Where are you going?

I never imagined that I would ever be blogging, let alone doing it for the first time in my Tourism and Hospitality class at CCSU. It seemed as though everyone in the class had an idea about what to write—except for me. Maybe it’s because I’m not exactly sure what I want to pursue in my career. In talking with some other students, I was comforted to learn that I wasn’t the only one who is in this boat. One thing I do know is that travel and tourism interests me because of my love for travel and hospitality experience working in restaurants. So what better way to start learning about the types of careers in Tourism and Hospitality (or THS) than by exploring and writing about the myriad of opportunities that are out there?
I started with a simple Google search for “hospitality and tourism careers,” and found that THS is truly all encompassing. Careers can range from: hotel or cruise management, travel agents, language translators and photography, to convention/event planning, casino management and historical tourism.
One position I came across was a spa manager at a new resort in the Maldives (Jobs Maldives). This really stuck out in my mind because it overlaps my previous experience working as an esthetician in a hair salon and my interest in travel. Overall the spa manager is responsible for maintaining client relationships while creating a soothing ambience for guests. The position also involves monitoring product inventory, balancing employee schedules, dealing with insurance and legal issues, and having knowledge of the field and products. For me, the job also would entail: 1) having to move half way across the world, and 2) being able to endure that kind of change.
Cruise line staff may be another area of interest for me. Carnival has posted jobs for a variety of positions, including: destination shopping specialist, shipboard A/V media, casino, entertainment, gift shop, golf, information systems, medical, spa/fitness/beauty. How interesting that a degree in THS can cover such an assortment of jobs!
As a woman, I was more curious about Carnival’s “destination shopping specialist”, so I dug a little deeper. The job entails “creating a huge shopping frenzy for the ports of call...public speaking and sales experience.” This might be a good fit, as I have experience in sales, and enjoy promoting something that I believe in. On another extreme, cruise line “entertainment” positions include singers, dancers, and bands. This may not be for me—plus, I’m not sure my singing skills would win an award! For sports enthusiasts, the Shipboard Golf position is deal for someone who is a quality teaching golf professional. A guy in my class wants to do something with golf. Maybe he never thought about this opportunity!
My purpose for this blog post is to explore THS jobs that might interest me. I currently work in a restaurant and know what it encompasses…and I’m not sure that I would be interested in restaurant positions in a hotel or resort unless it was in the so-called “back of the house” portion of the restaurant. A girl in my class works in human resources at a Marriott hotel. This could be more up my alley because it combines business and THS. I’m not exactly sure about the work involved for HR managers, so I did a quick Google search and I found that HR managers in general maintain compensation, handle recruitment, develop personnel policies, and maintain regulatory compliance. Next time I see my classmate, I’ll ask her about what her job entails and maybe write about it in my next blog post.
Ultimately this exercise started me down the path of really thinking about what it is I want to do with my career. I have more research to do, and possibly an internship to try. What are your thoughts on the information I’ve shared today?
- Laureen Harper