You know that person who first greets you as you arrive at a hotel? That person has the power to enhance the entire feel of your vacation. A warm smile and hearty greeting and you start your stay away on a happy note. Having the ability to make guests feel good about their trips is just one of the many rewards of a career in hospitality management.

If you enjoy working with people, organizing events, and leading employees, a career in hotel management may be for you. It’s an exciting career — no day is exactly the same  — and the skill set you develop can even take you to related industries like hospitality, management, or event planning.

Those with entrepreneurial dreams often set their sights on the restaurant business. 

However, while there is always a demand for great food at interesting locales, the restaurant business is a particularly challenging one to enter into. It's always been a challenge for up-and-coming restaurateurs to break into the industry, but the recent COVID-19 pandemic has ushered in a handful of new and overwhelming challenges for even the most experienced restaurant owners.

The impact of COVID-19 has hit every industry. From local stores to retail giants, employers have been forced to adapt to the closing and reopening of the economy in order to fight this unprecedented pandemic. One industry hit particularly hard has been restaurants.

Wherever you look, you can find a new cutting-edge product emerging from the beverage industry. Whether it’s a canned twist on a staple drink or a brand new low-cal healthy alternative, innovation in the beverage industry is bubbling. Department chair of food and beverage management for Johnson & Wales College of Hospitality’s Michael Sabitoni elaborated on what exactly students in the program should expect.

JWU professors, like students, are experiencing the “new normal” at home during the global pandemic, COVID-19. In this series, we’ll explore how they are navigating their day-to-day, both inside and outside the online classroom, and their observations of the world. Read more here.

As the global economy and, with it, the hospitality industry, continues its “great reopening,” there will be a number of issues that will require ongoing focus as the impact of COVID-19 is analyzed. Here’s what’s on my mind as I consider the industry’s fate.

I can’t help thinking these days that we are living in a virtual (not material) world (apologies to Madonna). 

Before graduating from college and pursuing my career in content production (and before I started writing for Career Catalyst!), I spent my nights and weekends working in restaurants. I worked in several roles — both in the front and back of the house — and I learned some amazing resume-building lessons as a result. Even though I went on to work in a completely different industry, I’ll always have an appreciation and understanding of what it takes to bring a great dining
experience to a patron. Also, I learned some skills that are still relevant in my current role.

Do you truly need all of your hotel linens changed every day? At my house, we don’t change them every day, or even every other day. So why can’t we re-use our towels and leave the linens just a bit longer at hotels? Many travelers and hotels are asking this very same question.

It is good for the Earth, it’s good for labor costs, and it’s good on many other levels. It’s a win-win (nearly) all the way around.