It is quite essential for hospitality and catering businesses to use recruitment agencies. This could be for the reason of a large staff number, high turnarounds as the hospitality and tourism industry is mostly seasonal and the vast number of different staffing requirements within each business.A hotel, for example, requires staffing solutions from reception right through to back end workers such as finance and revenue staff. Starting from the very front of a hotel there is a doorman, maybe even a parking attendant should the hotel be large. Next receptionists including reception management.The skills of office staff are very specific to a hotel and catering environment as there are special rate trackers tracking rates and changing the prices of the rooms etc. Then the finance and revenue department tracking the profit, losses and percentages of every cost in the hotel, making it as profitable as possible. This is an extremely busy area as invoice processing, bill payments, guest bills etc are in high volume.The kitchen alone can have up to six different levels of chef and assistant within it. Chef jobs can come in the form of relief chefs and commie chefs right up to head chefs with chef de partie and sous chefs in between. It is essential that the right person is found for each roll in order that a kitchen works to its best potential.Through to the restaurant staffing and the requirements here are from basic waiting on staff up to restaurant managers also sommeliers and bar staff maybe even glass collectors depending on the size of the bar area.Management are also found via recruitment agencies from duty manager’s right up to general manager’s.Further staffing requirements are kitchen porters, housekeeping, cleaners and night porters, bell boys, room service operatives and customer service staff.A chef recruitment and hospitality and catering recruitment agency has a huge task to full fill the needs of a catering business. What is evident is the huge need for recruitment agencies in this industry. Imagine how long it would take to source employees for so many different skills and positions?It is often found that hospitality and catering specific recruitment agencies have catering experience so they really understand what it’s like working in a busy kitchen or catering operation. From Hotel General Manager positions to catering staff recruitment consultants can find the job that suits the right candidate ensuring both employer and employee are more than satisfied. As they personally select and match candidates to jobs, the recruitment agency ensure a CV is only forwarded to the kind of establishments the candidate would want to work in and vice versa. This saves a great deal of time. The agency can also give interview tips and CV writing tips to candidates and even specialist advice to employers on employment law and holiday entitlement issues. All these services are designed to find the right candidate, to speed up the process of finding the correct candidate and ensuring both employer and employee are happy. By building a long and successful partnership with a recruitment agency, the whole process becomes effortless.
Posts Tagged ‘Hospitality’
Hospitality, Catering and Chef Recruitment
Saturday, May 8th, 2010Rising to the top level in Hospitality management
Monday, May 3rd, 2010All hotels need someone to act as the financial manager of the hotel, and there can be a danger and a liability if the General Manager has to be the one who handles all facets of the operation.Controllers are usually the one responsible for short and long term planning, as well as daily operations of the accounting department. In larger organizations, s/he interacts with some regularity with the brand or management company Vice President(s) and Corporate Controller. They may deal with accounting transactions or control practices not specifically addressed in the acceptable company accounting policies and procedures manual or which requires interpretation.In smaller hotels, the role of Hotel Controller may be handled by a 3rd party who may or may not be at the physical building each day. Many ownership groups use a cluster approach on this function, and have only very basic financial activities at the hotel level with all reconciliations and filings done by the owner’s office or an accountant. Management companies often successfully use this approach.With that as an introduction, the following ‘Bakers Dozen’ of Strategies for Hotel Controllers can be considered in either approach.1. Take the lead on establishing and administering all financial systems and internal controls. This includes an approved and complete plan for overall financial checks and balances for control of operations. In the case of high volume food and beverage, gaming, retail or other revenue centers, this is critical to cash flow management. Most hotels use approved industry standard accounting systems and formats.2. Create the guidelines and expectations for the preparation and updates of all operational budgets, forecasts, operating results, financial reports. While the controller should not physically prepare all documents, s/he should provide guidance, forms and overall direction. This includes profit projections and planning, sales forecasts, expense budgets, capital requirement/needs, cost standards and the required approvals for implementing the agreed upon plans.3. Identify the annual hotel’s capital plan and establish time lines and protocols for implementation. Capital needs are identified through many sources, including planned renovations, changes in competition, market variables, brand requirements, legal obligations and ownership preferences. It is the ultimate responsibility of the hotel controller to estimate returns on investment and to offer recommendations to