Enhance Your Hospitality Image 

Thinking about a career in the Hospitality & Travel industry? Excellent choice! According to the World Travel and Tourism Council, the three industries which will dominate the 21st century are tourism, information technology, and telecommunications. In the past 30 years the travel and tourism industry has grown by over 500% and the expected spending on tourism-related activities in the next 10 years is staggering... a projected $884 billion.

The scope of opportunity is quite extensive and diverse. What type of career do you want? Some areas to consider are: transportation, hotels, travel agencies, tour companies, tourist attractions, restaurants, leisure, recreation and sport-related companies and cultural venues.

While the education required varies according to your specific interest and position, nearly everyone agrees on the personality traits... you need to like people and enjoy the challenge of working in a customer-focused environment. You have to be flexible and adaptable, enjoy problem-solving, be able to think on your feet, and be a team-player. When Jason Muthig, Front Office Manager at The Grande Colonial Hotel in La Jolla, is interviewing a candidate, he says "A welcoming smile can win me over. If the person smiles, approaches me and makes eye contact, I feel that they will make a guest feel welcome after a long day of travelling."

Essentially we are always on an interview. Technical skills can be taught, but the warm personality and customer-focus that is essential in hospitality profession must come naturally. Patty Fares, an instructor in Mesa College's Travel & Tourism Program, points out that in addition to winning personalities, those who are organized, able to research and find solutions, have excellent presentation skills, are able to multi-task, and have an insatiable desire to learn are people who will be successful in this field.

So what's next? A fabulous resume is a start. In essence, a resume is a pre-interview. When you send out your resume, you're really sending yourself out. Whoever receives it is going to make a snap judgement as to whether you could be the right person for the job. Your resume is your "silent" partner - the one that makes an employer feel that they have to meet you. After all, you're the best choice possible for the position.

Some tips for your resume:

• The purpose of your resume is not to reminisce about the past, it's to work on your future!!
• You have only about 10 seconds to convince them to read it in detail.
• Your resume should enable the reader to actually visualize you at the position they have available.
• The resume is not a tell-all. Stick to your relevant and marketable facts!
• A professional-looking resume can mean the difference between getting your foot in the door and a polite brush off.
• You never get a second chance to make a first impression.
• A resume alone can never get you a job, but most certainly, an average or poor resume can knock you out of the competition.