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During this frenetic party season we are pampered by the efficient men and women of the hospitality industry. Every hotel and restaurant is buzzing with activity and people are spending their leisure time, eating, drinking and making merry. Thousands are also travelling to holiday locations, which also means more places to stay and to eat. Not surprising then, that the Indian hospitality industry is on the fast track. Although most hotel accommodation in India is situated in the metro cities and urban areas, with the growth of tourism there are now resorts of all kinds all over the country, and greater awareness of the standards required for travelers to enjoy a comfortable stay wherever they may wish to go. This has opened avenues not only in the management of hotels, but in the wider sphere of hospitality itself, encompassing food and beverage services, restuaranting, pubs, fast food outlets, and the entire gamut of travel services.
General Operations: The main responsibilities of this department include: supervision, co-ordination and administration of all other departments as well as overall financial control. Front Office: It is the centre of all activities at hotels. Major tasks performed here include: providing information, making room reservations and taking care of check-ins and check-outs, besides the duties performed by the Personnel Department of any company. Situated in the reception / lobby area, it is the guest’s first contact with the hotel, and so handling of customers and their needs is the primary responsibility. Sales and Marketing: This is possibly the most important department as it keeps in touch with potential clients of all kinds. Making sure their needs are met, and ensuring that they return for further servicing. Advertising and Public Relations is also normally handled by this department. Food and Beverage: This department is the hub of the hospitality industry and is responsible for all the food that is prepared and served. Depending on the size of the organization or outlet, the work is generally handled by Food & Beverage Manager and assistants who plan, manage, organize and control all the activities of the kitchen and food service outlets. Chefs who prepare, and supervise the preparation and service of food, and give directions on menus, budgets and standards of food production. Housekeeping: Where accommodation is also provided, the housekeeping department has to make sure that all rooms are kept in order and all the needs of the guests are met. The job entails maintenance, arrangement and decoration of hotel interiors. The housekeeping department also supervises the work of floor supervisors, room maids and attendants, chamber boys and maids (cleaners), linen in-charges who work in shifts, round the clock to ensure immaculate service for the guests. Checking in Due to the specialised nature of the work, training is essential. A degree or diploma in hotel management normally provides the overall training for any area of the hospitality industry. There are 20 institutes providing training in hotel management under the National Council of Hotel Management, and several institutes run by hotel chains and private institutes. The most sought after are the courses run by reputed hotel chains, the Oberoi Centre for Learning and Development at Delhi, the Taj group’s Indian Institute of Hotel Management (IIHM) at Aurangabad and the Welcomgroup Graduate Hotel Management School in Manipal. Training programmes are of two types 1. The degree/ diploma level, three- four year Hotel Management programmes, which prepare candidates for careers as Managers in the various professional areas of a hotel. (Eligibility criteria: plus two with English; min 50 pc marks (aggregate).) The Oberoi Centre for Learning & Development also offers a special apprenticeship programme (STEP) that enables students to learn and earn while training. The Welcomgroup programme also trains those interested in chef and kitchen training. 2. The apprenticeship programme or short-term courses offered by the Food Crafts Institutes. (Eligibility criteria: Class X/XII.) There are also the postgraduate programmes offered by some hotels and Polytechnics that are open to graduates in all disciplines. The selection process for all institutes of Hotel Management includes a written test and an interview. The interview is conducted to evaluate your personality, confidence, and ability to handle customers and a life in this industry. What is required is a good personality, a desire of meeting people, good communication skills, and an ability to deal with all kinds of people. You will also be expected to have a sense of service, and a willingness to put yourself out for others. So you must be prepared for such a lifestyle. The other route for a career in the hospitality industry is to join a foodcraft institute after Class X or XII. Such institutes exist in many States and provide training in different aspects of hoteliering. Courses are generally 6-18 months long and various craft-level courses in catering, food and beverage service, house-keeping and others, are offered. Placement prospects Most job placements take place while training, as all hotel chains, both large and small, require trained professionals. There are also jobs in restaurants and fast-food outlets and catering establishments of airlines, railways, the defence services, shipping companies, hospitals, and industrial canteens. Airlines also prefer to take on Cabin crew, as air hostesses and flight pursers, those who have been trained in hotel management. Those looking at entrepreneurial ventures can open up small hotels, restaurants, fast food outlets, bakeries, and so on, or take on catering on a contractual basis for various organizations like hospitals, factories, etc. Catering for private parties is also catching on as a favoured career avenue. After some years of experience, you can consider Hotel consultancy services for new ventures, or assignments with companies grading and evaluating hotels. Moreover, there are increasing job opportunities in hotels, and catering establishments abroad too. Those who have completed training from the Foodcraft institutes can join a hotel at a junior level and reach a supervisory level in 6-7 years. In addition many hotels also take on apprentices who have completed Class XII and train them for jobs as cooking assistants. If you are keen on a career in the Hotel Industry, you must be prepared for long hours, and physically taxing work. The greatest demand for services is often during holiday time, so you may be working, while others are merrymaking. But there is the joy and satisfaction of providing the best to a guest and making him comfortable, providing services which may go beyond the ordinary. If you are able to do this, you will go far in the hospitality industry. And remember, this career also gives you the opportunity to travel and to meet all kinds of successful and famous people. Training talk Prominent institutions: lInstitute of Hotel Management, Catering Technology and Applied Nutrition, Pusa Road, New Delhi. The institute has 19 branches in all, located in Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Bhopal, Bhubaneshwar, Calcutta, Chandigarh, Chennai, Goa, Gurdaspur, Guwahati, Gwalior, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Lucknow, Meerut, Mumbai, Shimla, Srinagar and Thiruvananthapuram. lIndian Institute of Hotel Management (run by the Taj Group of Hotels), Aurangabad. lThe Welcomgroup Graduate School of Hotel Management, Valley View Hotel, Manipal, Karnataka. lThe Oberoi Centre for Lesarning and Development, Delhi. lMerit-Swiss Asian School of Hotel Management, Monteith Road, Chennai lThe Academy of Culinary Education, Cidade de Goa, Panaji, Goa. lFood Craft Institutes in New Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, Chandigarh, Guwahati, Gwalior, Bhubaneshwar, Bangalore, Bhopal, Shimla. Aligarh, Tiruchirapalli, Alwaye (Kerala), and Vishakapatnam. The writer is a noted career expert
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Work in the hospitality area involves ensuring that all operations within a service outlet, including accommodation, food and drink run smoothly. The main areas of work include – General Operations, Front Office, Sales and Marketing, Food and Beverage, and Housekeeping.