ownership and senior management.4. Implement firm procedures for the preparation of operational statements returns in compliance with government regulations, company, franchise and ownership requirements. There are many entities requiring detailed and consistent reporting.5. Set up and administer all government reporting and tax filing activities to guarantee accurate, timely information is provided in compliance with laws and regulations. This includes local, state/provincial and federal agencies.6. Formulate and manage local accounting policies that coordinate with ownership’s or brand systems and procedures. We all realize that data and reports can be stated in creative ways and it falls to the controller to keep comparisons of performance to budgets, forecasts and updates accurate and consistent. Clear and concise recaps of the financial reports that interpret operational results of operations to all levels of management and ownership (where applicable) are essential7. Operate as if you were a financial consultant for your hotel(s). Consultants ask questions to make certain time sensitive reports and information are provided to maximize revenues and profits. Done in a proactive and ongoing way, this can greatly assist operations.8. Monitor compliance with hotel and accounting policies and procedures, legal requirements and contractual obligations . These could include obligations under a management agreement or brand contracts. A system of internal controls, auditing and security procedures should be in place to make certain disparities or variations are brought to the attention of the General Manager and/or appropriate ownership or management representative to safeguard the hotel’s assets.9. Manage the accounting department and other areas as appropriate. Some hotel controllers oversee Security/Safety staffs while others are responsible for Human Resources. This is a local decision but the goal is to maximize resources and/or effectiveness, not to save a few dollars by eliminating a management position.10. Supervise the installation and maintenance of accounting computer systems and equipment to secure optimum performance. The Controller should also be the one to typically approve all contracts, with the co-authorization of another senior manager.11. Maintain a fiduciary accountability to the company and management. Many large organizations have Controllers reporting to the hotel general manager, but with a dotted line to a corporate officer or other responsible person. This is a system of checks and balances.12. As a member of the hotel executive team, share the professional expectations provided to you from ownership and/or management clearly with all members of the staff. Newcomers to the industry sometimes imagine huge profits when they compare their hourly wage with the rooms’ rates paid by guests. Those of us who have been in the industry for more than just a few years realize that profits and losses go in cycles, and that it is important to share the realities of the cost of doing business at all levels. All staff should understand the total costs of ownership, including support staff such as security, engineering and sales, franchise or royalty fees, management company fees, the concepts of debt service and more. Make those expectations understood, explain the value and rationale to all staff and be certain these expectations can be measured fairly.13. Increase the commitment to training whenever and wherever possible throughout the hotel. Many controllers in the past functioned apart from the operating staff. The successful controller of the future will maintain a required equilibrium with the departments they may be monitoring, but they will also learn to:• More regularly interact with the sales and front office management to obtain accurate forecast of short and long term trends• Better anticipate capital needs and the ROI needed to justify them• Assist the total team by better communication with ownership, management, brand offices and government agencies as appropriate
Published and All rights reserved by John Hogan. Reproduced by Hostec International
10 Tips To Remember When Searching For A Hospitality Job
Friday, April 30th, 2010How Hospitality Technology Increases the Level of Service
Sunday, April 25th, 2010Running a restaurant or business in the service industry is not easy, and one of the more difficult parts of the job is making sure that your customers are receiving the level of service that they deserve. While the pressure is often on the servers and cashiers to try to provide a higher level of service, the most effective way to increase the level of service that customers receive is actually to improve the technology that guides your employees through their jobs.
The effective use of hospitality technology is one of the key factors in providing stellar customer service, since the proper implementation of this technology helps to ensure that key aspects of service are not accidentally forgotten or avoided. Below are a few ways that the implementation of hospitality technology can drastically increase the level of service provided by your restaurant or service establishment.
One of the most basic ways that hospitality technology can increase the level of service offered to customers is the use of a point-of-sale or POS system in your restaurant or establishment. These systems are designed with a touch-screen interface that allows servers or cashiers to simply press the buttons that identify the items being ordered or purchased with new windows opening up if there are additional components that need to be ordered as a part of the initial purchase. This ensures that the cashier or server does not forget anything vital to the order, as it cannot be completed until the appropriate selection has been made.
