Career in Hotel Management

The ongoing liberalization of trade and opening up of economy has led to revolutionary growth in the hotel sector. Moreover, the recent measures taken in promotion of tourism and rapid industrial growth, have further given a boost to the hoteliers, as the hotel industry is closely linked to the tourism industry. With the constant increasing growth in this sector, career opportunities too are booming day-by-day. This field is not limited within the country, but has already extended to internationally operated chains of hotels. The result is increase in the demand of well-trained quality professionals who can manage the hotel business. Therefore, the demand for hotel management as a professional course is growing in the country. The diversity of experience in hotel management is greater in comparison to others. Courses in hotel management often referred to as hospitality management, are offered by many prestigious institutes. Hotel management courses include varied aspects of learning, both theoretical and practical.

Course Details
Several courses are offered in Hotel Management, like Diploma in Hotel Management (DHM), Bachelor of Hotel Management (BHM), and Post Graduate Diploma in Hotel Management (PGDHM). Apart from these, diplomas in many allied subjects are also conducted, such as hotel and catering management, housekeeping, bakery and confectionery, etc. The minimum qualification required for a diploma and bachelor course in hotel management is 10+2 pass, with English as a compulsory subject. The duration for a DHM/BHM course is 1½-3 years, depending upon the institution. Admission is based on the performance of the students in the written admission test, group discussion session, and personal interview round. In addition to the above mentioned courses, there are many certificate or craftsmanship courses of six months to one year in duration in hotel management and related subjects, like food and beverage service, food production, etc. Graduates in hotel management can further enhance their skills by opting for one-year post graduate diploma or advance diploma courses. One can also pursue an M.Sc program in Hospitality Management after BHM/DHM.

Career Prospects
There are ample job avenues for hotel management graduates in numerous fields. They can join various hotels and restaurants flourishing in the country. Students from reputed institutes of hotel management can be easily absorbed in catering services of railways, airlines, shipping companies, banks, and defense sectors. Several clubs, hotels, hospitals, and tourism associations also require the services of professional hotel managers. Besides, industrial canteens and other institutional canteens of colleges, schools, factories, and company guest houses recruit candidates from hotel management institutes. Those, who have pursued postgraduate studies in hotel management, can explore a plethora of teaching jobs available in esteemed hotel management institutions. Moreover, self-employment opportunities are always open to hotel management graduates.

Top Colleges Offering UG/PG/Other Courses
India has a number of institutes offering hotel management courses. The most prestigious amongst them are: Institutes of Hotel Management (IHMs) at Delhi, Mumbai, Aurangabad, Chennai, Goa, Ahmedabad, Calcutta, and Bangalore; Welcome Group Graduate School of Hotel Administration, Manipal; The Oberoi Centre of Learning and Development, Delhi; Merit Swiss Asian School of Hotel Management, Ooty; Christ College, Bangalore; Food Craft Institutes (FCIs) at Ajmer, Chandigarh, Darjeeling, Faridabad, Gangtok, Jodhpur, and Udaipur; State Institute of Hotel Management & Catering Technology, Tiruchirappalli; Delhi Institute of Hotel Management and Catering Technology, Delhi; Institute of Hotel Management, Catering Technology & Applied Nutrition, Mumbai; and Indian Institute of Hotel Management, Aurangabad.

Remuneration
Remuneration in hotel management varies between different organizations which employ fresh or experienced candidates. The minimum monthly salary is about Rs. 7500 - 10,000 depending on factors, like the category of employing hotel, institute from where the student has graduated, city of hotel location, etc. The salary is generally low in public sector organizations compared to industrial houses, private airlines, shipping companies, etc. Self employment in this sector is always highly remunerative and money-making.