiding

Job Roles - Hospitality

Any job in the hospitality sector will involve a wide range of responsibilities and, even on a graduate training programme, you must be flexible and willing to muck in and do whatever tasks need doing. A relevant degree or postgraduate qualification is not always required but experience in some aspect of hospitality, however junior, is usually expected.

Most roles in this sector involve long hours and a wide range of skills with people, business planning and organisation. While a relevant degree or postgraduate qualification is beneficial they are not essential, experience in customer service is usually a requirement. Graduate schemes are available but often entry to these careers is through roles such as Events assistant.

Hotel Management

Job Profile Hotel Manager

Restaurant Manager

Job Profile Restaurant Manager

Events Planner

Experience in events planning can be gained through student societies, or voluntary organisations. Experience working at events as a steward or similar role while a student will be very beneficial. Marketing and Business modules could be very relevant.

Job Profile Events Planner

Pub Manager

Some larger pub chains offer graduate training programmes but many require entry at a lower level to gain experience prior to training.

Job Profile Pub Manager

Companies

Travel and Tourism

  • Cosmos 
  • Fleetway Travel - jobs in Bromley and London
  • The Flight Centre
  • Holiday Extras - Kent-based provider of airport hotel, car hire, parking services, insurance etc. roles in marketing, sales, IT and possible internships
  • Inspiring Travel - luxury travel specialist
  • James Villa Holidays - company based in Maidstone
  • Natives - website for seasonal workers in the skiing holiday sector
  • NST - educational holidays in France
  • Rayburn Tours - tour operator based in Derby that specialises in Educational, Sporting, Concert, and Ski tours for groups of young people and adults.
  • Saga - travel and financial services. Has a management training scheme. Based in Folkestone and Thanet.
  • STA Travel - a large provider of student and youth travel
  • Trailfinders - tailor made holidays with opportunities to develop a sales career and become an expert in world wide travel
  • Transun Travel - specialist tour operator
  • Visit Britain - runs a 12 month placement programme
  • Ski Jobs - jobs in ski resorts.

ABTA list of members
Association of Independent Tour Operators list of members

Hospitality

Hotel Graduate Schemes

Fast Food

Pub Management

You'll need some experience of having worked in a pub first of course, but most jobs advertised have flexible requirements. There is also an Innkeeping qualifying certificate from the British Institute of Innkeeping (see below) and a GNVQ in Pub Management. There is an Occupational Profile on Prospects.

For general information see:

The following groups advertise vacancies:

Find Out More

Tourism

Ecotourism

Ecotourism has been defined as, "Travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and sustains the well-being of local people." It involves helping people to understand and appreciate the environment including the need for wildlife conservation and respect for native peoples.

There is a wide range of job opportunities involved with ecotourism including wildlife lodge manager, trail leader, ecotour naturalist, educational instructor, PR Executive, marketing manager and program director. You may work for a private company that runs tours, or a national park or outdoor education centre. You could eventually manage your own ecotourism business. The work can sometimes be dangerous, and the hours long. If you are a tour guide in the jungle, you have to be constantly on the lookout for potential dangers to your hikers. Much of the work in ecotourism is seasonal. It is helpful to be fluent in a language used in major ecotourism destinations. As it is a relatively new area there is not much careers information available, so you will need to use Creative Jobhunting techniques.

Hospitality 


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