A Career in Hotel Management is Just More Than Management

When the world was hit by the recession in 2008, the hospitality industry survived unscathed. Arun Kumar Singh, Principal, Dadar Catering College, Mumbai, tells us that now, it is ever-changing consumer behaviour that keeps the industry on its toes. “People now order using online apps such as Holachef. The  hospitality industry has to constantly reinvent itself to stay relevant,” he explains.

To Apply...
All hospitality colleges require a minimum of 45 per cent in Class XII (in any stream). Each college has its own entrance examination. Dadar Catering College has a four-part Joint Entrance Examination that covers mathematics, analytical reasoning, language and general knowledge.

For International Schools
Students applying to a school in the United States, need to take the TOEFL or IELTS, depending on the university. Kendall College, for example, accepts both and says that students are required to have either a score between 41 and 60 in the Internet-based TOEFL or a score of 4.0 in the IELTS.
For schools in Europe, such as Ecole Hoteliere Lausanne in Switzerland, which is also the oldest hotel management school in the world, an international student is required to take the TOEFL.

What Do You Learn?
There are two generic specialisations that students consider when they do a programme in hotel management—catering and management. Students have similar courses during the first two years. The courses involve basic cooking and baking techniques, as well as human resource management, understanding the travel and tourism industry, front-office operations in a hotel and so on.
Aditi Kamat, who owns restaurants such as Quarter House and Open House Cafe and Bar in Mumbai, says that after completing her diploma at Sophia Polytechnic, she got a job at Oberoi. “It was tough because the timings were from 8 am to 1 am. I was asked to peel oranges, chop onions, and peel and chop some more. I quit and joined Indigo Deli. However, if I were to advice potential candidates, I’d tell them to join a five-star because that training is something you can’t get anywhere else,” she tells us.
A spokesperson for Kendall College in the United States says, “The hospitality management school at Kendall prepares leaders in the hospitality industry by offering a unique curriculum that blends the art of hospitality with the science of management through a Bachelor’s Degree in Hospitality Management, which includes seven distinct concentrations: Asset Management; Beverage Management; Hotel/Lodging Management; Meeting, Incentive, Convention and Exhibition (MICE); Restaurant/Food and Beverage Management; Sports Management; and Sustainable Management in Hospitality 
and Tourism”.

Job Opportunities
Arun Kumar says that there is no dearth of opportunity. “When it comes to placements, we have everyone, right from famous food chains like McDonald’s and Domino’s Pizza, big hotel groups and restaurants in food courts to the travel and tourism industry. If students are hired on campus, it is usually at a managerial level, but there are times when they are hired as supervisors and work their way up to the managerial level. Students not hired during campus placements can apply as trainees.”
Dopati Banerjee, who heads the hotel management programme at Sophia Polytechnic, says that the college provides internships to all the students as it is an integral part of the programme. She reckons that the industry will never die because humans are born foodies. “We will continue to experiment with food and meet the customer’s ever-changing mindset,” she says.

What Can You Expect?
Siddharth Somaiya, who owns Bao Haus in Mumbai, got a Bachelor’s degree in Culinary Arts Management from The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park NY. “We have campus placements through the year. Our college is reputed for its rigorous training programme and recruiters know what to expect,” he says.
Siddharth worked at a Michelin-starred restaurant in New York for a year before returning to India. “You need a strong support system—be it family or friends—if you want to make it in this industry. It is long hours of standing, bleeding, burning, sweating. You never get a pat on your back for a job well done and at times, it can drive you insane,” he cautions.
While advising potential candidates, Siddharth says, “Don’t ask too many questions at first, just observe. Also, hardwork is just as important as learning how to play the game, because hard work does not always lead to success”.

The MBA Route
Some get into the hospitality industry after an MBA in marketing or finance. Rannel Moras, completed his MBA from the University of Mumbai and began his career with the Leela Group. “Initially, I was on a month-long training, where I was required to learn all the functions of running a hotel. I had to understand housekeeping, the food and beverage sector, room service, front office and more. After this, I was trained by the sales team to sell rooms to corporate clients and then sent out into the field. The good bit is meeting and learning new things from different departments. The tough, yet fun bit was learning everything in such a short span,” shares Rannel, who now works at the Sheraton, Bahrain.

To Start With 
There is constant growth in the hospitality industry. Chefs starting out, can make up to `6 lakh per annum. Others like management trainees, hotel back office and housekeeping employees can earn up to `5 lakh in a five-star hotel

Fee structure
Dadar Catering College charges Rs 87,500 for three years (Rs 30, 500 for the first year, Rs 26, 500 for the second year and Rs 30, 500 for the final year)
A Bachelor's of Hotel Management from a foreign university such as Les Roches International School of Hotel Management in Switzerland is approximately Rs 71 lakh, excluding accommodation
A four-year undergraduate programme at the Culinary Institute of America could go up to Rs 11 crore, including accommodation

To Qualify
Over 45 per cent in after Class XII
Clearing the entrance test of the college in India
SAT or other entrance tests for a programme outside India