Education & Career Trends: May 10, 2022
Curated by the Knowledge Team of ICS Career GPS
Content Credit:
- Article by Puja Yadav, published on indiatvnews.com. Original article link.
Hospitality is all about creating a connection with people. An education in hospitality essentially translates into providing a human-centric approach to a traditional business programme. A degree in hospitality management is a fundamental take on business education but with the ethos of hospitality.
Traditionally, hospitality education has been associated with hotels, travel and food – more often than not, the perception is that hospitality teaches you about hotel management and F&B operations.
However, education in this field has massively evolved in the past few years.
Hospitality education opens the doors for a diverse range of fields and industries including luxury retail, banking and finance, real estate, travel, consulting and wellness.
One of the worst pandemic-hit industries, hospitality was able to pick up the pace and regained momentum soon by adopting technological and digital advancements.
It is important to eliminate some common misconceptions which are keeping more aspirants from exploring various career opportunities.
Some of these common myths include:
Myth 1 – Hospitality students get employed only in hotels.
- A degree in hospitality management empowers professionals with multiple skills such as managerial abilities, service management, communication skills, financial prowess, and managing human relations.
- Mr Dilip Puri, Founder & CEO of the Indian School of Hospitality says that, traditionally, the majority of fresh graduates begin their professional careers with an internship at a hotel or a similar establishment, hence the misconception.
- In reality, hospitality education offers career opportunities in different fields such as banks and financial institutions, luxury retail, aviation, and tourism.
Myth 2 – Chefs only work in restaurants and hotels.
- Chefs and fresh culinary arts graduates work in restaurants, hotel kitchens and other food-related businesses.
- Education in hospitality and culinary arts prepares students for roles way beyond the kitchen.
- Culinary professionals are venturing into many exciting fields such as food science, health, fitness and nutrition.
- In addition, with a rise in demand for different types of specialised diets, and cuisines, culinary careers are expected to grow further, creating opportunities such as cuisine designers, cloud-commerce managers, food consultants and more.
Myth 3 – The industry demands long and irregular working hours.
- Well, we are aware of the demanding needs of the hospitality industry, including extended working hours, late-night shifts, etc.
- But thanks to technology and digitalisation, organisations are shifting the focus on productivity, service quality and speed while cutting down manual chores.
- Hospitality now offers opportunities to maintain a healthy work-life balance with initiatives around flexible working hours and frequent training to make employees adept in new-age technologies.
- As a part of many employers’ initiatives, managers or supervisors also ensure that their team members are well-rested.
Myth 4 – It’s a service degree, not a business one.
- Hospitality students, nowadays, are trained to manage vital business operations, evaluate market trends, forecast changes and get an understanding of all business areas, i.e., marketing, financing and human resources.
- Understanding the intricate details of running a business towards profitability gives an extra edge to hospitality students.
- Hospitality management education is evolving rapidly, giving students the liberty to choose their career fields based on their strengths, personal interests and capabilities.
…
Have you checked out yesterday’s blog yet?
Cover letters: Essential or outdated?
(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in the article mentioned above are those of the author(s). They do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of ICS Career GPS or its staff.)
Like this post? For more such helpful articles, click on the button below and subscribe FREE to our blog.
Download our mobile app, ICS Career GPS, a one-stop career guidance platform.
2 Replies to “Debunking Myths About Hospitality Education & Careers”