Having a choice in careers is exciting.  In this day and age of economic certainty, the hospitality business flourishes as people seek relief from stress and worry.  In the hospitality industry many of the same rules and practices apply across the board which means skills can be easily transferred.  For example, when you get a certificate in cooking, you are qualified to work in a hotel restaurant as a dining room manager or on a cruise line as a food manager.  A patisserie chef can develop the sweetest desserts for a restaurant or put those same skills to work on a cruise ship where food offerings are expected to be innovative, and inspiring and tempting.

Hotel managers have the same opportunities as cooks and chefs.  Finding qualified managers who wish to develop a career in hotel management is often one of the biggest challenges hotel and motels face.  There are plenty of people who hope to get jobs by unreasonably expecting on-the-job training which means your certificates and diploma set you apart from the crowd.  Your training in all aspects of hotel management qualifies you for a number of positions which means you can make a significant contribution to the hotel’s success.

In hotel management you can be a room, dining or general manager to name just a few employment opportunities.  Hotel operations are normally divided into several components so you can specialize as you choose or pursue a career in general management.  The same is true for both hotels and cruise lines.

Cruising to Hospitality Success

As cruise lines become more and more popular as vacation alternatives, there are a number of management positions which have become available.  As a manager in the hotel department you will oversee operations such as the room management during the cruise.  You will work closely with other cruise staff to insure the comfort and safety of the passengers.  This job may require management of housekeeping and/or concierge services depending upon the organizational structure.

When you are looking for a versatile certificate or diploma which can lead you to a number of job opportunities then cooking, patisserie or hotel management should be your first choices.  There are hundreds of career possibilities which require organizational skills, specialized training and the ability to work with others as a team player.  Through career training you position yourself for long term employment in one of the most exciting industries in the world – hospitality!  Upon graduation you will get assistance with job placement so you can start your career quickly.  That’s good news, because with diploma in hand you’ll be ready to start putting your new skills to work.

Working For Hotels, Restaurants, and Cruise Lines is a post from: Academia International Weblog

Being a good hospitality manager means being able to identify the needs of customers and staff.  This often comes down to being a good listener.  A good listener pays attention when people talk and doesn’t assimilate the information with pre-conceived notions.  A good listener is able to separate the important information from the rest of what is said and use that information to improve service.  In other words, good listening skills can be considered both a motivational and customer service tool.

Goal Driven Hospitality

As a restaurant or hotel manager you have several goals to always keep in mind.

• Keep customers satisfied with service and hospitality
• Find creative solutions to potential problems
• Develop ways to stay competitive
• Be responsive to customer needs
• Maintain productive staff working environment that promotes creativity and maintains morale

These are major goals that require a well-trained manager who has the right listening skills in addition to the ability to generate new ideas that can be successfully implemented.

Good listening skills involve much more than just hearing what people are saying.  As a restaurant, hotel or even cosmetology manager you have to be able to read between the lines and determine what services or problems you need to address.  People often express ideas or concerns indirectly and it’s up to the manager to properly interpret what is being said.  The hospitality industry is extremely competitive and that makes customer satisfaction a top priority.

But a good manager also learns to listen to his or her staff.  A commercial cook, patisserie or gourmet chef, or a hotel manager must develop a team of people that work well together.  The staff must have the same vision and the same commitment to customer service as the manager.  Being able to listen to staff needs also is imperative in order to be a good manager.

Ideas that Motivate

The hospitality business is fast paced and demanding.  The more the staff works like a team, the smoother the operation.  Managers are responsible for coordinating the efforts of a diverse group of people.  But staff also will have great ideas about how to improve operations and how to add or improve services to improve customer satisfaction.  A sign of a good manager is one who is able to listen to the ideas and then make decisions as to their use in a way that motivates and does not discourage staff.

Hospitality management is all about creating customer satisfaction in a highly competitive and fast paced environment by motivating employees to provide great service.  That’s why listening skills are needed in hospitality management!

Why Listening Skills Are Needed in Hospitality Management is a post from: Academia International Weblog

Hospitality management is a broad term that includes many different types of careers. Though they are different in terms of responsibilities, the various careers all have in common the fact you will be serving people by providing specialized services.  You can choose the general hospitality industry and will discover you have a wide choice of employment opportunities within it.   Your training for certification in any of the fields of study includes a customized curriculum to meet your educational needs.  You not only study cooking or room management, but also supervision of staff, budgeting and ordering of supplies.


