Higher Studies after Hotel Management Graduation

I have been interacting with thousands of Hotel Management Graduate students over the last 16 years. Many students seek my help and advice to plan for their careers. Most of them want to study further and few want to work in Hotels  or join their family business. When it comes to work, majority  of them want to join the reputed Hotel brands only as Management Trainees or Executive Trainees .If they are not successful, then they  opt for higher studies or alternative careers.

When it comes to studying further, many are confused as to which course to choose. Most students think that higher education is a shortest route to a Managerial position in a Hotel. In reality, it is not so. I always tell them that work experience matters. However, many choose for studying further. Most students opt for studying Masters in Hospitality Management, Masters in Tourism or MBA in Hotel Management in India or abroad.

The placement prospects are limited for such courses .Hotels look for people with operational experience having the right skill sets. Just by having MBA in Hotel Management, Hotels cannot employ directly into the managerial position. So the question is which course they need to pursue.

 In my personal opinion the ideal course for a Hotel Management Graduate will be a General  full time MBA specialization in either Marketing, Finance, Systems  or Human Resources. I have come across many of my students who have done General MBA and have been successful in their careers. General MBA opens up opportunity in all sectors of business. With a background of Hotel Management  ,it is easy to secure placements in the services sector. However, it is mandatory for students to  appear for MBA entrance examination like the CAT,MAT etc. Securing good score in these entrance examinations will help in securing admission in a reputed business school.

 The decision of studying further should be taken during the second year of the course ideally after the Industrial Exposure Training. Once decided, prepare well for the entrance examination. There are many MBA entrance examination coaching institutes that train students .The focus should be to secure admission in a reputed business school which offers quality placements.

Being Hospitality Educator, I still encourage students to work in Hotels after Graduation. If higher education is a priority, then choose a course that can offer a long term career.