AREAS
MANAGEMENT
Property Management
Facility Management
Rooms Management
Banquet and Catering Management
Restaurant Management
EMPLOYERS
Historical, cultural, and natural attractions
Lodging: hotel/motel, bed and breakfast, timeshares, and campgrounds
Destination areas: amusement centers, theme parks, and resorts
Special event and festival organizations
Conference centers
Entertainment industry: casinos, theaters, and stadiums
Food service: catering companies, schools, universities, hospitals, and military
Restaurants, dining clubs, taverns, and fast food operators
Leisure organizations: sporting clubs, recreation centers, fitness facilities,
and country clubs
STRATEGIES
Build a strong foundation in food service, administration, and customer service.
Courses in communications, marketing, management, law, accounting, and food
and beverage controls are a must. Develop the ability to make quick decisions
independently. Acquire supervisory skills and experience by taking leadership
roles in student organizations. Gain experience working with budgets. Work in
a restaurant, catering facility, campus dining hall, or local hotel to gain
relevant experience. Be prepared to work "from the bottom up" to gain
industry experience.
AREAS
CUSTOMER SERVICES
Office Operations
Purchasing
Reservations
Travel Planning
EMPLOYERS
Tour operators
Historical, cultural, and natural attractions
Lodging: hotel/motel, bed and breakfast, timeshares, and campgrounds
Reservation companies
Destination areas: amusement centers, theme parks, and resorts
Special event and festival organizations
Conference centers
Entertainment industry: casinos, theaters, and stadiums
Food service: catering companies, schools, universities, hospitals, and military
Restaurants, dining clubs, taverns, and fast food operators
Transportation/travel industry: airlines, cruise companies, car rental agencies,
travel agencies, airports, motor coach/tour carriers, and rapid transit (AMTRACK)
Leisure organizations: sporting clubs, recreation centers, fitness facilities,
and country clubs
State, federal, and local government: tourism offices, visitor bureaus, convention
centers, and park systems
STRATEGIES
Interest and experience working with the public are very valuable. Develop problem-solving
skills. Start in reservations or telephone sales. Master the product line and
learn to give excellent service. Develop computer skills and knowledge of different
programs. Gain experience working with budgets by serving as treasurer or financial
officer of an organization. Acquire supervisory skills and experience by taking
leadership roles in student organizations. An orientation toward service and
detail is necessary to succeed. Learn state, federal and local government job
application process.
AREAS
SPECIAL EVENTS
Convention/Trade Show Planning
Convention Services Management
Entertainment/Event Planning
Programs and Activities Planning
EMPLOYERS
Lodging: large hotel/motel, bed and breakfast, timeshares, and campgrounds
Destination areas: amusement centers, theme parks and resorts
Special event and festival organizations
Conference centers
Entertainment industry: casinos, theaters, and stadiums
Cruise companies
Leisure organizations: sporting clubs, recreation centers, fitness facilities,
and country clubs
State, federal, and local government: tourism offices, visitor bureaus, convention
centers, and park systems
Trade and professional associations
Public or private corporations and businesses
STRATEGIES
Gain experience through planning activities/events for campus and civic/community
organizations. Develop the ability to make quick decisions independently. Practice
excellent interpersonal and public speaking skills.
Enhance creative thinking skills. Display good planning and organizational skills.
Attend conferences for student organizations and professional associations.
Take classes in business, commercial recreation, advertising, and public relations.
Gain experience working with budgets and fundraising. Learn state, federal,
and local government job application process.
AREAS
MARKETING/ADVERTISING
Market Research
General Sales
Meeting and Convention Sales
Incentive Travel Sales
Media Planning and Development
Public Relations: Publicity/Promotions
EMPLOYERS
Tour operators
Historical, cultural, and natural attractions
Lodging: hotel/motel, bed and breakfast, timeshares, and campgrounds
Reservation companies
Destination areas: amusement centers, theme parks, and resorts
Special event and festival organizations
Conference centers
Entertainment industry: casinos, theaters, and Stadiums
Restaurants, dining clubs, taverns, and fast food operators
Product and equipment suppliers and manufacturers Transportation/travel industry:
airlines, cruise companies, car rental agencies, travel agencies, airports,
motor coach/tour carriers, and rapid transit (AMTRACK)
Leisure organizations: sporting clubs, fitness/recreation facilities, and country
clubs
Trade and professional associations
Public or private corporations and businesses
State, federal and local government: tourism offices, visitor bureaus, convention
centers, and park systems
STRATEGIES
Consider a minor in public relations, marketing, business, or advertising.
