It all boils down to passion

Culinary Cult

As a vast, dynamic and growing industry, hospitality provides tremendous opportunities for ambitious students who enjoy working with people. The hospitality industry operates in a highly competitive environment. It is important that those seeking careers as professionals develop a strong business foundation and customer service skills.

The hospitality sector in India has come a long way. With the help of the government and all other stakeholders, including hotel owners, resort managers, tour and travel operators and employees who work in the sector, the Indian hospitality industry has gained a level of acceptance world over.  With unlimited tourism and untapped business prospects, in the coming years Indian hospitality is seeing green pastures of growth.

Availability of qualified human resources and untapped geographical resources give great prospects to the hospitality industry. The number of tourists coming to India is growing year on year. Likewise, internal tourism is another area with great potentials. However, youngsters opting for careers in the hospitality sector have to go through a rigorous training programme to be able to meet the challenges in this sector.

Courses

You can pursue different courses depending on your interest and qualification. Some of these courses are Diploma in Bakery and Confectionery, Diploma in House Keeping, Diploma in Front Office Management, Diploma in Food and Beverage Service, Diploma in Food Production, Certificate Course in Hotel and Catering Management, Craftsmanship Course in Food and Beverage Service, Craftsmanship Course in Food Production, Post Graduate Diploma in Dietetics and Hospital Food Service, Post Graduate Diploma in Accommodation Operation and Management, MSc in Hospitality Administration etc. A degree in hospitality administration is much more than a degree in hotel management.

Career prospects

After completing a course in hospitality, you can specialise in the field and work as catering officer or chef in hotels, customer relations executive, management trainee, marketing/ sales executive or work in the field of kitchen management/ housekeeping management.

You can also join as an executive in tourism development centres and resort properties, or as a lecturer in hotel management institutes and food craft institutes, or as cabin crew in national and international airlines.

Remuneration

Excellent scope for career development, good salary and perks, opportunities to travel and meet exciting people are some of the factors which make this a rewarding sector.
As an executive trainee or management trainee you can earn Rs 5,000-7,000 a month. If you know your spices, then you could work in the kitchen, where the growth can be very exciting. An executive chef in a 5-star hotel earns about Rs 60,000 plus perks a month.

If good money is what you are looking for, then hotel management is a profession you won’t regret choosing. The general manager of an average hotel earns anything between Rs 10,000-15,000 a month, while someone working for a five-star hotel could earn Rs 25,000-60,000 or even more.

The approximate earnings of some other positions are as follows: Food & Beverage Manager: Rs 8,000-20,000, Front Office Manager: Rs 6,000-20,000, Lobby managers: Rs 4,000-12,000, Executive Chef: Rs 8,000-60,000, Executive House- keepers: Rs 14,000-40,000, Asst. Housekeeper: Rs 8,000-16,000, Pantry Supervisors: Rs 7,500-12,500.

The money in jobs on a cruise liner is even more attractive.  Career mobility is very fast in the hotel industry for dynamic, energetic and diplomatic professionals. Movement up the organisational hierarchy is merit-based.

There are plenty of job opportunities in the hospitality industry. Depending on your skills and area of interest you can choose to become a restaurant manager, food and beverage manager, front office manager, executive chef, executive housekeeper, cabin crew manager or general manager.

You can also find a job in industrial canteens and corporate guesthouses, airline companies as cabin crew and customer service executives, in flight kitchens, in the merchant navy and in the catering department of luxury ships, or in the catering units of the railways.

You could also work as a quality inspector for commercial canning in quick-freezing stations or packaging plants for the domestic and export market.  There are some industrial houses which handle large-scale scientific cultivation of fruits and vegetables. Opportunities exist here too.

Eligibility

* For 1-year diploma: Class 10 or Class 12 pass with minimum aggregate performance of 50 per cent.

* For 3- or 4-year bachelor degree programme: Class 12 or equivalent pass with a minimum 50 per cent.

* For 2-year PG Diploma: The applicant must be a graduate of any stream.

* MSc in Hospitality Administration: BSc in Hospitality Administration.

* Certificate courses: 10+2 or equivalent.

The selection process includes an entrance test followed by group discussion and personal interview. Courses in hospitality administration can be pursued at the undergraduate level as well as post-graduate level. Apart from the undergraduate and post graduate courses, some institutes also offer certificate/ diploma courses in hospitality administration.

* Duration of certificate courses is six months to one year.

* Bachelor and diploma courses are of one-and-a-half to three years duration.

* With graduation you can sign up for post graduate diploma courses.

Hospitality administration is a holistic course catering to all the aspects of the hospitality industry.  The course contains a gamut of lessons which enhances the overall development of the student to excel in the field of hospitality.

The course enables a student to assess his skills, his areas of expertise and choose a career he wants to pursue. Even if the student is confused before choosing this course, the teaching from this course gives enough opportunity to the student to make a career choice according to his aptitude and interest.

With an increasing number of international hotel chains coming to India in search of greener pastures, a course in hospitality administration is sure to prove useful. It not only opens doors for the students to be a part of international hotel chains in India but also search for avenues abroad.

Where to study

* Institute of Hotel Management, Catering and Nutrition, Pusa Road, New Delhi. Offers degree and diploma courses in Hospitality Administration, Bakery & Confectionery, etc. Contact: [phone], 25840147.

* International Institute of Hotel Management, Kolkata. Offers degree and diploma courses in Hospitality Administration. Contact: International Tower, X-1/3, Block - EP, Sector V, Salt Lake Electronics Complex, Kolkata-700091.

*IILM, Gurgaon. Offers degree course in Hospitality Administration. Contact: Gurgaon Campus, DLF Golf Course Road, Gurgaon. Ph: [phone].