How to Find Opportunities Worldwide After Receiving a Hospitality Management Degree

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If you decided to pursue a degree in hospitality management, be glad that you did. Career opportunities abound in virtually every corner of the globe. Just like education, hospitality is a career area which practically never abates. Even during tough economic times, jobs in hospitality--which comprises a very diverse field of businesses, from restaurants to bars to hotels to resorts and more--stay fairly stable. The best thing about the hospitality industry is that you can find job opportunities all over the world. Here are a few tips and resources for netting a job overseas.

1. Talk to Alumni from Your School.

Alumni connections are often the best way to get a job once you've completed your degree. Your school probably has an alumni database, which lists where they are now. Find alumni working in sectors and countries which appeal to you, and shoot them a friendly email asking for advice. They can usually put you in touch with the right people to get your foot in the door.

2. Emphasize Languages in Your Resume.

An important aspect of getting a job in a foreign country is to have diverse and solid foreign language skills. The more languages you are familiar with, the better. This is especially true of the hospitality industry, in which speaking two or more languages will help you better interact with a diverse clientele.

3. Get a Job with a Local Branch and Ask for a Transfer.

A very common way to find worldwide opportunities in the hospitality industry is to start with a local hotel, restaurant, or other establishment that has branches worldwide. Once you've worked locally for awhile, you can build the clout needed to move up and work elsewhere.

4. Leverage the Web to Search for Opportunities.

The Internet is one of the best ways to scope out hospitality jobs across the globe. There are several job search engines geared specifically toward careers in hospitality management. CatererGlobal.com is one such site in which you can search by job title, location, and work environment. My Gulliver is another site that offers job listings in the hospitality industry worldwide.

5. Dress to Impress.

When you do get an interview for a position, be sure to remember that professionalism in dress and manners is doubly important in the hospitality industry. Since hotels and restaurants often thrive on their overall sense of style, make sure you are familiar with "the look" that a specific establishment aims to achieve, and try your best to play the part.

In the final analysis, if you have people skills, if you are interested in experiencing a wide range of locations, and you are committed to excellence with an eye for detail, then the sky's the limit for you in the hospitality field.

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This guest post is contributed by Roger Elmore, who writes on the topics of hospitality management degree.  He welcomes your comments at his email id: rogerelmore24@gmail.com.