Hospitality Management/Hotel and Catering

Whatever options you choose, a degree in hospitality management gives you an in-depth understanding of the structure and operation of the industry and its related sectors. You will be able to identify and respond to the needs of hospitality consumers, employees and organisations. You may also gain business skills, such as financial management, and operations or strategic management, or learn a foreign language. In addition, your degree should enhance your IT, analytical and problem-solving skills. Group work on the course develops teamwork and leadership skills, and your written communication skills are improved through report writing and presentations.

Over the course of your degree you develop a wide mix of subject-specific and technical skills, you should consider these skills developed on your course as well as through your other activities, such as paid work, volunteering, family responsibilities, sport, membership of societies, leadership roles, etc. Think about how these can be used as evidence of your skills and personal attributes. Then you can start to market and sell who you really are, identify what you may be lacking and consider how to improve your profile.

Working as a Hotel Operations Manager

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Prospects

In 2010, six months after graduating, over 75% of graduates in hospitality-related subjects had entered employment in the UK or overseas. Of those who were in work, around 44% went into management roles within the commercial, industrial and public sectors, including hotel and restaurant management. Around 9% found work as business, finance and associate professionals, which are common routes open to graduates with a management qualification.

Over a quarter of graduates were employed in clerical, secretarial, retail, catering, waiting and bar jobs. This figure indicates the value of work experience as a way of getting in to the hospitality sector and possibly gaining internal promotion. Approximately 7% were assumed to be unemployed.

Where are the jobs?

Many larger chain hotels or restaurants offer graduate management programmes, providing a fast-track to management positions and also experience in a range of operations.

Opportunities exist in hotels and restaurants, and hospitality graduates can also find work in catering, conference and events management, the entertainment and leisure sector, and food service management. There are also hospitality opportunities in universities, hospitals, transport, the armed forces and throughout the public sector.

Jobs directly related to your degree

• Hotel manager
• Restaurant manager
• Catering manager
• Conference centre manager
• Fast food restaurant manager
• Customer services manager

Jobs where your degree would be useful

• Public house manager
• Retail manager
• Event organiser
• Accommodation manager
• Human resources officer
• Tourism consultant

Although some of the jobs listed here might not be first jobs for many graduates, they are among the many realistic possibilities with your degree, provided you can demonstrate you have the attributes employers are looking for. Bear in mind that it's not just your degree discipline that determines your options. Remember that many graduate vacancies don't specify particular degree disciplines, so don't restrict your thinking to the jobs listed here.

You can find more about the skills you develop during your course, the jobs listed above, plus case studies and where to find these jobs at Prospects.

Included with the permission of AGCAS. For the latest version of this publication, see www.prospects.ac.uk. For permission to reproduce, contact copyright@agcas.org.uk