Making sure that all parts of an order are taken is not the only way that the use of a POS system can help to increase the level of service in your establishment, however. Additional prompts can be placed inside the POS system, giving your employees additional reminders such as reminding them to smile at the customer when they begin taking an order or letting them know current specials for suggestive selling. A well-structured POS system can take all of the guesswork out of order taking, covering every possible angle and suggesting questions to your employees that they may not have thought of on their own.
Another form of hospitality technology that can greatly increase the level of service that your customers receive is computerized hospitality training. This training offers several advantages to standard training techniques within the service industry, which often consist of simply having new employees review an employee manual or by shadowing an existing employee or member of management to learn the job functions that are essential to their position. By using computerized training as a supplement to this type of training, your employees may have the benefit of being able to review videos of the correct way to perform different tasks while being given additional training information. This helps to ensure that each new employee that is hired receives the exact same training, removing any doubt as to whether they have been properly trained in the art of hospitality so that they can better serve the customers.
Related to computerized training, a computerized system can be utilized to offer testing as a prerequisite for advancement or raises. These tests may be integrated into the same training system that is used to provide basic job information in the first place, and can be used to keep track of the scores of employees for easy reference by management. This testing can consist of basic questions in regards to job functions and hospitality issues, presented in a multiple-choice format with one clear answer to each question. A specific percentage of correct answers must be reached in order to pass the test, with the employees receiving instant feedback on how well they performed on the test by the computerized scoring system.
Other forms of hospitality technology can also be integrated easily into your restaurant or establishment, including self-service kiosks, which allow your customers to access some essentials such as condiments and drinks without the need for one of the employees to assist them. Self-service checkout lanes can also be implemented in a number of ways, using a variation of the POS system to allow customers to scan their own items and present payment for them without the need for direct interaction with a cashier at all. It is always important to have a cashier or customer service employee nearby just in case a customer has a problem with the system. The customer may also have special needs that prevent them from using the self-service features effectively; in addition to preventing potential problems with the self-service features, having a trained employee accessible provides yet another increase in the level of service presented to your customers. There are many ways that hospitality technology can be beneficial to your business especially if implemented correctly.
Hospitality and Tourism Management Education – A Path to Your Car
Tuesday, April 13th, 2010If you are thinking to manage a casino, club, restaurant, hotel, or resort seems like an appealing job, a superior hospitality management education would be a worthwhile option and an excellent career move. Hospitality and tourism management is important to those wishing to pursue an occupation in the hospitality field. As a chief necessity, students should be customer-oriented individuals who can work under pressure and stay confident and friendly. Students enrolled in hospitality and tourism management schools or institutes can obtain professional diplomas, associated degrees, certificates, or more advanced degrees, depending on the individual institute. Common courses that are offered in hospitality and tourism management includes hotel and motel management, food and beverage management, resort management, customer service, bartending, marketing and sales, office administration, hotel security management, travel and tourism, event planning, lodging management, human resource, and additional related studies. An education in hospitality and tourism management provides students with vital management skills and knowledge that will qualify them to become general managers, hotel and motel managers, assistant managers, front office managers, F & B managers, convention managers, house keeping manager, and event managers – to name just few related careers. Salaries vary depending on particular occupation and responsibilities, but those with a thorough hospitality and tourism management education and training can expect to earn more salaries approximately between $22,000 and $72,000, depending upon the field of jobs and responsibilities and individual level of education and experience. In India, there are plenty of hospitality management institutes offering hospitality and tourism management course both in 3 years and 4 years degree programme. There are some hotel management institutes in Delhi that offers hospitality management course with international degree of wide renowned universities. These institutes can be easily accessible on the Internet with complete information of courses and fees. IIMT is one such hotel management institute in Delhi, offering hospitality and tourism management course with international degree to give a path to your career.
The Hospitality Career
Thursday, March 11th, 2010Enjoy Nature and Travelling By Being A Travel Guide
Some people are adventurous and outgoing; too adventurous, in fact that they tend to find someone to share the adventures with. More than sharing their adventures, they want to educate people on the places that they have been to. This is the usual last frontier that traveling people face. By offering their services as travel guides, they are not only able to repeatedly travel to places that they have fallen in love to but they can also share their experiences and adventures to other people.
