The hospitality industry is increasingly being pursued by job seekers due to the numerous opportunities presented by hotels, restaurants, resorts, casinos and theme parks among other related institutions. This article provides a brief summary of the most rewarding Hospitality Degree Programmes to improve your chances of landing that perfect job.
By Josephine Wawira.
With the tourism industry booming worldwide, the hospitality sector in particular is bombarded with employment applications from aspirant job seekers.
Possessing a formal qualification from a recognised education institution will certainly support your job application. As the six degrees shown here equip students with the necessary knowledge and skills, they also provide an opportunity to become self employed; making them all worth a try. They are offered in numerous universities and colleges across the globe.
Degree in Hospitality Management
Students undertaking hospitality management studies become knowledgeable in the dynamics of management in commercial food service operations, which include fast food restaurants. With relevant qualifications and skills, graduates are highly employable as a: hotel manager, fast food restaurant manager, restaurant manager, accommodation manager, public house manager, customer service manager and retail manager among others.
Degree in Hotel Administration
Studying Hotel Administration enables students to understand the market in a manner in which they can research, analyse and teach on trends in the hospitality industry. The program enables participants to develop wide-ranging knowledge and expertise with a solid foundation in driving the industry. Possible jobs in this program include, but are not limited to, hotel managers/administrators and hospitality industry analysts, consultants, corporate staff positions and casino managers among others.
Degree in Dietetics and Nutrition
Diet and its effects on health is one of the most crucial factors that determine the success of any hospitality business. Hygiene is key in ensuring customer retention for commercial food service providers; and therefore it is important for these businesses to have professional knowledgeable on nutrition and dietetics to ensure food safety for quality food service delivery. The program provides job opportunities in food safety, dietetics lecturing, event and meeting management, and airline catering among others.
Degree in Travel Industry Management
A degree in Travel Industry Management provides a multidisciplinary and fundamental understanding of both national and international relations with regard to the travel and tourism industry, whose contribution rose to 9.8% of world GDP at US$7.2 trillion; according to the World Travel and Tourism Council. The program offers the foundation for divergent careers such as a director of cultural programs for governments/organizations or even a minister of tourism portfolio, to mention but a few.
Language Translation and Interpretation
This is a field that in recent years has attracted attention as stakeholders in the hospitality industry seek to eliminate language barriers; be it for international travellers or during international conferences and events. Professionals in linguistics are able to interpret one spoken language to another, either simultaneously or consecutively as well as translate written documents in languages they choose to specialise in. With an increase in Meetings, Incentives, Conferencing and Exhibitions (MICE) across the world, different languages are brought together and language translation therefore becomes highly sought after. There is still a large gap in meeting the demand in this profession and taking up this program might just be the beginning of a life-long rewarding career.
Hospitality & Catering Degree
Taking a course in hospitality and catering prepares students to understand areas of gastronomy and culture, culinary art, nutrition, health and safety among others. The program tends to be practical and vocational in nature and careers will include being a chef, caterer, events management, etc.
It is important to note that the hospitality industry is on a continuous upward trajectory and the need for skilled labour in the different areas related to the industry will also continue to rise. If any of these is the career path you intend to take, ensure that you do a comprehensive background check on your field of interest to ensure that after investing in your education, you will end up not only in a remunerative career but most importantly a motivating one.
About the author: Josephine Wawira is a Global PR Assistant at Jumia Travel – Africa’s No.1 hotel booking website, allowing you to get the best prices for more than 25,000 hotels in Africa and more than 200,000 hotels around the world. For more information visit the Jumia website at: www.travel.jumia.com
