There are many students intending to join Hospitality Studies in the country or abroad. For some students studying Hotel or Hospitality Management is their own choice and priority but for some it is compulsion due to pressure from peer group, family members, career counseling from course facilitators, etc. Likewise, hospitality schools are also mushrooming & the youngsters are in dilemma to decide on a suitable school/college for them. Some are after University name, some are after foreign degree in Nepal & some do not have any idea at all & they join whichever they find convenient or cheaper, or join a particular school for simple reason that somebody counseled so that they join the particular school, etc. So, before taking up this course, student should do their self- assessment & take the decision rather than getting influenced by others.
Self-Assessment is Important
It is important to know strength, weakness of self, and then match to the requirement of the course and industry, this is often very difficult to analyze. Take help from parents or teachers for self- assessment. If you have some weaknesses then discuss & define how you deal to overcome them.
For some of you, you may feel that the status of work might be below what you are used to at home. Moreover, you might not be comfortable or suited to mundane task such as cleaning and serving. Lastly, your parents might feel that it could be shameful or a ‘lost of face’ by having you working at such a low-level entry position, due to societal reasons.
The perception of the industry plays important deciding factors whether to choose the hotel/ hospitality management course. Educational level and potential to obtain a higher educational qualification, experience from previous work or stays in a hotel, the background of an individual, and individual’s outlook of life also become the reasons of choosing a hotel career for a global student. Apart from these, the thought of easily available job placement is another major reason for majority of Nepalese students to opt for this course.
Know-How about Lecturers
Educators play an important role in influencing the future career of students. Academic leaders and educators are charged with the mantle of developing change within the industry. Look for such hospitality institution which ensures prospective lecturers to have the relevant knowledge, subject understanding and have placed strict criteria in the hiring for such positions. Minimum requirement to teach hospitality courses would be a degree from a recognized university (preferable a Masters Degree) and at least three years of managerial experience in a related field in the industry.
However, there are certain drawbacks to this, as many experienced hospitality and tourism practitioners do not have a degree or a formal education. As practitioners continue to advance in their career, many may not wish to transfer to an educational institution, considering the increase in wages, benefits and perks that they are receiving from the industry. Hence many educational institutions are left with either academic staff that do not have the skills due to inexperience or staff that have left the industry for too long. Now, it would be wise for students to ask for the core hotel management subjects’ course facilitators’ industry & teaching experience.
Academic Curriculum
Curriculum development is of vital importance to bridge the gap between what is desired by the industry and what is given to the students to study. The curriculum must be realistic in terms of practicum, from an industrial standpoint and also from an academic perspective in acquiring concepts and theories. Students enquiring for a course may not have the detailed idea about the course requirements; definitely he/she can collect the course of study of majority of the hotel schools and conduct a comparison.
Typical hotel schools must address the needs of the industry and focus on developing students who will stay and work in the line as managers in the future. The development of curriculum should be pegged to industrial standards and reviewed through competencies grids and analysis. The curriculum must also enhance greater interest as the student progress through the years. Many hotel schools have adopted different pedagogies of teaching ranging from lectures, tutorials, discussions; problem-based learning, etc and majority fail to offer the same.
Internships
Many hotel schools offer six months or one year internship. Students are sent to hotels in the home country or overseas for better exposure to the industry. However, internships are sometimes less rewarding. The reasons that most students in hotel schools have little practical knowledge of the industry, and on the other hand most students’ expectations are not met during their internship. So, students are required to check on the internship placement and if possible meet the currently enrolled students to check on the industry placement situation of the college. Moreover, many students take internship as the tenure to earn money rather than learn further skills. There are students going abroad for internships paying hefty amount to the internship agents and coordinators, but are being placed to replace the lowest positioned staff in the hotel, ultimately making the student eligible to enter in a specific entry level position in the hotel industry. We have observed that internship in home country is more rewarding in terms of learning opportunity for many students rather than going for internship abroad.
Facilities and Resources
Industrial practitioners look at three aspects of students when hiring and evaluating candidates. Hotel management students are more sought-after as compared to other general business graduates. These aspects are Attitude, Skills & Knowledge. On the note of skills, these aspects can only be acquired if the educational institution has the resources to train the students so that they have the capability to work in the industry and to sustain continued interest. Hotel schools in Nepal need to invest heavily in finances to develop the infrastructure and facilities for their students.
Programs such as ‘Opera’ (a Property Management System), ‘Micros’ (Food and Beverage Point of Sales), and Abacus (Global Distribution System) should be used to train students. Libraries with available online database system also help to facilitate hotel management students’ learning, knowledge acquisition and further interest. Libraries, with online electronic databases are available in some good hotel schools. In terms of skills practicum and acquisitions, hotel school should have laboratories such as training restaurants, kitchen, and mock-up hotel rooms for students to practice hand-on sessions. Hotel Management Students looking for good hotel school should never go after “Bigger is Better”, but to one important point; does the school provide adequate practical in the laboratory & enough opportunity to use the available equipment in the lab?
Links to the Industry
It is generally noted that education institutions that have greater ties with the industry might be able to garner more support and interest amongst students. Linkages to the industry would imply guest speakers during lectures, forums, participation in seminars, assisting in specific hospitality and tourism related events. These forms of activities, which give students the ability to interact with industrial practitioners and work specifically at the site of the operations, can provide an authentic experience. They will also have opportunity to gain firsthand experience, by putting theories into action. Students will also be able to learn about the hospitality and tourism trade, which is not taught within the confines of an educational institution and framework, such as dealing with superiors and politics.
Graduates Placement Services
Getting a placement services for BHM students through campus interview or placement cell in the college would be an additional advantage for a graduating student. Every college would claim that they have good curriculum and good practical exposure, but students while choosing a suitable college should also look for the track record of the BHM college on placement services from the college for graduating students.
Pros & Cons of Hospitality Career
As per one research, about 25% hotel management graduates do not work in the hotel industry due to low job satisfaction, poor working conditions and lack of motivating factors. On the other hand, many graduates like certain aspects of the trade, i.e. having a challenging, interdependence and rewarding work; professional and public contacts; fast pace and dynamic environment.
Some graduates dislike factors such as long hours, night and weekend schedule; low pay; stressful environment; demanding duties; no personal time and quality of life; lack of advancement and recognition; company politics; labor shortages, poorly trained staff and lack of motivation from employees, managers and working peers’ attitudes.
There are pros and cons of every course, but definitely for those 25% graduates who do not join hotel industry will definitely have chances of good placement in public relation, customer service, human resource development areas of other industry §ors.
In conclusion, the hotel industry is a pretty interesting and pleasant domain to get involved in. As any other job, it has its ups and downs, and that’s the great part of it: there is always place for innovation and there will always be innovators. So, choose hotel management wisely, if you are choosing hotel management, choose a good BHM college like Gateway College of Professional Studies for you.