If you want an exciting career that makes a difference in people’s lives, a hospitality career could be just the occupation for which you are looking, especially if it is also important that the training costs are affordable and there are long-term job opportunities and advancement prospects.

The hospitality industry goes hand-in-hand with the tourism industry, and you can train for both at the same time. Tourism in BC is a growing, dynamic industry, and a major generator of increased revenue for the province. Each year, there are many more international visitors resulting in many more job opportunities for people in the hospitality and tourism fields.

In the hospitality industry, it is essential that you feel comfortable providing the warmth and caring service that is so important to your clients, and that your emotional engagement will invite the repeat bookings and purchases so important to your employers.

Here are Five Reasons That Make Hospitality a Great Career Choice

1. You Make People Feel Happy and Comfortable

The hospitality industry revolves around the ability of service people to make guests and clients feel special, satisfied, and happy. When you are in a position to make the day brighter and better for people because you anticipate, fulfill, and go beyond their expectations, your job and your life are also enriched.

Do you care about people? Do you want to make them smile? If so, you will love the hospitality industry, which is all about making experiences for people better and more satisfying, and is a chance to be creative in providing services for your customers.

2. There is Job Flexibility and Lots of Perks

If you hate the restrictions of a nine-to-five job, if you like opportunities to move between countries, cultures, locations, people, and the work you do, the hospitality field is a good career choice for you. Instead of the rewards of competing with other office workers for ideal vacation time and looking forward to a once-a-year seasonal party, your perks will be the chance to provide services for and mingle with celebrities, or munch on the leftover gourmet food you’ve helped serve at a banquet.

3. Jobs will Always be Available

You never have to worry about being confined to one employer or one type of work because you are afraid to leave when there is a downturn in the economy. People always need to sleep, eat, and drink, which means you can always find work and move around in the hospitality field. Society always needs people in food services, as waiters and caterers, and in concierge jobs, tour guiding, for hotel work, and much more. If you have training and experience, you’ll find work in countless areas of the hospitality industry.

4. You Generally Have Great Co-Workers

The people with whom you work are almost always “people persons” and like to please people and make them happy. Workers who can’t get along with people and don’t like to cooperate with co-workers usually don’t last very long in the hospitality industry. When you become part of a service occupation, you can count on working with a lot of fun-loving people whose top priority is providing good service and smiles to their customers.

5. There is Lots of Potential for Advancement

This is the kind of industry where you can start at the bottom and move up quickly because it attracts people who like change and like to move around. When there is a good turnover of people in your industry, you can start as, say, a hotel receptionist and, after proving to be conscientious and reliable, can often quickly move up to a management position.

Training Opens Doors

Choose a private career college that offers training in hospitality or in a combination of hospitality and tourism. In BC, check that the college has the accreditations and designations that allow you to earn an official Canadian diploma: PCTIA, BC EQA, and IRCC.

When a college offers courses that include a practicum or a co-op work term, you will graduate with increased knowledge and experience, which is very attractive to future employers. It is also useful if you can acquire certification to work not only in Canada but the United States as well. By adding American Certification (AH&LA) courses to your program, you will have the advantage of being certified to work in both countries and will be able to work and move easily between the two.

If you like playing the host, enjoy interacting with people, can accept responsibility, don’t mind working long hours or late hours or on the weekend, you are a good candidate for hospitality training and an exciting and rewarding career.

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