Gain competency in a variety of computer programs, especially computer graphics.
Gain experience in customer service and communication skills.
Learn about geography and international travel regulations.
Strive for excellent interpersonal and public speaking skills.
Learn to think creatively in order to develop unique marketing campaigns and
selling techniques.
Attend conferences and trade shows.
Join student clubs and professional associations in your field of study and
volunteer for their publicity committees.
Start in reservations or telephone sales. Learn the product line and how to
deal with travel agents and customers.
Be willing to relocate to a major city like Los Angeles, Chicago, Miami, or
New York for more opportunities.
Learn state, federal, and local government job application process.
AREAS
CORPORATE ADMINISTRATION
Property Acquisition and Development
Legal
Research/Market Analysis
Financial Relations
Human Resources: Human Resource Management, Recruiting and Training, Employee
Support Services, Labor Relations, Compensation and Benefits
EMPLOYERS
Lodging: hotel/motel, bed and breakfast, time-shares, and campgrounds
Destination areas: amusement centers, theme parks, and resorts
Entertainment industry: casinos, theaters, and stadiums
Restaurants, dining clubs, taverns, and fast food operators
Transportation/travel industry: airlines, cruise companies, car rental agencies,
travel agencies, airports, motor coach/tour carriers, and rapid transit (AMTRACK)
Leisure organizations: sporting clubs, recreation centers, fitness facilities,
and country clubs
STRATEGIES
Supplement your program with courses in industrial psychology, business, communications,
and law. Consider a minor in human resources. Obtain a graduate degree in business
or law for advancement opportunities. Be a leader in student organizations and
professional associations. Attend their meetings and conferences. Study the
industry leaders and trends by reading trade journals. Gain experience in decision-making,
planning, budgeting, and human resources issues through an internship or co-op.
Be flexible geographically.
Create a network of contacts for advancement. Strive for excellent interpersonal
and public speaking skills. Be prepared to work "from the bottom up"
to gain industry experience.
AREAS
PUBLISHING
Guides
Journals
Books
News Writing/Editing
EMPLOYERS
Self-employment/Freelance
Newspapers, magazines, and trade journals
Tour operators
State, federal, and local government: tourism offices and visitor bureaus
STRATEGIES
Study and gain an in-depth knowledge of industry trends. Consider a journalism
minor to learn writing skills and objectivity. Gain writing experience by working
for your college newspaper and other publications or by writing for student
organization newsletters. Develop effective research methods and computer skills.
Practice paying attention to detail and meeting deadlines.
AREAS
EDUCATION
Teaching
Research
Administration
EMPLOYERS
Colleges and universities
STRATEGIES
Determine an area of expertise. Gain an in-depth knowledge of that industry,
its leaders and trends by reading recent books, journals and annual reports.
Learn writing and research skills. Maintain a high grade point average and secure
strong recommendations for graduate school admission. Obtain a Ph.D. to teach
at the university level. Gain professional industry experience. Attend and speak
at conferences, trade shows and professional associations. Network in the industry
for professional contacts.
GENERAL INFORMATION
Bachelor's degree qualifies you for entry-level government and industry positions.
Master's degree qualifies you for community college teaching and advancement in industry and government.
A doctoral degree is required for advanced research or teaching positions in colleges and universities and senior positions in government.
Join professional organizations such as The National Tour Association, The American Hotel and Motel Association, or The National Restaurant Association to stay abreast of current issues in the field and to increase networking contacts.
Obtain volunteer, part-time, summer, internship, and/or co-op experience at related organizations such as restaurants, catering facilities, campus dining facilities, or hotels.
Be prepared to "work your way up from the bottom." Gaining industry knowledge though work experience is highly valued.
It may be necessary to move around geographically to get promotions.
Be willing to work on weekends, holidays, evenings, and long or unusual hours.
Develop strong communication and customer service skills. The ability to work well with all kinds of people in all kinds of situations is necessary to succeed.
Learn to pay attention to details. Hotel guests and restaurant patrons expect excellent service.
Obtain computer experience.
Check with your school's career center, faculty members, and professional organizations for employment leads. Create a network in the industry to establish contacts for advancement.
Take additional courses and/or travel abroad to gain a better understanding of world history, geography, foreign languages and customs, and international relations. This will help you relate to more guests.
Prepared by the Career Planning staff of Career Services at The University
of Tennessee, Knoxville. (2005) UTK is an EEO/AA/Title VI/Title IX/Section 504/ADA/ADEA
Employer