Jumpstarting to Success

The careers in hospitality management are broadly categorized under food or hotel management.  By obtaining a certification within your chosen field of study, you are able to jumpstart what would take years of on-the-job training.  This leads to faster promotions and greater opportunities.

Hospitality careers are available in a number of different businesses.  In some cases careers are even formed by blending more than one field such as club and restaurant management.    Some of the more popular careers include the following.

• Restaurant management
• Hotel management
• Casino or club management
• Convention or event planning
• Corporate planning
• Resort management
• Cruise ship food and beverage manager

These are not all of the possible careers available and new ones are developed every day.  Some of the newest careers are in areas like information technology as related to the hospitality industry.  With the right training you are able to join an exciting industry that is experiencing exponential growth around the world.  Many countries are realizing that attracting tourist dollars can provide economic stability and resort areas are searching for qualified managers and chefs.

Choose Your Specialty

Hospitality management is a great field for those who enjoy helping others get the most out of their leisure or business activities.   You can choose your career speciality such as patisserie chef or you can prepare for general management.  By learning daily management skills you increase your number of career options on a global basis.

Hospitality management careers are dedicated to assisting others who are travelling, enjoying a brief time away from home duties such as an evening out at a fine restaurant, or planning a special event.  All the careers are extremely rewarding because they focus on making people happy in a hectic world.  There are unlimited career opportunities and that means you never have to wonder about employment after you complete your training.  Your toughest decision will be choosing your ideal job among the many available.

Careers in Hospitality Management is a post from: Academia International Weblog

From a small van that offers sandwiches and refreshments to local businesses, right through to a mobile caterer that supplies buffets for functions of a hundred people or more, there are lots of opportunities in the catering business for people who have the drive and commitment to succeed.

Outlining exactly what type of food you would like to supply people with will determine your market, so it’s important that you consider all the elements that go to make up a successful catering business before you start.

Are you interested in doing cold buffets that you can supply ready prepared to your clients, or do you want to create hot buffets that you can set up at the venue?  Do you like the idea of providing a proper meal for people to enjoy?  Or does the idea of selling freshly made gourmet sandwiches to local offices pique your interest?

Whatever kind of food you prepare and whoever you will be catering for, you will need to prepare it in premises that are fit for the purpose.  Find out all the requirements you will need to meet from your local authorities, and make sure you don’t cut any corners – they will want to inspect your premises to ensure they are clean and designed specifically for catering purposes.  This applies regardless of whether you are intending to use a part of your home for this purpose, or rent an outlet to use for preparing food.

It’s an excellent idea to enrol in some training courses as well; not only is a knowledge of food hygiene a must, but even courses on starting your own business and marketing it to your customers will help immensely too.

A catering business can be run full or part time; it’s possible to start slowly with just a few clients if you still have a regular job and want the security of some regular cash coming in while you build your business.  Once you develop an income from catering (during which time you can promote your business and find new clients through word of mouth as well) you can leave your job and start doing catering full time.

The important thing is to make sure there is a ready market for what you want to offer – then you can hit the ground running and cook up a storm

Starting Your Own Catering Business is a post from: Academia International Weblog

Two of the main considerations are location and competition.  You need to consider how desirable your restaurant will be in a particular area, and that can also depend on what type of restaurant you are thinking of opening.  Just because there’s no Italian restaurant where you live, it doesn’t mean that it would be an automatic success.  It could be that people just don’t like eating that kind of food in that location.

This is where research and knowledge play a huge part in the eventual success or downfall of your idea.  Conversely, if there are already three pizza restaurants in your area, you’ll be fighting an uphill battle to make a mark with your own.

There are also many practical issues to think about when you have decided what type of restaurant to open and where to open it.  Creating a good floor plan with ease of access for everyone is essential to your success; if people find the restaurant crowded and difficult to negotiate, without clear signs or comfortable surroundings they are unlikely to visit again.  Enlist the services of a planner experienced in designing restaurant floor layouts to help with this aspect – they will be more than worth their fee.