People also resort to travel guide occupations not only to be able to share their adventure but also to meet people. Meeting all sorts of people is always an exhilarating experience, especially to foreigners with an eye for curiosity. These people are like children that never tire to look the beauty and know the history of the places and monuments that they encounter in their travels. In fact, travel guide professionals must have a good deal of knowledge in history to be able to answer the inquiries. He must also be ready to do animations, improvisations and representations in topics or subjects that are very hard to understand for the foreigners.
Aside from this, it is also a sort of nationalistic pride that fires the travel guide professionals to their work. They do their best to promote the tourism and beauty of their country. In doing so, they feel contented that they are able to do service to their country in their own little way as travel guide professionals.
Common Tasks Of Travel Guide Professionals
Travel guide professionals plan and organize expeditions, tours and cruises that are usually long distance travels. They usually book the tour or cruise details such as accommodation, transportation, equipment and even availability of medical aid. The arrangement usually takes place after he is able to reach a specific required quota in the number of customers.
If necessary, the travel guide professional is responsible for securing the visa, passport and health certificate needs of his tour participants. These permits and important; they are necessary to afford convenience in travel for tour participants. Usually, assistance from the travel guide professional is enough for the tour participants. But nowadays, because of the seemingly never-ending travel requirements, travel guides form partnerships with agencies for securing such important documents.
Throughout the tour, the travel guide professional must attend to the needs of his tour participants, while also giving advice and tips on the best sightseeing or shopping areas available. Some travel guide professionals usually have pre-formed partnerships with shopping establishments or sightseeing areas regarding his tour participants.
In each stop of the travel, he will have to discuss the significance of the area, why they have traveled on those parts and what part in history took place there. Throughout the tour, the travel guide professional already did a research on the best possible travel routes and the destination sites. Also, while on tour, he will evaluate the services received during the duration of the tour, the results of which will be reported to the organizers of the tour beside him.
Tours are usually not free from problems. The travel guide professional must be ready to resolve any problem in accommodation, service or itineraries, and to verify the amounts or fees as well as quality of the equipment to be used prior to the expedition and tour. These types of problems, nonetheless, are manageable for a professional travel guide. More alarming and pressing problems are usually in the form of mishaps or accidents during the tour that can do harm on the health or may even cost the lives of the travelers. In this case, the tour guide must be ready to administer first aid to injured patrons and be able to get medical aid or ambulance for the seriously hurt, immediately.
The travel guide professional must also be adept in various skills. He must be knowledgeable of existing hunting or fishing laws enforced in the area and capable of explaining it to his tour participants. When required, he must be ready to instruct his tour participants in climbing and mountaineering techniques, wilderness survival and be able to demonstrate the use of equipment used in fishing, hunting and climbing.
Characteristics Common To Travel Guide Professionals.
Travel guide professionals must be realistic since his occupation usually includes practicality and ability to manage hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with real-time situations that need fast decision-making attitudes. Since the occupation requires one to work continuously outside, the travel guide professional must be street smart and knowledgeable in current issues and trends. He does not do a lot of paperwork and usually exposes himself or herself to the outside world.
A travel guide professional must be artistic as he is realistic. Artistic in a way as to allow self-expression and does his work without a clear set of rules to follow. He needs to be creative in presenting the various tour stops to his participants. He must try different strategies to avoid letting his participants to be bored with the tour.
A travel guide professional must also be sociable and willing to interact with all sorts of people, of various race and nationalities. Primarily, the occupation of travel guide professionals aims to share interests and experiences to other people and so great people skills are required.
Although it is not necessary, travel guide professionals will be at the advantage compared to other individuals if they are knowledgeable in one or two foreign languages. The English language, although being universal is not very helpful in times of explaining the significance of a particular event in history to a foreigner with a different tongue. Speaking to foreigners in their native language will make them at ease and comfortable throughout the trip.
