WHAT IS THERE TO DO WITH A HOSPITALITY DEGREE?

What is there to do with a Hospitality Degree?

Ellie Cirovski

Florida State University

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Abstract

This research paper is about a few topics surrounding the hospitality field. The

overarching theme is “What is there to do with a Hospitality Degree?” It explores the different

career paths, the desired skill set, if an actual hospitality degree is valuable, and the versatility of

the industry. It starts off with an “imagine” story to explain why I am researching this industry

and why I am so interested in being a part of it. It then shifts gear to explain the options within

the hotel business and event planning business. After learning all of the options, it explains many

of the skills that lead to having a successful career in this industry. We then look into how

versatile and valued these skills are in general. I compare what the school systems have taught

about what skills are valued in the work-force versus what I have learned. Finally, the question is

answered, “What is there to do with a hospitality degree?”

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What is there to do with a Hospitality Degree?

Imagine you are having a terrible day: let us say you woke up late for a flight, did not

have enough time to eat breakfast, spilled hot coffee on your brand new pants, and the airline lost

your bag. I would be in a pretty bad mood too. Now, imagine when you get to your hotel you are

greeted with enthusiasm, care, and a big smile. Would that impact your day? Personally, I would

be in a better mood. Something as simple as smiling at someone or being polite can have a huge

impact on people’s overall well being and what they put out to the rest of the world. It is like a

domino falling on another, except with positivity! This is what I strive to do with my life, as of

now. I am aware that spreading happiness may not be an actual career path. However, I will

pursue this passion by majoring in hospitality. Due to my curiosity of potential options in this

business, I have carefully conducted research about what I can do with this degree.

One option in the hospitality field is the hotel business. This is the most popular career

path within this field. The first option within the hotel business is Guest Relations, according to

Kent State University (2020), it “is a customer-service oriented sector for those who like to

interact and work with people” (p. 1). This section of the hotel industry includes the Front Office

Manager, Directors of Housekeeping, and the Sommelier. Each of these jobs require leadership

and must be very sociable people that truly want to please their guests. The second option within

the hotel business is the Food and Beverage, according to Kent State University (2020), it is

“divided into two major segments: production and the distribution of edible goods. Related to

hospitality, food and beverage occupations can be found in settings such as restaurants,

breweries, event centers, and more” (p. 1). This option includes the Restaurant Manager, the

Catering Assistant, and the Sous Chef. These jobs are less focused on being sociable because

they indirectly impact their guests. As cool as all these jobs sound, there are some downfalls.
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Being in this business means that you will be working not the most ideal hours. The hours people

are mainly spending at hotels are their “off hours,” which means weekends, holidays, and late

night shifts are common. Another downside is having to keep your energy up all of the time,

there is no break because you are always serving people; their experience has a direct result on

the success of the hotel. It is a true skill to be able to put a smile on your face, disregarding how

you actually feel, for others.

To get to know the hotel business a little better, I interviewed Lydia Hanks, an associate

professor at The Dedman School of Hospitality at Florida State University. Before becoming an

associate professor for a nationally ranked hospitality program, she worked at several impressive

hotel companies for many years, including Benchmark Hospitality, Quorum Hotels, Marriott,

and Ritz-Carlton. According to Hanks, this industry had a huge effect on her lifestyle, “I was

working nights, weekends, and holidays all the time, and in order to advance my career, I have to

move a lot. It was very hard to have a life or any stability.” On her path, she worked as a spa

director for each of these hotels. Working as Spa director is typically part of the leisure and

entertainment side of hotels, usually in resorts. Being a Spa director, you typically oversee

appointments, inventory, and have many good connections to everyone in the management

system.

Another career route for someone with a hospitality degree is the event management

field. This is one of the less popular ways for someone to go when obtaining this type of degree,

however, it is still very similar to the hotel business in many ways. A few examples of jobs

someone could have in event management are In-House Event Planners, Conference Organizers,

and Bridal Consultants. According to Kent State University (2020), these jobs involve “hands-on

organization and interaction. Traits of successful professionals with jobs in event planning may
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include being flexible, working within a budget, and having a propensity for multitasking” (p. 1).

Along with the hotel business, these work hours are not completely ideal. Individuals typically

need to hold events, such as banquets, conferences, celebrations, and weddings at times when the

most people are available; meaning everyone else’s off time. Once again, holidays, weekends,

and late nights will probably be occupied for a long time to achieve success.

To further my knowledge of the event management career path of hospitality, I

interviewed Leah Linke, the Senior Vice President of events at the well known company Kreate

Events, originally based in El Segundo, California. Linke has some very impressive experience

working as a Protocol Manager for the World Cup USA, the director of events at PPW Inc., and

the Vice President of Project Management at Kreate Events. Her career is more sports events

focused, which is not the typical route of someone with a hospitality degree. However, her day to

day life is very similar and exciting. According to Linke, “Producing live events as a whole is

challenging because there is so much that goes into it. And events are always affected by current

environmental factors that are outside of your control.” For example, when COVID-19 hit, live

and in person events took a sharp turn for safety reasons. Event planners everywhere had to get

creative for the sake of many’s jobs. Many large celebrations and events had to switch to zoom

video calls, socially distanced gatherings, and some things just got outright cancelled. As a

result, being an event planner requires you to always be on your toes and be aware of your

surroundings.

