You have invested thousands of dollars, between two and four years of your life studying hospitality management – and now this!
In the middle of the pandemic, many hospitality school students around the world are questioning their choice of career. What does the future of travel and tourism look like, along with the job market of the world’s largest employer?
Rocco Bova is general manager of Chablé Yucatán in Mexico.
I will turn 50 this year and “generally” I am considered old. Yet, I have the most positive mindset and am busier than ever, working on many projects, connecting with new people in the industry (when I thought that having over 40,000 connections on Linkedin was a lot) and discovering new possibilities.
I cannot lie to you that the first two weeks after the closure of the resort I manage were daunting and depressing. I fell into a negative pattern and was not able to see clarity.
But then I thought, if I continue this way, where would I go? I switched my mindset into a positive one, started to watch inspiring videos of leaders from the industry (one person that really inspired me the most is Sebastien Bazin, Accor’s CEO) and participated in webinars that gave me an understanding of the situation around the world.
This gave me strength and clarity, and with the help of some wellness (I started to exercise daily instead of two to three a week), my mind was sharper and I started to focus on what really mattered.
I now am an active board member of GSN Planet, a nonprofit that helps wellness-focused businesses become more sustainable (https://gsnplanet.org/); ambassador for Latin America for the Hoteliers Guild, a nonprofit community sharing knowledge on sustainable tourism and travel (http://www.selectedhotels.biz/v2/category/blog/); ambassador for the World Wellness Weekend in Mexico, a yearly event and a community promoting health, wellness and wellbeing around the world (its most recent event was earlier this month); (https://www.world-wellness-weekend.org/) and I manage seven personal and professional social media channels. Oh, and I have a full-time job and a family.
How do you start?
To begin with, I can tell you not to worry. Start working on your resilience. There is no better time than now to hone this skill. The power of resilience can take you through these challenging times and help you survive even the toughest storms. This is how some people conquered the highest summits and went all the way to the moon. Through resilience, anything can be accomplished.
Now let’s get into the reality and see what options you have in case you feel that your studies were a total waste of time and hospitality might take a longer-than-expected break.
The following areas should have been covered in some form or shape during the course of your studies. If necessary your school can assist you with additional, more specific courses. Remember that learning never stops.
Real estate management
In recent years, there has been an increased demand for hospitality-inspired real estate. The hospitality industry is not restricted to just hotels, whether it’s office, residential or retail properties. Everything has shifted to an experience-driven market. Co-living and co-working spaces, commercial real estate and mixed-use developments, will evolve and continue to thrive in the future.
UHNI (ultra-high-networth individuals)
This is something I discovered only recently. There are a lot of very wealthy families that need household or estate managers. These homes and residences are often managed like a small hotel with housekeeping, gardeners, maintenance, chefs and service staff. It’s basically like a hotel but you have no paying customers and you don’t have to make money, only manage expenses and ensure an impeccable and efficient service for the family and their guests. It’s not impossible that your employer might also be a hotel owner and in the future employ you as an asset manager.
Teaching in a hotel school
You don’t have to be over 50 or retired to get into teaching. There is lot an older student can teach to a younger one, and the education will never stop. Even better, if it goes online, as many predict, it will allow you to do multiple jobs or keep learning while you earn money and experience. Honing this skill can help you get into corporate HR, learning and development.
Senior living – luxury medical services
Hospitality leaders are making a notable impact on senior living and private health clinics. After the pandemic, there could be even more opportunities for senior housing or private hospitals to take cues from hotel leaders.
Everyone is on lockdown. The last thing health care operators want is an industrial establishment that is driving their residents away. Comfort and safety is everything. Hotel professionals are well-versed in the art of bringing a high-quality experience to establishments. While the residents are not temporary guests, the business model is similar, making for an easy transition.
HR, sales and marketing, and finance
Every large company in the world has human resources, sales and marketing, and finance departments. A P&L account does not change much whether you work in a hotel or a pharmacy. The process of selling and marketing a product or service does not change, irrespective of the industry, and neither does HR. As you have been exposed to basically all areas of the hotel operation and administration, these are other opportunities open for you in other industries.
Starting your own business
Millennials and Gen Z are known to be the most inclined to be entrepreneurs and not just employees. So, if you are looking to make that dream happen, start working on your business plan, gather funds and begin the groundwork of what it could be the next biggest trend.
These are some options you can choose from while waiting for the economy to return. While one should remain open and flexible to adapt to a new normality, prepare for when things bounce back. The hospitality industry will remain among the most glamorous, and the need for skilled hospitality workers will be so high that if you are not in the best 1%, you will miss the train. I am not losing a moment and hope you are not, either.