Travel guide professionals must also have thorough knowledge in geography and also in public safety and security. Knowledge in these areas will make the travel guide professional more effective in ensuring the safety of his tour participants. Knowledge in geography will also arm him with better decisions especially in times of weather change. The comfort of the tour participants is the prime objective of the travel guide professional.
Different Resort and Hotel Careers in the Hospitality Industry
Wednesday, March 10th, 2010A concierge is an employee who lives on the premises and serves as a janitor and general caretaker.
In medieval times, the concierge was an officer of the King who was charged with executing justice, with the help of his bailiffs. The term concierge evolved from the French Comte Des Cierge, The Keeper of the Candles, who tended to visiting nobles in castles of the medieval era.
In 19th century and early 20th century apartment buildings, particularly in Paris, the concierge, often a middle-aged woman, had a small apartment on the ground floor and was able to monitor all comings and goings. However, such settings are now extremely rare; most concierges in small or middle-sized buildings have been replaced by the part-time services of janitors. These are less costly and less intrusive.
Some larger apartment buildings or groups of buildings retain the use of a concierge, without the traditional disposition whereas the concierge saw all comings and goings. The concierge may, for instance, keep the mail of absented dwellers; be entrusted with the keys of apartments in cases of emergencies in the absence of the inhabitant; and other services.
In hotels and certain other facilities, a concierge assists guests with various tasks like finding taxicabs, restaurants, and interesting places to visit. In upscale establishments, a concierge is often expected to “achieve the impossible”, dealing with any request a guest may have, no matter how apocryphal or strange, relying on an extensive list of personal contacts with various local merchants and service providers.
Additionally there are private concierge service companies, that cater to individuals or organizations and provide a whole range of services. Typically provided services include travel arrangement, event planning, vacation planning, homewatch management and errand services to name a few. These independent concierges generally charge a fee on top of the cost of the service, to cover their time and expenses.
The owners and operators of concierge and errand service businesses are supported and advocated by the non-profit International Concierge and Errand Association and the National Concierge Association. These associations serve their members through essential resources, continuing education, networking opportunities and other professional endeavors.
Hotel concierge staffs in the US have their own professional association, Les Clefs d’Or. Members can be distinguished by the gold keys they display on their lapels.
Bathroom attendants are workers stationed in a bathroom that provide tap water, soap, towels and an assortment of toiletries. They are a relatively recent phenomenon. Previously confined to extravagant restaurants or bars, bathroom attendants have begun to creep into mainstream society and can be found in moderately priced bars across metropolitan cities.
It is often the case that these bathroom attendants can seem presumptuous, pressuring clientele to accept a spray of aftershave or an array of personal grooming services, in exchange for a tip.
It is thought by some that such services apply implied pressure to offer financial reward for a fairly limited service, and as such have seen the discussion of social etiquette in such situations.
Chef is a term commonly used to refer to an individual who cooks professionally. Within a restaurant however, chef (French for chief or head) is often only used to refer to one person: the one in charge of everyone else in the kitchen. This is usually the Executive Chef. There are many kinds of kitchen organizations, with the titles and duties for each position varying depending on the particular restaurant. In general, the hierarchy in a classical kitchen brigade is as follows:
The Chef de Cuisine’s placement within the kitchen can vary depending on the individual restaurants hierarchy setup. Generally, it is either equivalent to an Executive Chef position, or a position equivalent to a Sous Chef, under the command of an Executive Sous Chef.
The sous chef (pronounced “soo-shef” French for “under chef”) is the direct assistant of the Executive Chef. The Sous Chef often shares some duties with the executive chef, such as menu planning, costing and ordering. Larger kitchens often have more than one sous chef, with each covering a certain shift or having his or her own area of responsibility, such as the banquet sous chef, in charge of all banquets, or the executive sous chef, in charge of all other sous chefs.
Generally done by the sous chef, the expediter serves as the liaison between the customers in the dining room and the line cooks. With the help of proper coordination and timing, they make sure that the food gets to the wait staff in a timely fashion, so that everyone sitting at a particular table is served simultaneously.
A chef de partie, also known as a “station chef” or “line cook”, is in charge of a particular area of production. In large kitchens, each station chef might have several cooks and/or assistants. In most kitchens however, the station chef is the only worker in that department. Line cooks are often divided into a hierarchy of their own, starting with “First Cook”, then “Second Cook”, and so on as needed.
