Millions of people travel domestically and internationally every year. With this love for traveling comes jobs in the hospitality industry, making hospitality management a practical choice for an undergraduate course. But what exactly can you do with a hospitality degree?
Keep reading to understand what hospitality management is, what you’ll learn from this course, and potential careers after graduation. Hopefully, by the end of this article, you’ll be more sure of your decision to study hospitality management and what kind of career you would like to pursue.
What Can You Learn from A Hospitality Management Course?
The field of hospitality management is concerned with all the aspects necessary to run a hospitality business and ensure that every guest has a pleasant experience. Hospitality management encompasses various industries, specifically food and beverage, travel and accommodation, and event management. Hospitality management professionals may handle the finance, human resources, public relations, and/or the health and safety compliance of the business they run.
The course hospitality management prepares students for leading in such a dynamic business. Students learn about the structure and function of companies in the hospitality industry, various management strategies, customer service, and various hard and soft skills needed to succeed in the said industry.
Here are the specific skills you’ll learn from the Bachelor of Science in Hospitality Management curriculum:
- Communication
- Negotiation
- Analytical
- Problem-solving
- Leadership and delegation
- Conflict resolution
Besides these soft skills, studying hospitality management will help you master these skills:
- Operations management
- Safety security and sanitation
- Entrepreneurship in hospitality and tourism
- Legal aspects
- Supply chain management
- Event management
- Foodservice
- Strategic management
- Facilities planning
- Marketing
Students of hospitality management may specialize in various sectors of the industry so that they can focus on developing distinct skills and knowledge for their targeted careers in hospitality management.
What Can I Do with a Degree in Hospitality Management?
The hospitality industry is a dynamic field that involves a variety of roles. Likewise, hospitality a management degree empowers students to be prepared for different careers, which is one of the most important factors to consider when choosing a course. So, hospitality management graduates have the freedom to pursue different careers in the field, like these:
1. Hotel General Manager
Average Salary: Php 44,066 per month, according to Indeed
Hotel general managers oversee the daily operations of a hotel, motel, inn, or resort. They are responsible for all departments that work within the hotel, so other department managers report to them. They work with all managers to set goals and help teams meet them, ensure compliance with standards and regulations, train and develop staff members, address policy changes, and help identify strategies.
The hotel general manager also oversees the recruitment of new staff, ensuring that the hotel always has sufficient staff according to season. They also manage the hotel’s overall budget to ensure that they hit revenue targets and maintain profitability.
The hotel general manager’s responsibilities encompass the entire hotel and are key to not only ensuring positive guest experiences but also the continuity of the hotel as a business. Thus, aspiring hotel general managers need a strong background in all aspects of hospitality management.
2. Restaurant Manager
Average Salary: Php 30,000 to Php 35,000 per month, according to Jobstreet
A restaurant manager oversees the day-to-day operations of a restaurant, ensuring that diners receive high-quality food and services and that the restaurant complies with all food and sanitation standards.
Restaurant managers handle both back-of-the-house and front-of-the-house operations, meaning they manage shift schedules, monitor operational costs, and train staff, as well as address any customer concerns, greet VIP customers, and handle reservations.
While this job requires familiarity with the unique operations of a restaurant that can only be acquired through years of experience, it’s a hospitality management degree job since candidates need knowledge of management strategies to succeed.
3. Catering Manager
Average Salary: Php 24,058 to Php 52,600 per month, according to World Salaries
Catering managers oversee kitchen and server staff for a catering company. They manage the team’s operations – from food preparation to serving – for events like weddings, birthdays, funerals, business conferences, and so on. Catering managers organize inventory and lead their teams through time-sensitive operations to ensure the success of an event.
Besides managing a team, catering managers also market the catering company, so they often meet and negotiate with customers. Catering managers need to be a kind of jack-of-all-trades in hospitality management since they handle most, if not all, aspects of a catering business.
