I’m going to ask you a hypothetical question. It goes something like this:
Would you rather start your career in data entry, sitting at a gray cubicle in a fluorescent-lit room, with your only human interaction being a conversation through a headset?
Or, would you rather start your career in a social environment, surrounded by beauty and studying the art of people?
If you fit the profile of someone who works in the tourism community, the answer is
clear.
For me it was an easy choice. I like people, and I prefer to be interacting more than sitting in front of a computer.
Tourism has afforded me a great opportunity to advance. These opportunities would not have been as readily available had I chosen another industry.
Doctors don’t often start their medical career cleaning the hospital. Lawyers don’t often start their law career as a courier. However, many hotel general managers often start in entry-level positions such as dishwashers or front desk associates.
In the past, I’ve written about Leonard Massey, the general manager of the Hampton Inn Savannah Historic District. He started as a dishwasher and worked his way up the ladder.
So, let me be clear. I’m recruiting good people to come work in the tourism community.
If you like people, this is an industry for you. If you enjoy problem solving, this is an industry for you. If you want to be in a team who works together with the ultimate goal of making others happy, this is an industry for you.
Team approach
When you start your career in hospitality and tourism, you’re joining a team environment.
We often refer to hotels and restaurants as small cities. It takes numerous people to make the hotels function properly, and those people must necessarily function as a team.
If you work at the front desk, your ability to please the guest depends on your teammate having the room cleaned. If you work as a server in a restaurant, your ability to provide for the guest depends on the chef preparing the meal in the kitchen.
The team mentality is rewarding because what you can potentially do when you work together multiplies exponentially.
Fast-paced environment
At an entry-level position in a corporation, the worker is anchored to a desk. In hospitality, you are most often moving around.
If you do your job well, you are never bored.
In fact, an average eight-hour work day will fly as you tackle the day’s challenges, which are frequently different from yesterday’s challenges.
The hours are flexible, and the bonus structure is unmatched. In retail, you will have employee discounts and possible commissions. In restaurants, tips can be as great as the service you provide.
Constant interaction
In this community, you will have every opportunity to interact with a variety of people.
Every day brings new guest interactions. You will learn, laugh and love with these guests.
The guests bring with them a sense of wonderment about Savannah that seems infectious. You will fall in love with your city all over again.
At a restaurant, you will taste foods and learn techniques that you would never be able to do in a cubicle.
In retail, you’ll meet and make connections with your clients that will last for years.
Of course, working in hospitality and tourism is hard work. There are customers who can’t be pleased. There are rooms that need to be cleaned. There are shelves and inventory to be stocked. After all, it is work.
However, the benefits outweigh the challenges.
So, the choice is simple: A career in tourism versus a career in data entry. If I had it to do all over again, you bet I’d choose a path in tourism.
Michael Owens is president/CEO of the Tourism Leadership Council, the largest nonprofit trade organization that supports and represents the tourism community. Contact Owens at michael@tourismleadershipcouncil.com or by calling 912-232-1223.
By Michael Owens