In larger kitchens, each station chef would have cooks and assistants (commis) that help with the particular duties that are assigned to that area. With experience, assistants may be promoted to station cooks and then to station chefs.
A valet or gentleman’s gentleman is a gentleman’s male servant. The valet performs personal services such as maintaining his employer’s clothes, running his bath and perhaps (especially in the past) shaving his employer. In a great house the master of the house had his own valet, in the grandest the same would go for other adult members of the employing family (e.g. master’s sons), at a court even minor princes and high officials may be assigned one, but in a smaller household the butler (the majordomo in charge of the household staff) might have to double as his employer’s valet. In a bachelor’s household the valet might perform light housekeeping duties as well. Valets, like butlers and most specialized domestic staff, have become relatively rare, and a more common, though still infrequent, arrangement is the general servant performing combined roles.
Traditionally, valets did much more than merely lay out clothes and take care of personal items. He was also responsible for making travel arrangements, dealing with any bills and handling all money matters concerning his master or his master’s household.
Hospitality Career Enjoy Nature and Travelling By Being A Travel Guide
Friday, March 5th, 2010Some people are adventurous and outgoing; too adventurous, in fact that they tend to find someone to share the adventures with. More than sharing their adventures, they want to educate people on the places that they have been to. This is the usual last frontier that traveling people face. By offering their services as travel guides, they are not only able to repeatedly travel to places that they have fallen in love to but they can also share their experiences and adventures to other people.
People also resort to travel guide occupations not only to be able to share their adventure but also to meet people. Meeting all sorts of people is always an exhilarating experience, especially to foreigners with an eye for curiosity. These people are like children that never tire to look the beauty and know the history of the places and monuments that they encounter in their travels. In fact, travel guide professionals must have a good deal of knowledge in history to be able to answer the inquiries. He must also be ready to do animations, improvisations and representations in topics or subjects that are very hard to understand for the foreigners.
Aside from this, it is also a sort of nationalistic pride that fires the travel guide professionals to their work. They do their best to promote the tourism and beauty of their country. In doing so, they feel contented that they are able to do service to their country in their own little way as travel guide professionals.
Common Tasks Of Travel Guide Professionals
Travel guide professionals plan and organize expeditions, tours and cruises that are usually long distance travels. They usually book the tour or cruise details such as accommodation, transportation, equipment and even availability of medical aid. The arrangement usually takes place after he is able to reach a specific required quota in the number of customers.
If necessary, the travel guide professional is responsible for securing the visa, passport and health certificate needs of his tour participants. These permits and important; they are necessary to afford convenience in travel for tour participants. Usually, assistance from the travel guide professional is enough for the tour participants. But nowadays, because of the seemingly never-ending travel requirements, travel guides form partnerships with agencies for securing such important documents.
Throughout the tour, the travel guide professional must attend to the needs of his tour participants, while also giving advice and tips on the best sightseeing or shopping areas available. Some travel guide professionals usually have pre-formed partnerships with shopping establishments or sightseeing areas regarding his tour participants.
In each stop of the travel, he will have to discuss the significance of the area, why they have traveled on those parts and what part in history took place there. Throughout the tour, the travel guide professional already did a research on the best possible travel routes and the destination sites. Also, while on tour, he will evaluate the services received during the duration of the tour, the results of which will be reported to the organizers of the tour beside him.
Tours are usually not free from problems. The travel guide professional must be ready to resolve any problem in accommodation, service or itineraries, and to verify the amounts or fees as well as quality of the equipment to be used prior to the expedition and tour. These types of problems, nonetheless, are manageable for a professional travel guide. More alarming and pressing problems are usually in the form of mishaps or accidents during the tour that can do harm on the health or may even cost the lives of the travelers. In this case, the tour guide must be ready to administer first aid to injured patrons and be able to get medical aid or ambulance for the seriously hurt, immediately.
The travel guide professional must also be adept in various skills. He must be knowledgeable of existing hunting or fishing laws enforced in the area and capable of explaining it to his tour participants. When required, he must be ready to instruct his tour participants in climbing and mountaineering techniques, wilderness survival and be able to demonstrate the use of equipment used in fishing, hunting and climbing.