Depending on what kind of restaurant you are opening, the type of equipment you need will vary.  You should research your niche carefully and make a list of what is needed, along with the likely cost.  This will help you when you are deciding how to finance your start up costs.

It can also help to visit some similar restaurants before you make any firm plans to open your own.  Take a friend and enjoy a meal together as you take note of every aspect of the restaurant.  Does it have a pleasant atmosphere?  What kind of items are on the menu?  Would you do anything differently?  What are the typical prices like?  What kind of clientele does the venue attract?

All these questions will help you to form a picture of how a typical restaurant is run, and what kind of image you need to portray to attract a specific type of customer.

There are many facets to starting your own restaurant and you will no doubt learn many things after the doors have opened to the buying public, but if you do as much background research as you can beforehand, you’ll be better able to start off on the right foot.

Starting Your Own Restaurant is a post from: Academia International Weblog

•    Cooking skills you are interested in learning
•    The amount of time you want to spend earning a degree or certificate
•    Types of positions you are interested in pursuing after graduation

Even though each degree or certificate you earn can help you begin a career in the hospitality industry, learning specific skills in dessert making, and skills in plating and food preparation can help you find the job of your dreams.

CERTIFICATE III IN HOSPITALITY (COMMERCIAL COOKERY)

This certificate program can be completed in one year. During this time, you will learn the following skills:

•    Basic cookery methods
•    Preparing soups, salads, sauces
•    Seafood, meat & butchery, poultry & game
•    Desserts & pastries
•    Kitchen safety and hygiene

This certificate program will give you an overview of each area in a kitchen and help you develop management skills that you can use immediately after graduation.

CERTIFICATE IV IN HOSPITALITY (COMMERCIAL COOKERY)

In addition to the skills mentioned above, you will also learn how to plan menus, present food buffet-style, and learn more about running a small business. This certificate program will take 18 months to complete.

If you want to own a restaurant or manage one, this certificate will give you the skills to do so.

DIPLOMA OF HOSPIALITY MANAGEMENT (IN COMMERCIAL COOKERY)

This diploma program combines management skills with cooking skills to prepare you to work in larger kitchens as a head chef, Sous chef, or kitchen supervisor. In order to complete this degree program, you must first complete a certificate IV in hospitality that will give you a solid background in the theories of cookery.

Other skills you will learn in this degree program include:

•    Managing staff
•    Creating budgets
•    Maintaining stock
•    Customer satisfaction
•    Ensuring safety of all employees

You will have to invest two years in order to complete this program.

Each of the programs mentioned above include hands-on experience in a real kitchen that has been created for students. This will give each student the opportunity to complete tasks in each are of the kitchen. Only after students complete these assessments in a satisfactory manner will they be able to advance.

Choosing The Right Commercial Cookery Degree Program is a post from: Academia International Weblog

Because the hospitality industry continues to grow, earning a diploma will prepare you for the many challenges and obstacles you will face along the way.

LEADERSHIP

One of the most valuable skills you can learn in a hospitality management program is leadership. Even if you don’t feel you have the skills to become an effective leader right now, once you complete the program, you will have learned:

• How to work in a team
• How to train and instruct others
• How to make quick decisions
• How to communicate with staff
• How to work with different types of people

These skills can be applied to various fields within hospitality management such as chef, sous chef, supervisor, trainer, or instructor.

COOKING

Another valuable skill you will learn is the ability to prepare many types of food. By completing assessments when working in a fully equipped kitchen, you will learn how to prepare different courses, desserts, and appetizers.

The ability to cook a variety of foods will allow you to find employment in many different restaurants and hotels. With hands-on training, the courses you complete will test your ability to follow recipes, learn more about different types of food, and ways to present it to others.

TRAINING

Training others requires you to be able to explain procedures and techniques clearly so they understand what is needed in the kitchen. This is another skill you will learn as you complete a hospitality management program. The ability to teach others is something that you should be able to do if you want to work in a management position after graduation.

In addition to the skills mentioned above, you will also learn how to properly clean equipment, create menu plans, create seating charts, and balancing budgets. All of these skills are needed in order to be successful in the hospitality industry.

Skills Learned In A Hospitality Management Diploma Program is a post from: Academia International Weblog