Advancing Your Hospitality Career

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You landed a job at the hotel you admire, but now it's time to move up the ladder. Time to pull out all the stops and commit yourself to a promotion.

Some things to keep in mind:

Pleasing Guests is Job 1. If you're in the middle of a task, and you sense a guest needs help, stop and help him or her without hesitation. Remember, in hospitality, the primary focus is always on delivering the finest customer service.

Add a certification to your resume. The Educational Institute of American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute offers many certifications for professionals working in hotel and hospitality. These certifications include Certified Hotel Administrator (CHA), Certified Gaming Supervisor (CGS), Certified Hospitality Trainer (CHT) and many others. Certifications reinforce your knowledge and commitment to the hospitality industry and look great on your resume. Some hotels have even been known to cover your certification expenses.

Volunteer more. Be there to cover last minute changes or emergencies. Even the most mundane jobs done in the spirit of volunteerism will earn you extra points. Just knowing that you'll be there when your manager needs you can be a real comfort and place your name at the top of the promotions list.

Be On Time. Hotel and hospitality managers run a tight ship and admire employees who are always on time. The best hospitality organizations are models of efficiency, running like clockwork without skipping a beat when the staff changes shifts. For extra points, be a few minutes early every day.

Be a problem solver. Hospitality managers love the "go to" person who can think on their feet and solve problems as they arise. It shows skill and initiative—two traits managers look for when promoting personnel.

For a closer look at leadership in the hospitality industry, take a look at Growing Hospitality Leaders.

For more information on hospitality jobs, check out:

Alex A. Kecskes has written hundreds of published articles on health/fitness, "green" issues, TV/film entertainment, restaurant reviews and many other topics. As a former Andy/Belding/One Show ad agency copywriter, he also writes web content, ads, brochures, sales letters, mailers and scripts for national B2B and B2C clients.
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