Careers Paths in Hospitality & Tourism

1. Careers Paths in Hospitality & Tourism Knowledge, skills and experience for careers in Hospitality & Tourism Dr. Steve Morse Director & Economist Hospitality & Tourism Program; College of Business Western Carolina University Cullowhee, NC 28723 Ph: (828) 227-3386 Email: scmorse@wcu.edu

2. Major in Hospitality & Tourism College of Business www.wcu.edu

3. What Is a Career Path? • Career progression available in each segment of career • Progression varies by person & career • Cross-training is critical • Advancement must be timely to match employee development • Identify Career goals

4. Is the Hospitality Industry Right for You? • Personal qualities needed: • Honesty • Willingness to work hard • Team player • Willingness to work long hours • Ability to deal with stress • Good decision-making skills • Good communication skills • Dedicated to exceptional service • Desire to exceed guest expectations

5. What Characteristics Do Hospitality Job RecruitersLook for? • Service-orientation • Solid work experience • Involvement in on-campus and professional organizations • Positive outlook • Good GPA • Initiative • Motivation

6. Self-assessment • Personal SWOT analysis: • Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunity, Threats • Pinpoint Strengths to maximize • Pinpoint Weaknesses to minimize • Pinpoint Opportunities to use to your advantage • Pinpoint Threats to neutralize • www.queendom.com for personality tests

7. Professionalism and Etiquette • Companies expectations vary but must be met • Dress/attire • Etiquette is how we behave and make others feel comfortable • First impressions are critical • Table manners • Treat others with dignity and respect

8. Professional Organizations and Associations • Visit the following organization's websites for more information: • The International Council on Hospitality Education • National Restaurant Association • American Hotel and Lodging Association • International Special Events Society • Professional Convention Management Association • National Society of Minorities in Hospitality • Hotel Sales and Marketing International

9. Careers in Travel and Tourism • Air • Sea • Rail • Auto • Attractions

10. Careers in Restaurants • Restaurant industry employs over 12 million people • Management positions • Owner • President/Vice president • General manager • Restaurant manager • Bar manager • Kitchen manager

11. Example of a Career Path in Travel & Transportation

12. Careers in Hotel & Lodging Industry • 3.5 million hotel rooms in North America • Management positions: • Management trainee • General manager • Rooms manager • Director of Marketing and Sales • Director of Human Resources • Director of Finance • For more information forcareers in lodging visit www.careers.hyatt.com

13. Careers in Club Management • Club Managers of America Association • Customer is paying for a membership that includes a variety of services from golf to fine dining • Availability of a career path is contingent on the employee and the opportunities • Positions: • General manager • Banquet manager • Kitchen manager • Bar manager

14. Careers in Conventions and Expositions • Convention planners • Convention managers • Responsibilities include: • Staffing • Sales • Registration • Marketing • Other

15. Careers in Meeting Planning, Event Management and Catering • Meeting Planning • Event planner • Meeting manager • Conference coordinator • Convention planning • Event Management • Weddings • Parties • Corporate events • Bar mitzvahs • Catering • entrepreneurial

16. Careers in Recreation and Leisure • Organizing recreational activities • Aerobics • Arts and crafts • Little League baseball • Tennis • Various camps • State and local Parks, Recreation & Tourism Agencies

17. Careers in Amusement and Theme Parks • 350,000 workers employed • Designers and artists • Inspectors and repairers • Scientists & Engineers • Human resource personnel • Public relations personnel • Food and beverage personnel

18. A Career Path in Recreation, Leisure, Amusement & Theme Parks

19. Careers in Gaming • 11 states have commercial casino gambling • 29 states authorize Native American casino style gambling (Harrah’s Cherokee Resort in NC) • Positions include: • Dealer & Slot attendant • Marketing director • Casino surveillance • General manager

20. Internships, Mentoring, and Shadowing • Internships and Co-ops • Supervised practical on-the-job training • Mentoring • Someone assigned to show you the business operations • Shadowing • Gain familiarity with a particular job or jobs by following a person in their work day duties

21. JobResumes • Primary purpose of your resume is to get the job interview • Good resume is a must • Your resume should include: • Heading with contact information • Career objective • Career experience • Accomplishments • Education • References • Cover letter • Academic record • Extracurricular activities

22. How to Interview • Match yourself to the job • Match knowledge, skills and abilities to posted position • Prepare • Do your homework on company

23. How to Interview (Continued) • Be ready to ask good questions • Dress for the job you want • Arrive early • Be polite • Send a hand-written thank you note

24. Major in Hospitality & Tourism College of Business www.wcu.edu