4. Front Office Manager
Average Salary: Php 30,696 per month, according to Indeed
The front office staff are the first set of people that guests encounter in a hotel or resort. They greet guests, assist them with their reservations and other needs, and help them settle in the hotel. The front office manager trains this team and supervises their operations.
The front office manager is directly responsible for ensuring a positive guest experience. They train staff members how to deal with guests and how to perform all the necessary administrative tasks efficiently. The manager also offers support when necessary, especially when dealing with customer complaints or special requests.
While they handle the front office, these managers also deal with some back-of-the-house administrative tasks like updating files, managing the departmental budget, preparing reports on customer feedback, and monitoring office supplies. All these tasks are key to ensuring an organized and welcoming environment for guests.
5. Guest Experience Manager
Average Salary: Php 62,036 per month, according to the Economic Research Institute
The role of guest experience manager is a relatively new hospitality and tourism career. Guest experience managers play a crucial role in maintaining a hotel’s edge against its competitors by anticipating guests’ needs, addressing requests and/or complaints, and initiating improvements in the hotel’s customer experience.
Guest experience managers typically spend their days at strategic locations in the property so that they are accessible to guests. They receive feedback from guests and appease dissatisfied customers. They also deal with feedback from other platforms, such as offline surveys and online reviews.
Given their access to customer feedback, they are in charge of finding ways to improve the hotel’s services.
6. Flight Attendant
Average Salary: Php 32,395 per month (plus allowances and bonus), according to Indeed
Flight attendants ensure a smooth flying experience for all passengers. Their most basic tasks include greeting passengers and directing them to their respective seats, supplying in-flight entertainment, serving food, attending to requests, and demonstrating safety procedures.
However, a flight attendant’s responsibilities go beyond assisting passengers. They are responsible for ensuring the safety of passengers as well. This means that they check the condition of emergency equipment, deal with various emergencies, administer first aid, and produce flight reports.
In exchange, flight attendants enjoy certain perks like the opportunity to travel to different places.
7. Event Planner
Average Salary: Php 15,000 to Php 28,000 per month, according to Glassdoor
Event planners organize corporate or private events for corporate or individual clients. These professionals meet with clients to understand their needs and goals, maintain relationships with vendors, select and book appropriate venues and vendors, oversee the set-up and clean-up for events, and make sure that the event runs smoothly.
8. Travel Agent
Average Salary: Php 23,149 per month, according to Indeed
Travel agents work in travel agencies, hotels, or cruise liners where they help guests book vacations that meet their budgetary requirements. They help book plane or cruise tickets, arrange transportation, manage hotel reservations, as well as schedule various activities like tours.
This type of career requires strong interpersonal and communication skills. Travel agents regularly speak with customers and help them organize everything they need for their travels.
9. Business Owner
Average Salary: Php 31,970 per month (or higher based on your business’s profitability), according to the Economic Research Institute
One more thing you can do with a hospitality degree is start your own business in the hospitality industry. You can open your own restaurant, hotel, resort, or inn.
Hospitality management graduates have an advantage as business owners since they are knowledgeable in business, operations management, strategic management, and marketing. They can use this knowledge to drive their business toward success.
10. Hotel Sales Coordinator
Average Salary: Php 28,000 per month, according to Glassdoor
A hotel sales coordinator supports the sales and marketing department of a hotel or resort. They help create strategies to increase revenue and bookings.
Hotel sales coordinators may pursue leads, present proposals to clients, and maintain a positive relationship with all clients. They regularly deal with customers, guiding them through the company’s offerings, promotions, and reservation or booking process.
Hotel sales coordinators are key to increasing bookings and return clients, thus improving the establishment’s revenue.
Become a Hospitality Management Professional
A hospitality management degree can open numerous hospitality and tourism careers both in the Philippines and abroad. Hospitality professionals encourage more people to explore the world, allowing them to experience new things and widen their perspectives. By creating safer and more convenient ways to travel, professionals in this field help the world be more connected.
OEd offers flexible online education for aspiring hospitality management professionals so that you can explore greater career opportunities that can make an impact on the industry.
If you want to learn more about our programs, simply send us a message.