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Career Training>
Hotel Management Career, Training Schools, Programs
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Career Training - Hotel Management Careers
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Hotel Management Careers:
Hotel managers are responsible for overseeing
all aspects of hotel operations. They ensure
that all departments run efficiently and
productively from housekeeping and maintenance
through to marketing and finance. In smaller
hotels, general managers may oversee everything
personally and deal directly with the guests. In
larger hotels which may offer a variety of
services, such as leisure facilities or spa,
they may supervise the work of assistant or
junior managers who are in charge of each
department.
General Managers hire new staff and organize
their training. Another area of responsibility
is ensuring that the hotel adheres to all
regulations, including licensing laws and all
safety regulations. They also need to make sure
that their security is effective. They may be
involved with the hotel owners in setting
business targets for the financial year and then
work in collaboration with their management team
to ensure that that these targets are met. This
involoves formulating marketing strategies,
setting the hotel rates correctly and setting
annual budgets that allocate resources to the
various departments appropriately.
If the hotel has conference facilities or can
host weddings or corporate events, it is
essential that bookings are secured for all of
these facilities. A resident manager is one who
lives in the hotel and may be a different person
to the general manager. Resident managers help
to keep the hotel running smoothly and although
they generally work a forty hour week, they are
constantly on call in the case of emergency or
if problems need to be resolved.
Assistant managers help the general manager with
daily operations and can be responsible for any
number of areas. For example, they may look
after marketing, accounting, food and beverages
or event management. Front Office Managers are
responsible for overseeing reception and usually
train the front desk staff. They take
reservations, check customers in and assign
their rooms. They take care of the guests' needs
and deal with any complaints.
Educational Requirements:
While traditionally people worked their way up
to management level from lower level jobs, it is
now standard for hotel managers to have a
qualification in hotel or hospitality
management. Many educational institutions offer
courses from certificate through to degree
level. Diplomas in hotel management generally
take approximately three years to complete while
degree courses usually take four years.
Subjects covered within these programs usually
include food and beverage management, front
office management, facilities and accommodation
management, marketing, hospitality costings and
control, management accounting, human resource
management among others. Most of these
incorporate internships or practical work
experience of some kind. This is very important
as not only do you get hands-on experience in
all areas of hotel management, you also have the
opportunity to network and make valuable
contacts.
Other Skills Required:
Hotel managers need to have a high level of
communication skills for both dealing with
customers and for the effective management of
their staff. You need to be a good
administrator, able to manage your time and keep
meticulous paperwork. You need to be decisive
and quick-thinking and able to perform well
under pressure. You would have to be prepared to
work long and unsociable hours, including
nights, weekends and public holidays.
Accreditation:
When selecting a hotel management program, you
should ensure that it is an accredited one so
that you can be confident of receiving a high
standard of education. Schools and programs can
be accredited by a regional and / or a
professional accrediting body. There are six
regional agencies in the US that accredit
programs as part of the Commission for Higher
Education. The Accreditation Commission for
Programs in Hospitality Administration (ACPHA)
is the accrediting body for most hotel
management degree programs. If you are unsure
whether your chosen program is accredited, you
should call the educational institute directly
to inquire.
Career Opportunities:
Many graduates of hotel management programs
progress to entry-level positions as trainees to
be assistant managers and from there they can
work towards promotion to higher managerial
levels. Large hotel chains may offer more
opportunities for advancement than smaller
hotels as they have more departments and you
also have the opportunity to relocate to another
hotel in the chain if a managerial position
becomes free. There are many specialized areas
of hotel management apart from general or
resident manager. These include: Marketing
Manager; Front Office Manager; Food and
Beverages Manager; Event Manager or
Co-ordinator; Reservations Manager or Convention
Services Manager among others.
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