subject: Landing That All-important First Job After Hotel Management College [print this page] If you are in your final year of hotel management college, you are probably thinking ahead to life in the working world. Youve been acing your hospitality management courses, but will this translate into success out there? As the Dalai Lama says, If you have fear of some pain or suffering, you should examine whether there is anything you can do about it. If you can, there is no need to worry about it; if you cannot do anything, then there is also no need to worry. Fortunately for soon-to-be graduates of hotel management college, there is plenty that you can do to increase your chances of landing a good first job after your tourism courses are finished. Here are some tips. 1. Start a blog, write letters to the editor, brand yourself Distinguish yourself from your fellow hotel management college students by finding a platform for yourself, which will communicate to recruiters and prospective employers how passionate you are about the issues covered in your tourism courses. Resist the urge to present yourself as some kind of hospitality management courses expert. Simply present yourself as you are: a beginner in the field with a willingness to learn more. 2. Fine tune your LinkedIn profile Study the bios of the leaders in your industry the other graduates of hotel management college who have gone on to make good after their tourism courses. Model your LinkedIn profile on theirs. Familiarize yourself with industry buzzwords. Study other peoples niches to try to get a sense of what your own niche might be after you finish hospitality management courses. Set yourself a goal of having a number of pertinent industry connections on LinkedIn by the time you do make that proud walk up to the podium to receive your hotel management college diploma. 3. Work for free Yes, you heard me. Work for free. Take an internship. If your hospitality management courses dont include an internship program, try to negotiate an internship on a less formal basis. An internship lets you: better understand your own strengths and weakness pinpoint the path youd like your career to take after hotel management college develop a professional network secure meaningful letters of reference absorb the culture of the industry (how to dress, how to interact with colleagues, etc.) 4. Foster ties with your own cohort Sure, you may be competing with your fellow students in class and on the job market but that is just one way of looking at it. You also have the power to bolster one another the length of your careers. Forming warm ties now with others in your industry will serve you all well after graduation from hotel management college. Perhaps finding a job after hotel management college will be even easier than you think.
