What Career I Would Pursue
Growing up in a family that works in the hospitality industry, I have had the pleasure of meeting pilots, restaurant owners, travel agents, event planners, and hotel workers. This has allowed me to get insight on the world of the hospitality industry. Since the hospitality industry is so large, there are so many paths that one could take. Ever since I was a little girl, I have always wanted to follow in the footsteps of my relatives and pursue a career in this field, but I did not really know which path to take. But, after one semester at college, now I know that I can see myself as either a restaurant owner, event planner, or hotel manager.
Since my parents have both worked in the restaurant industry their entire lives and owned restaurants for a fraction of their lives, I have grown up with the goal of owning a restaurant in the back of my head. To get to that position, I have been working for my parents since I was about 13 years old. I started out as a hostess and then became a busser. Next, I moved my way up to a bar back position. Then, I was promoted to expediter. Now, I am a waitress. Working for my parents has always been a tough task because I know how high their standards are and I, of all of the employees, should work up to, or even over, that standard.
I love the idea that my parents get to be their own bosses. They can have the days off that they need, but they also know when it is time to get to work. I think that being your own boss really allows you to allocate your time properly as well as run a restaurant up to your standards and not have anyone tell you how it should be. This allows you to be creative with the decorations, aesthetic, and menu of the establishment. But, being your own boss is extremely overwhelming. The entire restaurant is on the owner’s back. But, with the correct staff, the restaurant can be as successful as you want it to be. You can hire who you think works well for a certain position, someone who you like personally, as well as someone that has the correct skills for the job. Another good thing about owning a restaurant is having a sense of community. Being in a small town, or even a big city, every restaurant has its “regulars”. The regulars are the people that come in often, as well as celebrate their birthdays, and spend a lot of money at your establishment. Once you get to know them, it is like having new friends, all because of your restaurant. Overall, I think that owning a restaurant is one of the best jobs that you can have in the hospitality industry.
Another career I could see myself pursuing would be event planning. One of the best things about being an event planner is the versatility of the job. You can work by planning small events, like fundraisers or big events, like award shows. You can work from an office or from home. You can work for corporations, professional associations, the government, individuals, or philanthropic organizations. You can plan anything from balls, award galas, board meetings, etc. You name any event where multiple people are gathered together to get something done and it is likely that an event planner was behind it (“5 Reasons We Love Being Event Planners”, 2008). Event planning also allows you to get creative and organize an event to your vision exactly.
In addition, being an event planner can get you many powerful connections in order to build your network and your number of clients. Former clients, attendees, sponsors, press, and other event planners are just a few connections that you can make at a single event. These people become family. You spend hours with them, either at an event, or prior. Together you are working through intense settings and emotional experiences. They know your business tendencies and finances, live through the successes and failures with you, and love you anyway. Being an event planner can be a stressful job without one another because no one else really understands the stress in what they do. Even if you move across the country, an even planner will be needed anywhere you go to there is no need to worry about not finding a position in a new location. Also, an event planner can always fall back on their network, in order to find a new job (“5 Reasons We Love Being Event Planners”, 2008).
Another career I could see myself pursuing would be a hotel manager. A lot of time, energy, and stress goes into running a hotel successfully, and much of that responsibility is given to the hotel manager and similar leading positions (“How to become a better hotel manager: Tips, tricks, and advice”, n.d.). Hotel and resort general managers have a lot of responsibilities. They must keep guests satisfied and returning, keep employees happy, and provide owners with a reasonable return on investment (Walker, 2016). Although it is very difficult to run and manage a hotel all on your own, I think that it is a very cool experience and it sounds like a very interesting job. The hotel manager needs to be able to work well with all of the other employees in order to get through the work day effectively and efficiently, regardless of the location or immensity of the hotel or the chain itself (“How to become a better hotel manager: Tips, tricks, and advice”, n.d.).
In my opinion, the best hotel managers are able to motivate their staff to do well by listening to them and taking their advice in order to better the atmosphere and environment of the workplace for everyone. If a manager is able to stimulate staff members to accomplish their own requirements, tasks, and goals, the obdurate success of the hotel will follow suit. One of the best ways to do so is by influencing and pushing staff members to be their best selves by being a manager who leads by example. A manager should always be willing to do the work necessary to run the hotel efficiently, even if it lies outside of their pay grade. This will earn the staff’s admiration and reverence as well as set standards for the staff members (“How to become a better hotel manager: Tips, tricks, and advice”, n.d.). I think that as a very motivational and encouraging person, I would do a good job at keeping the employees on task. Although, it is always important for a hotel manager to know that they are not perfect and they should be able to improve their own skills as well. The hotel manager is required to make the most important decisions for the hotel, and it is necessary for them to be able to take quick action at any moment. Being a valuable leader and being able to make knowledgeable decisions that will produce the greatest possible outcomes for the hotel is left in the hands of the manager (“How to become a better hotel manager: Tips, tricks, and advice”, n.d.). I could definitely see myself in this position because I am very responsible and quick to make important decisions.
In conclusion, since the hospitality industry is so large, there are many paths that one could take. I can see myself as either a restaurant owner, event planner, or hotel manager. Each path has its own advantages and disadvantages. But, only time will tell where the hospitality industry will lead me.
Works Cited
5 Reasons We Love Being Event Planners. (2008.) Retrieved February 5, 2019, from Pathable.com website: https://event-blog.pathable.com/5-reasons-love-event-planners
How to become a better hotel manager: Tips, tricks, and advice. (n.d.). Retrieved February 5, 2019, from Siteminder.com website: https://www.siteminder.com/r/trends-advice/hotel-management/become-better-hotel-manager/
Walker, J. R. (2016). Exploring the Hospitality Industry (3rd ed.).
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