I do, and in fact every job I’ve had during my adult professional career has been grounded in it. Further, each job I’ve held has allowed me to conquer the learning curve, and then provided a springboard to the next opportunity; and that seems to be the pattern of everyone I know who is gainfully employed in the wonderful, sometimes wacky world of hospitality. The job possibilities are [almost] endless, especially here in Orlando, and since I’m a perfect example of going all over the map in this industry, I’ll share with you some of the more interesting positions I’ve held:

*Hotel Front Desk Clerk [And yes, I do highly recommend starting here on your career opening round]

*International Flight Attendant [And since you ask, the answer is yes again, another great launch pad with the bonus of a passport full of visas, and even better stories to tell in the end. . .]

*Trip Director [Ever try to corral 140 people plus their +-700 pieces of luggage and personal carry on items into multiple busses and then try to keep their attention while you explain at least 140 times why they should have gone to the bathroom before they got on board? Yes, that’s the glamorous side of being a trip director]

*Meeting Planner [Think of every meeting, event, or convention you’ve ever attended and ponder for a minute just who put the thing together from booking the speakers to printing the name tags, and you’ll have some idea of the tasks covered by this job]

*Attraction Sales and Marketing [No, you don’t get to just enjoy super cool rides all day but yes, you sometimes do sneak out there under the guise of ‘sparking creativity’]

But in between the above there were also the following:  Parking lot attendant [overtime hours, baby!] and speaking of babies, child-sitter for kids of tourists [hey, when the money’s good. . .], running a cash register in, well, one of the busiest spots for running a cash register in the entire universe [yes, it is that busy out there on Main Street], rolling out the red carpet [figuratively and literally] for VIP events and their ‘worldy’ attendees,  escorting VIPs [that sometimes really aren’t so VIP after all but they sure think they are], providing meet and greet services at airports all over the map for travelers [big and small], setting up complicated exhibit booths that frankly could have challenged master engineers [hint, always travel with duck tape if assigned this job], mystery hotel shopper [okay, I admit, that one is fun!], and so much more.  But, I think/hope you get the picture here about the wide variety of jobs and opportunities in this industry.  And I’ve only scratched the surface of what it offers, especially here in Orlando, but also in most every tourist destination around the world.

You see, the hospitality industry is vitally linked to tourism, and these days just about every place on the planet thinks they are the latest, greatest, and most hip travel destination since the skis first hit the water at the [late-great] Cypress Gardens in Winter Haven, FL. Case in point, just last summer I had a chance to visit Croatia, yes-CROATIA – and guess what newly formed European country is welcoming huge numbers of annual visitors and spreading out the welcome mat for each and every one of them?  Yep, the correct answer would be Croatia, and prior to my visit I wasn’t even sure where it was let alone what a positive and lasting impression it would have on me.

So, if you already work in the hospitality industry I assume you have some idea of the vast variety of jobs that are within reach, maybe even within 4-5 degrees of separation between where you are now and where you want to be in the future.  And while I’m not saying this industry is for everyone [see previous post about the need for believing in that ‘must like people’ mantra you put on your resume] it certainly does tick off a lot of boxes for those seeking a wider perspective of the universe.  As Jack Kerouac once said, “The road is life,” and in the world of hospitality, it’s the journey on that road that makes getting to the destination so very interesting.

So, what about you?  Do you work in this industry and if so, what’s your position or maybe your dream job?  In this Hive we want to share the opportunities!