Links to related Web Sites are listed at the bottom of this page.
| AREAS |
EMPLOYERS |
STRATEGIES |
|
MANAGEMENT
Property Management
Facility Management
Rooms Management
Banquet and Catering Management
Restaurant Management
|
- Historical, cultural, and natural attractions
- Lodging: hotel/motel, bed and breakfast,
timeshares, and campgrounds
- Destination areas: amusement centers, theme parks, and resorts
- Special event and festival organizations
- Conference centers
- Entertainment industry: casinos, theaters, and stadiums
- Food service: catering companies, schools,
universities, hospitals, and military
- Restaurants, dining clubs, taverns, and fast food operators
- Leisure organizations: sporting clubs, recreation centers, fitness facilities, and country clubs
|
Build a strong foundation in food service, administration, and customer service. Courses in communications, marketing, management, law, accounting, and food and beverage controls are a
must.
Develop the ability to make quick decisions independently.
Acquire supervisory skills and experience by taking
leadership roles in student organizations.
Gain experience working with budgets.
Work in a restaurant, catering facility, campus dining hall, or local hotel to gain relevant experience.
Be prepared to work "from the bottom up" to gain
industry experience. |
| |
CUSTOMER SERVICES
Office Operations
Purchasing
Reservations
Travel Planning
|
- Tour operators
Historical, cultural, and natural attractions
- Lodging: hotel/motel, bed and breakfast,
timeshares, and campgrounds
Reservation companies
- Destination areas: amusement centers, theme parks, and resorts
- Special event and festival organizations
- Conference centers
- Entertainment industry: casinos, theaters, and stadiums
- Food service: catering companies, schools,
universities, hospitals, and military
- Restaurants, dining clubs, taverns, and fast food operators
- Transportation/travel industry: airlines, cruise companies, car rental agencies, travel
agencies, airports, motor coach/tour carriers, and rapid transit (AMTRACK)
- Leisure organizations: sporting clubs, recreation centers, fitness facilities, and country clubs
- State, federal, and local government: tourism offices, visitor bureaus, convention centers, and park systems
|
Interest and experience working with the public are
very valuable.
Develop problem-solving skills.
Start in reservations or telephone sales. Master the
product line and learn to give excellent service.
Develop computer skills and knowledge of different
programs.
Gain experience working with budgets by serving as
treasurer or financial officer of an organization.
Acquire supervisory skills and experience by taking
leadership roles in student organizations.
An orientation toward service and detail is necessary to succeed.
Learn state, federal and local government job
application process. |
| |
SPECIAL EVENTS
Convention/Trade Show Planning
Convention Services Management
Entertainment/Event Planning
Programs and Activities Planning
|
- Lodging: large hotel/motel, bed and breakfast, timeshares, and campgrounds
- Destination areas: amusement centers, theme parks and resorts
- Special event and festival organizations
- Conference centers
- Entertainment industry: casinos, theaters, and stadiums
- Leisure organizations: sporting clubs, recreation centers, fitness facilities, and country clubs
- State, federal, and local government: tourism offices, visitor bureaus, convention centers, and park systems
- Trade and professional associations
- Public or private corporations and businesses
|
Gain experience through planning activities/events
for campus and civic/community organizations.
Develop the ability to make quick decisions independently.
Pracitice excellent interpersonal and public speaking skills.
Enhance creative thinking skills.
Display good planning and organizational skills.
Attend conferences for student organizations and
professional associations.
Take classes in business, commercial recreation,
advertising, and public relations.
Gain experience working with budgets and fundraising.
Learn state, federal, and local government job
application process. |
| |
MARKETING/ADVERTISING
Market Research
General Sales
Meeting and Convention Sales
Incentive Travel Sales
Media Planning and Development
Public Relations
Publicity/Promotions
|
- Tour operators
- Historical, cultural, and natural attractions
- Lodging: hotel/motel, bed and breakfast, timeshares, and campgrounds
- Reservation companies
- Destination areas: amusement centers, theme parks, and resorts
- Special event and festival organizations
- Conference centers
- Entertainment industry: casinos, theaters, and stadiums
- Restaurants, dining clubs, taverns, and fast food operators
- Product and equipment suppliers and manufacturers
- Transportation/travel industry: airlines, cruise companies, car rental agencies, travel agencies, airports, motor coach/tour carriers, and rapid transit (AMTRACK)
- Leisure organizations: sporting clubs, fitness/ recreation facilities, and country clubs
- Trade and professional associations
- Public or private corporations and businesses
- State, federal and local government: tourism offices, visitor bureaus, convention centers, and park systems
|
Consider a minor in public relations, marketing,
business, or advertising.
