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What Does the Future Hold for Hospitality Jobs?

chefs and waiters interact in a busy restaurant

There's good news for individuals looking for hospitality jobs. Employment in the industry has been consistently growing over the last few years, and it's projected to continue for several more years. However, those who want management positions in hospitality companies like restaurants, hotels, casinos and spas should be prepared to face more competition than they would for non-management jobs.

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Restaurant Jobs

With the National Restaurant Association (NRA) projecting industry sales around $566 billion in 2009 (equal to four percent of the U.S. gross domestic product), the restaurant industry is obviously doing something right. According to the NRA, a million dollars in restaurant sales creates 33 new jobs. They predict that nearly two million new restaurant jobs will be opening between 2009 and 2019.

What does this all mean for aspiring restaurant managers? While there is opportunity in the restaurant industry, the hospitality jobs at the top of the food chain are fewer and more competitive. Don't expect to land a restaurant management position without first paying your dues —unless you plan to open your own restaurant and be your own boss.

Expect to find the largest number of restaurant management job opportunities in chain restaurants and fewer opportunities in independently owned and operated establishments.

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Hotel Jobs

Restaurant Management School Spotlight

The International Culinary Schools at The Art Institutes

Students at The International Culinary Schools at The Art Institutes learn traditional, fundamental cooking skills, and they learn the realities of working in restaurants and the food service industry. Find a campus near you and get started today!

Hotel and lodging businesses make up another healthy sector of the hospitality job market. The most recent data from the American Hotel and Lodging Association shows that the industry brought in roughly $139.4 billion in 2007, with an average occupancy rate of 63.1 percent.

Hospitality jobs in hotels and other lodging establishments are plentiful. In 2006, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports that there were 1.8 million paid jobs in hotels. (There were also an additional 40,000 hotel workers who were self-employed or unpaid family employees.) While hotel management positions make up a relatively small percentage of these jobs, the BLS expects management opportunities to grow by 12 percent or more by 2016. Hotel employment, in general, should grow by about 14 percent in the same time frame.

Many factors affect employment opportunities for aspiring hotel managers. More jobs are available in urban areas or popular tourist destinations. There may also be more opportunities for both employment and advancement in large hotel chains. Full-service hotels will also employ more people than limited-service establishments. Growth in both hotel chains and luxury hotels will result in increased employment options for hotel managers.

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Preparing for Hospitality Jobs

Whichever sector of the hospitality industry you choose, having a 2- or 4-year degree in restaurant and hospitality management will give you an advantage over the competition. While working your way up to a management job from and entry-level hospitality job is certainly possible, these days, many businesses are looking for job candidates with hospitality management training in addition to experience. If your career goal is to become a restaurant or hotel manager, getting your education is a good first step.


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