After learning about the many options I have after graduating with a degree in hospitality,

I was curious about the skills that would separate me and lead to success. According to Grit

(2018), some of the most important strengths include always having a positive and optimistic

attitude, an “eye for aesthetics,” “dedication,” “time management,” “organization,” “the ability to
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work under pressure,” “leadership,” “communication,” and “attention to detail” (p.1). In

addition, according to Linke, you must be comfortable “saying no with a smile on your face.”

These skills and characteristics can and will set apart an exceptional worker from the rest.

Standing out in your workplace from day one is what will really put your path to success on the

fast track. None of the listed skills are skills that anyone is born with, it shines through when the

individual is dedicated and driven to learning and pleasing their clients. However, the most

important quality is a positive attitude. The hospitality industry is highly focused on their clients’

and guests' experience. If an employee treats you with disrespect, how likely are you to come

back? How likely are you to recommend it to a friend, or leave a good review? Not very likely.

There is a direct relationship between your attitude and the amount of business you aquire. The

way you approach and handle challenges matters, staying calm, collected, and positive can

improve overall success. You truly have to be passionate about what you do every day and

employ the valued hospitable skills to consistently climb the ladder to success.

The skills that are needed in the hospitality field are quite different than the skills needed

in other industries. The school systems have taught for years that how smart you are in certain

core subjects will determine your success, hence the SAT. However, sometimes people’s skill

sets lie elsewhere, as much as hospitable skills are not valued in school systems, are they valued

in the workforce? How easy or difficult would it be for someone with a hospitality degree to get

a job outside of the hospitality industry? According to Hanks, skills learned while studying

hospitality, such as “flexibility, good work ethic, a willingness to learn, and a desire to please

customers... are highly valued in any industry.” With this being said, it shouldn’t be too hard for

someone to switch career paths. This major is a pretty broad study of skills that are valued in

many industries in the workforce today. As much as your skill set on paper matters in an
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interview, what actually determines your success according to Linke, is if you are really good at

your job. Experience, passion, and good work speaks louder than any degree, course, or test

score.

On the other hand, one may say that a hospitality degree is not that helpful, broad, or

necessary to entering any field. According to Throngprasertchai (2019), many people who hold

the title of General Manager just have business degrees and they do just as well, or even better.

The job of being a General Manager for a hotel is highly sought after and prestigious. With this

being said, if I want to shoot higher and become more successful, a management or business

degree may give me the same skills. There is a perception that having a degree in business is

more versatile. In addition, many employers look more at the experience working in hospitality

rather than their courses taken on it. Nonetheless, it can not hurt to have a hospitality degree. The

hospitality business is not close minded, a business degree or management degree can also lead

to the successful places of this industry. One is no better or worse than the other. Overall, it

seems as if the degree part of getting a job in hospitality doesn’t seem that important, but the

experience, time, and effort put forth does.

Being a student in a system where skills such as math and science are valued has

rendered the perception of what is actually valued in the real world. Many people would argue

that your standardized test scores and years of education would predict your success. However,

they are wrong; skills such as having a positive attitude, and an eye for aesthetics can also make

their way to the top. Whether it be a hospitality degree or a degree of any sorts, there are plenty

of options for employment with this type of skill set. No matter what happens, pursuing the

hotel business, entertainment, or event planning, success is not based on a number or a degree

anymore; it is based on drive. Through this research, the discovery has been made that to set
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yourself apart in this industry there are certain skills you must employ and experiences you must

experience, not just a degree. These “soft” skills in the workforce are valued just as much as

other skills, aside from what the school system has been enforcing. If I wanted to switch my

career, a hospitality degree would not hold me back from getting a job in a different field; of

course with limitations. For example, one probably cannot become a brain surgeon with just a

hospitality degree; however, one will not be trapped or feel closed off from earning this degree.

Your overall success in the work field is defined by your passion for what you do each day. So

the next time I wake up late for my flight and spill hot coffee on my brand new pants, I will be

reminded of why I am studying hospitality; so that I can be the person that smiles and makes it

all better.
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Works Cited

Grit, T. (2018, November 30). The 10 most important strengths for success in the

hospitality industry. 2020, from https://www.blog.grithp.com/post/the-10-most-

important-strengths-for-success-in-the-hospitality-industry

Hanks, Lydia. Personal Interview

Kent State University. (2020). 15 Potential Jobs You Can Get with a Hospitality

Management Degree. 2020, from https://www.kent.edu/ehhs/fla/hm/15-potential-jobs

Linke, Leah. Personal Interview

Throngprasertchai, T. (2019, September 30). Is a Hospitality Degree Worth It?

https://hotelintel.co/is-a-hospitality-degree-worth-it/