Gain competency in a variety of computer
programs, especially computer graphics.
Gain experience in customer service and communication
skills.
Learn about geography and international travel
regulations.
Strive for excellent interpersonal and public
speaking skills.
Learn to think creatively in order to develop unique
marketing campaigns and selling techniques.
Attend conferences and trade shows.
Join student clubs and professional associations in
your field of study and volunteer for their publicity
committees.
Start in reservations or telephone sales. Learn the
product line and how to deal with travel agents
and customers.
Be willing to relocate to a major city like Los Angeles, Chicago, Miami, or New York for more opportunities.
Learn state, federal, and local government job
application process.
Take a part-time job in any area and move up. |
| |
CORPORATE ADMINISTRATION
Property Acquisition and Development
Legal
Research/Market Analysis
Financial Relations
Human Resources
Human Resource Management
Recruiting and Training
Employee Support Services
Labor Relations
Compensation and Benefits
|
- Lodging: hotel/motel, bed and breakfast, timeshares, and campgrounds
- Destination areas: amusement centers, theme parks, and resorts
- Entertainment industry: casinos, theaters, and stadiums
- Restaurants, dining clubs, taverns, and fast food
operators
- Transportation/travel industry: airlines, cruise companies, car rental agencies, travel agencies, airports, motor coach/tour carriers, and rapid transit (AMTRACK)
- Leisure organizations: sporting clubs, recreation centers, fitness facilities, and country clubs
|
Supplement your program with courses in industrial
psychology, business, communications, and law.
Consider a minor in human resources.
Obtain a graduate degree in business or law for
advancement opportunities.
Be a leader in student organizations and professional
associations. Attend their meetings and conferences.
Study the industry leaders and trends by reading
trade journals.
Gain experience in decision-making, planning, budgeting, and human resources issues through
an internship or co-op.
Be flexible geographically.
Create a network of contacts for advancement.
Strive for excellent interpersonal and public
speaking skills.
Be prepared to work "from the bottom up" to gain
industry experience. |
| |
PUBLISHING
Guides
Journals
Books
News Writing/Editing
|
- Self-employment/Freelance
- Newspapers, magazines, and trade journals
- Tour operators
- State, federal, and local government: tourism offices and visitor bureaus
|
Study and gain an in-depth knowledge of industry trends.
Consider a journalism minor to learn writing skills
and objectivity.
Gain writing experience by working for your college
newspaper and other publications or by writing
for student organization newsletters.
Develop effective research methods and computer
skills.
Practice paying attention to detail and meeting deadlines. |
| |
EDUCATION
Teaching
Research
Administration
|
- Colleges and universities
|
Determine an area of expertise. Gain an in-depth
knowledge of that industry, its leaders and trends by reading recent books, journals and annual reports.
Learn writing and research skills.
Maintain a high grade point average and secure strong recommendations for graduate school admission.
Obtain a Ph.D. to teach at the university level.
Gain professional industry experience. Attend and
speak at conferences, trade shows and professional
associations. Network in the industry for professional contacts. |
| |
GENERAL INFORMATION
• Bachelor's degree qualifies you for entry-level government and industry positions.
• Master's degree qualifies you for community college teaching and advancement in industry and government.
• A doctoral degree is required for advanced research or teaching positions in colleges and universities and senior positions in government.
• Join professional organizations such as The National Tour Association, The American Hotel and Motel Association, or The National Restaurant Association to
stay abreast of current issues in the field and to increase networking contacts.
• Obtain volunteer, part-time, summer, internship, and/or co-op experience at related organizations such as restaurants, catering facilities, campus dining facilities,
or hotels.
• Be prepared to "work your way up from the bottom." Gaining industry knowledge though work experience is highly valued.
• It may be necessary to move around geographically to get promotions.
• Be willing to work on weekends, holidays, evenings, and long or unusual hours.
• Develop strong communication and customer service skills. The ability to work well with all kinds of people in all kinds of situations is necessary to succeed.
• Learn to pay attention to details. Hotel guests and restaurant patrons expect excellent service.
• Obtain computer experience.
• Check with your school's career center, faculty members, and professional organizations for employment leads. Create a network in the industry to
establish contacts for advancement.
• Take additional courses and/or travel abroad to gain a better understanding of world history, geography, foreign languages and customs, and international
relations. This will help you relate to more guests. |
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