Characteristics Common To Travel Guide Professionals.
Travel guide professionals must be realistic since his occupation usually includes practicality and ability to manage hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with real-time situations that need fast decision-making attitudes. Since the occupation requires one to work continuously outside, the travel guide professional must be street smart and knowledgeable in current issues and trends. He does not do a lot of paperwork and usually exposes himself or herself to the outside world.
A travel guide professional must be artistic as he is realistic. Artistic in a way as to allow self-expression and does his work without a clear set of rules to follow. He needs to be creative in presenting the various tour stops to his participants. He must try different strategies to avoid letting his participants to be bored with the tour.
A travel guide professional must also be sociable and willing to interact with all sorts of people, of various race and nationalities. Primarily, the occupation of travel guide professionals aims to share interests and experiences to other people and so great people skills are required.
Although it is not necessary, travel guide professionals will be at the advantage compared to other individuals if they are knowledgeable in one or two foreign languages. The English language, although being universal is not very helpful in times of explaining the significance of a particular event in history to a foreigner with a different tongue. Speaking to foreigners in their native language will make them at ease and comfortable throughout the trip.
Travel guide professionals must also have thorough knowledge in geography and also in public safety and security. Knowledge in these areas will make the travel guide professional more effective in ensuring the safety of his tour participants. Knowledge in geography will also arm him with better decisions especially in times of weather change. The comfort of the tour participants is the prime objective of the travel guide professional.
Cheap Online College To Study Hospitality Management
Monday, March 1st, 2010Hospitality management forms an integral part of many cities within the United States. Many of these cities spend millions of dollars yearly to ensure that their tourism product keeps ahead of the competition. These tourism products are dependent of the natural and man-made resources available in each city. To efficiently manage these resources and professionally cater form their guest, they need the services of qualified hospitality managers who are trained with all pre-requisite skills needed to succeed in the profession. One of the easiest methods of accessing this training is through the pursuit of one of the many cheap online degrees in hospitality management available online.
Cheap Online Hospitality Management Degrees
The final cost of your hospitality management degree depends on various factors. The cost depends on the level of study, profile of the university and the type of employment assistance rendered to graduating students. An analysis of hospitality management degrees based on level of study revealed:
* Associate Degree in Hospitality Management: The associate degree in hospitality management is an introductory course that exposes students to the basic concepts of hospitality management. During this program, students learn regularly used jargons and definitions and the basic operations of hospitality management. This includes methods of accounts, labor relations, cost control, guest relations and entertainment. On average, online associate degrees in hospitality management take a period of 2 years for completion and cost an average of $7-8000. Payment however can be made monthly.
* Bachelor in Hospitality management: The bachelor in hospitality management is a more in-depth study of the field of hospitality management. Here students delve deep into the various facets that come together for the successful management of a hospitality facility. This includes areas such as cost management, food and beverage management, mediation, lodging management, entertainment and accounts. Most bachelor programs last four years; this however can be reduced through the pursuit of accelerated programs. In general, the bachelor degree in hospitality management requires the completion of 80 to 100 credit hours at an average cost of $60 per credit hour.
* Post Graduate Studies in Hospitality management: At this level, students begin to specialize in specific areas of hospitality management. As a result, studies at this level can be expensive as most of the degree programs take on the form of general management MBA degree programs. During these postgraduate programs, students focus their studies of developing systems that can be implemented to improve hospitality management. As a result the conduct various research and case studies of different types of tourism product and strategies to test their effectiveness and suggest how they can be enhanced. The cost of these post graduate degrees in hospitality management can range from $50,000 to $100,000 based on the profile of the university.
Cheap Online Universities for Hospitality Management
Various online universities try to provide cheap alternatives to students who want to pursue a degree in hospitality management. Although their prices may be below average, students still receive the same high quality education received from name brand colleges. Often, these cheap prices are made possible through donations from industry players and government sponsorships. Some of these universities include:
* University of Phoenix
* Columbia Southern University
* Strayer University
* Ashford University
* The Art Institute of Pittsburgh
